As if seeing Patti Smith performing on New Year’s Eve wasn’t enough, the goddess of Rock and Roll brought out her friend, Michael Stipe, the former lead singer of REM, to perform a special cover of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on December 31, 2011. It looked and sounded like this…
P.S. Sorry about the back of some guy’s head popping up throughout this video. I did the best I could
I can’t think of a better way to close out 2011 and begin 2012 than by seeing the incomparable Patti Smith perform at New York’s Bowery Ballroom! Patti Smith played her annual trio of sold-out New Year’s shows on December 29, 30 and 31 at Bowery Ballroom and I was fortunate enough to see the final show. What can you say about Patti Smith other than the fact that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is worthy of every accolade she receives in the press – she’s an incredible performer. Mixing poetry with punk and rockin’ for nearly 2 hours and 45 minutes, Patti Smith’s performance was in a word, G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S!
Patti, who turned 65 on December 30th 2011, was in a great mood as she told stories in between songs and urged the crowd to empower ourselves in these turbulent times. She advised us to arm ourselves with knowledge and fight back against injustice because like her song says, “The People Have The Power!” Just before the stroke of midnight, Patti Smith surprised the crowd with the announcement of a special guest star – former REM lead singer Michael Stipe. He poured champagne for the front row as the crowd enthusiastically rung in 2012 with the classic ”Auld Lang Syne.” He stayed for a special cover of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Linemen” (and a video will be coming soon – so please stay tuned!)
Patti Smith
Patti also played classics such as “Redondo Beach,” “Because The Night,” ”Pissing in a River,” which she dedicated to the late Amy Winehouse and also played the theme song to “Around the World in 80 Days,” which she dedicated to Mike Todd, who was married to Elizabeth Taylor, who also passed away in 2011. Covers of “Not Fade Away” and “The Last Time” were also played as well as her recently recorded cover of U2′s ”Until The End of the World,” which found Patti getting really emotional (and in turn, there was not a dry eye in the house during the song). The great evening ended with a rockin’ version of “Rock and Roll Nigger” and the crowd chanted the chorus “outside of society” in unison with Patti Smith and her amazing band. Patti thanked the crowd for 14 years of New Year’s Eve shows in New York and mentioned that they will not be playing them next year at this time. Where she’ll appear is anyone’s guess, so stay tuned! Spotted in the crowd: Michael Stipe hanging out with actress Toni Collette and Atlas Sound’s lead singer Bradford Cox.
If you got nothing out of this review, please take this kernel of knowledge with you into 2012 and beyond – THE PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER!
A goddess is born! Happy birthday to Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Patti Smith! I love her so much. I was introduced to her music later in life, but I’ve since made up for lost time. Every time I’ve seen her perform, my life changes for the better and I am very excited to spend the last few hours of 2011 in her presence as she performs her annual New Year’s Eve show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom!
It will be G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S!
On a side note, for those of you who read this site daily (aka my heroes!), I am discontinuing the “birthday blog.” I think by now, you should realize, I’ve met most every celebrity worthy of such a post and I’ve certainly busted my buns to start off their special days in style. Whereas other sites only mention a person’s birthday because they have the hidden agenda of talking shit, I have done my best to expose their work to a brand new generation each day. I will spend that time in 2012 creating artistic projects which I cannot wait to share with you!
To celebrate the re-release of an epic deluxe box set of U2′s seminal album “Achtung Baby,” Q Magazine will be giving away a free tribute album performed by some of the hottest names in music.
AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered
1. Nine Inch Nails, “Zoo Station” 2. U2, “Even Better Than the Real Thing” (Jacques Lu Cont Mix) 3. Damien Rice, “One” 4. Patti Smith, “Until The End Of The World” 5. Garbage, “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” 6. Depeche Mode, “So Cruel” 7. Snow Patrol, “Mysterious Ways” 8. The Fray, “Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World” 9. Gavin Friday, “The Fly” 10. The Killers, “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” 11. Glasvegas, “Acrobat” 12. Jack White, “Love Is Blindness”
The issue will be available at newstands on October 26, 2011.
Fashion week in New York might have kicked off on September 8, 2011, but the place to be was at Webster Hall seeing the incomparable Patti Smith in concert. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer played a free show (with RSVP) to a packed house at Webster Hall in conjunction with Radio France. She wasted no time as she kicked things off with “Redondo Beach” from her epic debut “Horses.” The nearly 2 hour show afforded the audience a chance to hear a lot of songs off Patti’s recent career spanning collection “Outside Society.” Patti Smith seamlessly infuses poetry and punk and when she spoke, the audience listened.
Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye
She performed a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Play With Fire” and afterwards she talked about her recent live cover of Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep.” She said that unfortunately, she mangled the song, but she fully expects a box set of all the covers she’s destroyed over the years to be released. She asked if they can wait until after her death for such a collection. The entire show was amazing, but obviously the audience went nuts when she played “Because the Night,” “Free Money,” and “Pissing In a River,” which she dedicated to Amy Winehouse.
P-A-T-T-I
She closed out the main portion of the set with Land/Gloria, which lasted close to 12 minutes and was so incredible. You can hear a longer version on the Legacy Edition of “Horses,” which I highly recommend. During the encore, she performed “People Got The Power.” She closed the night with “Rock and Roll Nigger,” where she talked about the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and mentioned the lack of progress we’ve made since then. She told us to question society and to use our voices and take action, which is something I wish more public figures would do! She also advised that if the world isn’t a better place by the time we go to bed, tomorrow is a new day. What an inspiration!
2 Comments to Read 
