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Patti Smith
Jun. 23rd, 2004 08:00 pmI knew there was a reason I had to see Patti. I mean, like HAD TO see her. But I was nervous before the show. I don't know why. It was, like, is this gonna be what I expect? What is the show going to be like? What is Patti going to be like? I had seen her once before, yet there was this question. I had gotten Cyn interested in her, over the last couple of years, so she was there with me. Maybe I was nervous because I didn't know what I had gotten her into.
I only heard of the show a couple of weeks beforehand, so I felt lucky to have gotten tickets, but it wasn't even sold out when we got there. The show was in Madison, which is a good hour and a half drive, but we still weren't rushed getting there, despite rush hour in Milwaukee. We were later than we wanted, but we still walked right up to the stage. I spent the evening with one person between me and the stage. I think the sound wasn't the greatest up there(and we were right in line with Oliver's amp, so it was too loud) but you don't go to Patti's show for the sound.
Patti's music is not technical, it's emotional. It's all about the feeling. She's so expressive. She can make you believe it's important. She can make you feel you're important. She can make you feel just about anything. People have the Power. She jumps, she dances, she trances, she prances, she waves, she jams. She holds out the mic for fans to sing into. People have the Power. She tells stories, she tells rambling anecdotes. She talks about her mother, she talks about the president, she talks about dandelions, she talks about the dangers of vaccinations and about parental instinct.
She brought along Lenny Kaye, her long-time guitarist. He switched between electric, acoustic and bass guitars, and sang backing occasionally. Drummer J.D. Daugherty has also been with her since the beginning. Bassist and keyboard player Tony Shanahan has been with the band since she started it back up in 1996. Guitarist Oliver Ray played with Patti at that time too, but didn't join the band until later. Oliver looks very young (I'm guessing early thirties), and looks like he needs to eat. Tony looks out of place in that group. Like his thrift store chic is too practiced or too clean. He's also the only one besides Patti who seems to notice the audience. Lenny is focused on the music. He watches Patti for cues, and occasionally plays with Oliver, but otherwise doesn't show much personality. And his thin black mustache and goatee looked a little odd with the greying sandy blond hair. Patti came out in a dark sport coat. She removed it about half way through the show, and later removed the shirt under that, leaving only a ragged white t-shirt. She played guitar a few times, both acoustic and electric. I wish I'd taken notes - I don't remember which songs.
I'm having trouble remembering what songs they played. She opened with "Trampin'", accompanied only by Tony's piano. I know she played "Jubilee" and "Ghandi". I think she played "My Blakean Year" and "Peacable Kingdom". I think "Dead City" was the only song from Peace and Noise, and I don't recall what songs from Gung Ho they played. "Space Monkey" from Easter. "People Have the Power". "Seven Ways of Going". Gone Again, brought us "Beneath the Southern Cross" and "Gone Again" (one of my favorites). I'm sure I've forgotten a few. Let me know if you locate a set list.
The encore was amazing. She came back with "Wing". I love that song. And if there's one thing/Could do for you/You'd be a wing/In heaven blue. Wow. After that was "Free Money." So much energy. Then they closed with "Gloria." Wow! The energy stepped up a notch from "Free Money." You could hardly believe it. The audience doesn't just pick up on the energy, they take it up. I've really been to few shows where the energy in the room multiplies in such a way.
Everyone walked away from there happy.
I only heard of the show a couple of weeks beforehand, so I felt lucky to have gotten tickets, but it wasn't even sold out when we got there. The show was in Madison, which is a good hour and a half drive, but we still weren't rushed getting there, despite rush hour in Milwaukee. We were later than we wanted, but we still walked right up to the stage. I spent the evening with one person between me and the stage. I think the sound wasn't the greatest up there(and we were right in line with Oliver's amp, so it was too loud) but you don't go to Patti's show for the sound.
Patti's music is not technical, it's emotional. It's all about the feeling. She's so expressive. She can make you believe it's important. She can make you feel you're important. She can make you feel just about anything. People have the Power. She jumps, she dances, she trances, she prances, she waves, she jams. She holds out the mic for fans to sing into. People have the Power. She tells stories, she tells rambling anecdotes. She talks about her mother, she talks about the president, she talks about dandelions, she talks about the dangers of vaccinations and about parental instinct.
She brought along Lenny Kaye, her long-time guitarist. He switched between electric, acoustic and bass guitars, and sang backing occasionally. Drummer J.D. Daugherty has also been with her since the beginning. Bassist and keyboard player Tony Shanahan has been with the band since she started it back up in 1996. Guitarist Oliver Ray played with Patti at that time too, but didn't join the band until later. Oliver looks very young (I'm guessing early thirties), and looks like he needs to eat. Tony looks out of place in that group. Like his thrift store chic is too practiced or too clean. He's also the only one besides Patti who seems to notice the audience. Lenny is focused on the music. He watches Patti for cues, and occasionally plays with Oliver, but otherwise doesn't show much personality. And his thin black mustache and goatee looked a little odd with the greying sandy blond hair. Patti came out in a dark sport coat. She removed it about half way through the show, and later removed the shirt under that, leaving only a ragged white t-shirt. She played guitar a few times, both acoustic and electric. I wish I'd taken notes - I don't remember which songs.
I'm having trouble remembering what songs they played. She opened with "Trampin'", accompanied only by Tony's piano. I know she played "Jubilee" and "Ghandi". I think she played "My Blakean Year" and "Peacable Kingdom". I think "Dead City" was the only song from Peace and Noise, and I don't recall what songs from Gung Ho they played. "Space Monkey" from Easter. "People Have the Power". "Seven Ways of Going". Gone Again, brought us "Beneath the Southern Cross" and "Gone Again" (one of my favorites). I'm sure I've forgotten a few. Let me know if you locate a set list.
The encore was amazing. She came back with "Wing". I love that song. And if there's one thing/Could do for you/You'd be a wing/In heaven blue. Wow. After that was "Free Money." So much energy. Then they closed with "Gloria." Wow! The energy stepped up a notch from "Free Money." You could hardly believe it. The audience doesn't just pick up on the energy, they take it up. I've really been to few shows where the energy in the room multiplies in such a way.
Everyone walked away from there happy.