Patti Smith @ The Wiltern Last Night

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I saw my first Patti Smith show at The Wiltern in LA last night, and I'm blown away. I've long been a fan or her music, her poetry, and her style, but never really prioritzed seeing her. That was not a good move on my part.

The evening's music was interspersed with stories about herself and folks like Sam Shepard, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Johnny Depp, and those of us in attendance too, plus some poetry, and a few technical difficulties, but those tech problems just gave Smith the opportunity to improvise and riff on the situation we found ourselves in.

Smith is 75 years old, and yet her voice is powerful, crystal clear, and compelling, and watching her prance and dance around the stage was itself a thing of beauty. Can you tell I'm smitten?

Her band is tight, explosive, full of energy, and they carved out some sweet quiet places too. She has a few dates scheduled through September, and if you get the chance, you really should check it out.

Patti Smith and Her Band
The Wiltern, LA
September 9, 2022

Redondo Beach
The Wicked Messenger
Footnote to Howl
My Blakean Year
Nine
Free Money
Ghost Dance
Dancing Barefoot
Beneath the Southern Cross
After the Gold Rush
I Wanna Be Your Dog (Band only)
Dog Dream
One Too Many
After the Gold Rush
Because the Night
Pissing in a River
Gloria

People Have the Power
My Generation

Sounds like a great show Mike. Nice photo. Brings back wonderful memories of seeing the Garcia Band 

and the Rolling Stones there. Beautiful theatre.

 

She is a treasure, and despite the fact that she doesn't really "perform" at all, she is an incredibly captivating performer.

Smart move going to the show.

I bet you won't pass on her again.

Had 3rd row right in front of Jerry there in 87. Jerry was all smiles and in a super good mood. He and Parrish were having fun joking with each other.. Also saw acoustic Hot Tuna there around 1985. Interesting Asian neighborhood at the time.. Was it Koreatown!?

 
god you suck poo lil

 

thanks mike

 

 

 

> I bet you won't pass on her again.

Not a chance, Lance.

You are welcome. T.O.D. lol

God, I just love her.

Great video.

Not my video, but yeah; she is one of the great ones. Punk as fuck, and a raging hippie. Her body might be 75, but her spirit roars and soars.

Very awesome.   Glad you took the opportunity to get there.  I've always admired her style, her messages.  Love Horses.  A very caring woman.  

 

 

Footnote to Howl (by Allen Ginsberg)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdF4WZVqOZE

Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!

The world is holy! The soul is holy! The skin is holy! The nose is holy! The tongue and cock and hand and asshole holy!

Everything is holy! everybody’s holy! everywhere is holy! everyday is in eternity! Everyman’s an angel!

The bum’s as holy as the seraphim! the madman is holy as you my soul are holy!

The typewriter is holy the poem is holy the voice is holy the hearers are holy the ecstasy is holy!

Holy Peter holy Allen holy Solomon holy Lucien holy Kerouac holy Huncke holy Burroughs holy Cassady holy the unknown buggered and suffering beggars holy the hideous human angels!

Holy my mother in the insane asylum! Holy the cocks of the grandfathers of Kansas!

Holy the groaning saxophone! Holy the bop apocalypse! Holy the jazzbands marijuana hipsters peace peyote pipes & drums!

Holy the solitudes of skyscrapers and pavements! Holy the cafeterias filled with the millions! Holy the mysterious rivers of tears under the streets!

Holy the lone juggernaut! Holy the vast lamb of the middleclass! Holy the crazy shepherds of rebellion! Who digs Los Angeles IS Los Angeles!

Holy New York Holy San Francisco Holy Peoria & Seattle Holy Paris Holy Tangiers Holy Moscow Holy Istanbul!

Holy time in eternity holy eternity in time holy the clocks in space holy the fourth dimension holy the fifth International holy the Angel in Moloch!

Holy the sea holy the desert holy the railroad holy the locomotive holy the visions holy the hallucinations holy the miracles holy the eyeball holy the abyss!

Holy forgiveness! mercy! charity! faith! Holy! Ours! bodies! suffering! magnanimity!

Holy the supernatural extra brilliant intelligent kindness of the soul!

.......................................................................................................................................................Berkeley 1955

Punk as fuck, you say? Yeah. Punk as fuck. (It's only a snippet; I wish there was more.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqVIo1UQ05M