Scottish folk guitar legend Bert Jansch performed an intimate show Dec. 13 at Jammin Java in Vienna, Va. for the first time after years of illness.

Even though Jansch has combated cancer for two years there was no sign of a weakness during his performance. He highlighted his guitar talent as he played “the Auld Triangle.”

The Pegi Young band opened with their set of  generic country music. While Young’s performance was not on par with Jansch’s, she displayed a strong songwriting ability, and her band’s energy connected with the audience.

As opposed to Young’s electric set, Jansch’s songs were all acoustic. He sat center stage with his acoustic guitar and spotlight on his chair, with three bottles of water on the floor to his right.

This intimacy gave the performance a surreal quality. Jansch proved why he has become a guitar legend with hits like “Blackwaterside,” a traditional folk song he learned from Anne Briggs, and performing some new material from his latest album “Black Swan.”

During his encore, Jansch forgot the lyrics to one of his songs, so he chose another once to perform. At any other show, fans might have become skeptical and displeased, but Jansch’s audience laughed with him instead, and cheered even louder after he finished his encore.

Fans welcomed Jansch back to the stage with open arms, whether they were seasoned fans or had just seen him for the first time.