Concert Review/Photos: Patti Smith @ Webster Hall NYC 12/29
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Witnessing the brilliance of Patti Smith is something one should be willing to work for.
Witnessing the brilliance of Patti Smith is something one should be willing to work for. And if it only means trekking to New York City in the wintry end of 2013, so be it (especially since she has not played a headlining show in Philly since 2007). On Sunday she played a sold-out show at Webster Hall as part of her mutli-night New York serenade of sorts that she has been holding annually since 1998 (with the exception of 2012). Smith and her superb band of legendary guitarist Lenny Kaye, drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, bassist and keyboardist Tony Shanahan, and new guitarist Andy York rocked the crowd for two hours.
Seamlessly blending the new, such as the opening “April Fool” from Smith’s 2012 work Banga, with the old, like her classic “Dancing Barefoot,” showcased her sound’s versatility, as a timeless quality can be evoked in so many of her works. And her devotion to memory, especially of those who recently died, was as apparent as ever. Lou Reed sprung to life twice, once without Smith on vocals in the form of The Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man” as sung by Kaye and Shanahan and the other time as the stunning encore opener “Perfect Day.” Another tribute came in the form of “Distant Fingers,” as co-written by Allen Lanier of the Blue Oyster Cult.
There were many other highlights, from the rarely played opening track to Banga, “Amerigo,” which sounded glorious even if Smith needed some lyric help, a particularly powerful rendition of “Beneath the Southern Cross,” and the dog howling chorus of “Banga,” including encouraging the audience to join in. And the poet in Smith stood out, infusing the now into her songs and introductions. Referencing the political activism of Pussy Riot and including Edward Snowden as one of the new namesakes of “Rock N Roll Nigger” engaged the crowd, a grand mix of young and old, to think of the great change that can come about in 2014. And after doing her customary stripping of strings from a guitar at the conclusion of “Rock N Roll Nigger” Smith threw flower petals into the audience, contrasting the beauty of destruction and creation. This is the power of Patti Smith, bringing the outsider in us out to enjoy the world.
Belle Ghoul, featuring Patti Smith's daughter Jesse Smith, opened.
SETLIST
- April Fool
- Dancing Barefoot
- Fuji-san
- Amerigo
- Distant Fingers
- Mosaic
- Capital Letter
- Strange Messengers
- This Is the Girl
- Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) [John Lennon cover]
- Beneath the Southern Cross
- I'm Waiting For The Man [The Velvet Underground cover]
- Pissing In a River
- Banga
- People Have the Power
Encore
- Perfect Day [Lou Reed cover]
- I'm Sorry (verse) [Brenda Lee cover] ->
- Babelogue ->
- Rock N Roll Nigger
See more of Chris Sikich's photos at CountFeed.
