Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Patti Smith



First off, I should say that I've never been a Patti Smith person. If you're a Patti Smith person, you know exactly what I mean. And if you're not a Patti Smith person, you probably know what I mean and might not even know who I mean.

I'm now a Patti Smith person.

I read Just Kids when it came out and loved it -- not just because Smith is a good and engaging writer, but because she wrote about that transcendent time in New York when art was Art and there was the Chelsea Hotel and grit and grime and music and being poor and doing your thing took precedence over commerce and Wall Street and all that stuff. I don't really know Patti Smith, though, other than through those iconic photographs and the language of her groupies. I got a ticket to go hear her through our library foundation, and because she is Patti Smith, it wasn't a free ticket like the other library foundation tickets but the slightly more expensive ticket that gave me a seat on the third row of this beautiful old theater in downtown Los Angeles. The place was filled to capacity with hundreds, if not thousands of Patti Smith people. Oh, and me.

But now I'm a Patti Smith person.

She was "interviewed" or rather was engaged in conversation at first with the writer Jonathan Letham and sort of spell-bound us with stories and jokes and observations and anecdotes. At one point she talked about how many books she'd read as a child, and she mentioned that when she went to a library and went to the children's section, even now, she had read all the books. She sort of had love and fierceness as an aura around her. Her eyes twinkled. She was reverent and really funny. She talked about art and music and gender and Bob Dylan (truly the greatest Bob Dylan story I've ever heard) and her children and her husband and Robert Mapplethorpe and writing and her poetry and what it means to be alive. She was transcendent. Seriously. Sweet and funny and not giving a fuckish in the best way. A bodhisattva.

And then it was over -- at least the conversation. She stood up and Tony Shanahan came out (see, since I'm now a Patti Smith person, I know who that is) with a guitar and then she sang. She sang two beautiful ballads -- one that she'd written for her daughter and another about her husband. I felt like I was floating at this point, such was her effect on me. Then she dedicated a song to the young people who had died in Paris and we all stood up and sang it with her. Because the night was made for lovers. It was crazy beautiful.

That's it. Some of you will be jealous. I understand. Some of you will have no idea what I'm talking about. I understand that, too.




23 comments:

  1. I wish I were a Patti Smith person.

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    1. You would have become one with me, Mary, especially when she mentioned her adulation and friendship with Keith.

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  2. I'm not a Patti Smith person but I'm jealous anyway. Like many kids who grew up in the 'burbs, my musical tastes were shaped largely by what I heard on commercial radio (which was better then that it is now, but it didn't include Patti Smith, at least not that I recall). She is a gap in my cultural knowledge that I never quite filled.

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    1. From what you've written about your tastes and childhood, Steve, I probably would have been hanging out with you and certainly not being a Patti Smith girl. That being said, seeing her live changed me.

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  3. I actually did meet Patti Smith at an event at the college where I work about 5 years ago. She was dressed in army like fatigues and combat boots for a rather formal event (that won me over as I'm an overalls and flannel shirt kind of a girl) Humble but odd person. She was interested in designing an art program for visually impaired but never followed thru. Sad as I think she could have initiated a very interesting project.

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    1. Humble but odd sounds exactly right. It's hard to pin down exactly how unique she is --

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  4. Sounds like a wonderful evening. And no, I'm not that person but I'm pretty certain I want to be!

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    1. You would have become one like me, Mary Lou. Especially after your harrowing week!

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  5. No, sorry, from over here I don't really know what you mean about a 'Patti Smith person'. I absolutely love(d) (but still do love) her songs, though I didn't much like her books (or book - WOOLgathering, naturally). But you know what? After reading this, even from all the way over here, I do know that I'm a Patti Smith person. :)

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    1. If you loved her songs, you were definitley a Patti Smith person, Francesca!

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  6. Miel has been a fan for many years. She made up her mind immediately.

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  7. I'm not a Patti Smith person but I wish I was (like others, I see). Maybe after reading M Train, I will be.

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    1. Did you like Just Life? I really did, but I understand from others who've already it that M Train isn't as "good." So subjective, though. And honestly -- it wasn't until seeing her live that I truly understood why so many people are drawn toward her.

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  8. I'll have whatever you're having. And also, do you know how many times I have to use dictionary.com when I read your posts? (That's a compliment). xo

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    1. Did you have to look up "Patti Smith person" this time?

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  9. It sounds heavenly. I'm so happy for you.

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  10. See, this is what I was talking about in a previous comment, about how your brilliant writing just takes me with you. I feel like I was there, that I saw for myself how charismatic and witty and matter-of-fact-ly herself Patti Smith was. I'm smiling right now, with a tingle in my heart like I have a new crush :-)

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  11. Some day you must introduce yourself to by good friend and ALOUD curator, Louise Steinman. She is also a writer and you two would hit it off. I'm a Patti Smith person, of sorts.

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  12. I've always loved her music. My mom gave me that book when it came out but I haven't read it yet. My mom went on and on about how good it was and one day we were in the car and Gloria came on and my mom was like, who is this? I said Patti freaking Smith! So yeah she won my mom over too with her writing.

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  13. Yep. Loved her book. Loved the 'interview' she gave here at town hall. FUCKIN LOVED the concert I went to last year. The woman can seriously rock even though she's of a certain age.

    Iconic. Beautiful.

    XXX Beth

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  14. Yep. Loved her book. Loved the 'interview' she gave here at town hall. FUCKIN LOVED the concert I went to last year. The woman can seriously rock even though she's of a certain age.

    Iconic. Beautiful.

    XXX Beth

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