Holy cow.
This was one of those shows where a lot of folks were there with their kids, and I had two teenage nephews just in from Brooklyn. On the way over I played them "Gloria" and a little "Redondo Beach". It was the first time they'd ever heard her music. Before today, I don't think they'd ever heard her name.
The set started right on time, opening with "Redondo Beach" (perfect for SoCal -- just a few beaches away), then the Horses side-B opener, "Kimberly", both in a moderate reggae groove. She raised the tempo with "Summer Cannibals" (also appropriate -- it was a hot night) and it just kept on getting better from there. Highlights included the covers off her new album, 12, with Patti playing clarinet as a kind of measure against Jimi Hendrix's guitar work on "Are You Experienced?", and the priceless bonus of Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers joining the band with his smoky electric guitar for a slew of numbers, including a killer rave up of "Gimme Shelter".
Patti talked plenty to the audience, no phony patter but bits on how they were figuring out the tunes (telling Flea the chords), another on the importance of fiber in your daily diet except for the show they did in Oregon with the spicy tacos for lunch, and a heartily welcomed call to civic action leading into her final encore number and standard anthem, "People Have the Power".
Her sons, Jackson Smith (by Patti and late husband Fred "Sonic" Smith, he of the pioneering pre-punk MC5) is a guitarist in the band; second, of course, to her forever stalwart Lenny Kaye. Drummer Jay Dee Dougherty has also survived from the ensemble I saw back in 1978. Lenny stepped out to sing on "Pushin' Too Hard" by The Seeds, calling it a "nugget" per his influential collection of proto-punk 1960's psychedelic singles. And longtime bassist/keyboardist Tony Shanahan stepped up during the encore set to honor the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's passing by singing lead on "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I".
If there were two numbers that gave the fans the most of what they wanted, one was the middle encore tune, Radio Ethiopia's "Pissing in a River", which the guy behind me yelled out as a request a moment before the band kicked in (he sang along loudly on the first two verses for those of us near him as well, thank you), and that blessed showstopper, "Gloria". The crowd sure sang along, from "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine," through the letter call-outs, through the title repetition itself. Just like when I last saw her, it rock & rolls you to the cellular level, embedded somewhere in the fatty acids deep inside, this time like a massive recharge of my musical memory, which may have to last me for the duration since I dunno when I'll ever see Patti perform live again.
The sound quality was perfect which really helps when, like for my Brooklyn wards, you've never heard the songs before. Patti's poetry came through very well, as did the quality of her melodies and the thrill of the live concert moments rippling through the crowd. The first big surprise for me was how great her voice sounded. No cigarettes for her, but plenty of fiber, top shape. The other pleasant surprise was that my guests loved the concert and asked to borrow my Patti CDs afterwards.
Converts.
As the back of the t-shirt on a gentlemen in front of us reminded me, Patti just got inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, leaving maybe Television as the only seminal CBGB band left out, and I'm not sure you can get in for just one album. A reviewer of her Fillmore show in San Francisco two nights ago called that performance legendary, and I think he's hit the nail on the head.
After all the parodying, the jokes about her underarm hair (Easter album cover) and her vulnerable. idealistic, almost goofy candor between songs, Patti turns out to be an authentic American treasure. She's got her head screwed on right and performs with youthful energy, always challenging herself, always learning, always moving ahead. It was a privilege to see her tonight.
After all:
G-
L-
O-
R-
I-I-I-I-I-I-
G-L-O-R-I-A...
(sing it)
6 comments:
When she was in Portland Peter Buck played guitar. Sounds like she's picking up some help along her travels.
She is what rock 'n roll is all about. And politically, she's got clarity.
She left me stunned when I saw her in Nashville about 6 years ago.
>> One of her sons, Jackson Smith (son by her and late husband Fred "Sonic" Smith, he of the pioneering pre-punk MC5) is a guitarist in the band
Jackson's her only son; Jesse Paris Smith is their daughter.
http://myspace.com/fredsonicsmith
Thanks for the correction -- have updated the post to reflect the correct info!
Well, of course I was there, too, just a few fat, grizzled hippies away from you Nedly, and I soundly second this post. It's just so inspiring to see a post-menopausal woman in a ratty t-shirt belting out her scorching songs which still sound every bit as good as they did thirty or forty years ago.
Patti has the power!
Mo, you lucky dog. I caught Patti's show when she was here & you're totally right: she's still a badass!
-m
Great review. Great concert.
To clarify: Flea played electric BASS guitar
To correct : the Elvis song was "Love Me"
To quote Lenny Kaye last night:
"It's a nugget if you dug it"
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