patti smith @ brooklyn academy of music



i don't know what to say other than, i feel like i've never been to a real rock and roll show before. i know i am a comfortable denizen of contemporary indie rock, but i never thought i'd be going to see rock stars of the 70s perform today... i mean, what's the point, right? ok, now i admit it, i was wholly wrong in my thinking.

suffice it to say that it was quite a surreal moment when i went to see patti smith last night at the brooklyn academy of music. she was onstage with most of her original band with the exception of bassist/trumpeter flea, keyboardist tony shanahan and her daughter jesse (an appropriate androgynous name for the daughter of an androgynous icon), who stood in for deceased members ivan kral and richard sohl. flea brought chili pepper energy to the stage as he bobbed his head ferociously to the bassline. tom verlaine on guitar!!! i mean, it was like a chapter out of the book i just read -- please kill me. here was this icon bursting forth in the gorgeous theater of bam. i felt like i was floating onto another planet, and i wondered, would i like my surroundings?

but there was no doubt -- from the moment patti smith strutted, no, swaggered onstage, slightly beckoning to the wildly cheering audience, i was held captive. i could NOT take my eyes off of her. i loved her frazzled gray mop. i loved the way her white button down was haphazardly tucked into her skinny black jeans. i loved the way her black tie was loosely hung around her neck like she just didn't give a flying fuck. it was so casual and uncaring of the contemporary standards of beauty that it was strangely sexy. she exuded sexuality. you could tell she simply didn't care if anyone got a flattering photo of her. she was fucking patti smith! what she was concerned with was putting on a compelling show with the quality of her oft politically charged music. why had i never seen this woman before? patti commanded so much respect and enthusiasm, it was immensely inspiring and humbling at the same time. i sat frozen as her words seeped out, "jesus died for somebody's sins... but not mine."

and as she sang the first notes of "gloria" from horses, i instantly LOVED her. that unmistakable deep, soulful voice channeled through me and the rest of the audience, who couldn't help but give her a raucous standing O for the majority of the concert. people just could not contain themselves, and i couldn't believe that i was so lucky to witness this remarkable performance.

rebellion, sympathy and wisdom surged through her words as she guided the audience from song to song of her seminal album horses. when the powerfully rising "land" turned into a medley with "gloria," i was completely floored. oh. my. gosh.

in the second act of the night, she came back onstage wearing sort of a davy crocket type jacket, fringe swaying to and fro from her shoulders. she carried what i think was an alt sax on her shoulders like she was a minstrel. her black tie was replaced by a red silk one that ran down her torso like blood. the back curtains rose to reveal a colored screen behind the patti smith group. people cheered in awe and rose to their feet. that part of the set included "gandhi," "pissing in a river" and "southern cross." she also sang "because the night," which had the audience singing and clapping along like it was karaoke night.

after the second and last segment was finished, the audience refused to leave without an encore. everyone was standing, stomping, clapping, cheering -- anything and everything to get her back in front of the mic. after some time, patti and the band came back on stage. she spoke about world aids day and the importance of kindness onto your fellow man. she referenced how she felt like she couldn't help her friend robert mapplethorpe (who took the amazing photo of her on the cover of horses) when he was dying of aids. then to relate it to modern times, she asked why only the rich has access to drugs that help treat such a debilitating disease. why do we give the power to greedy drug companies to decide who lives and who dies? she said, people have the power to change this. surprisingly, i felt so in tune with her words, her philosophy. she launched into "people have the power" and electrified. i was speechless. i think i can safely say this was the best, most life changing concert i've been to in 2005.