Patti Smith and her band
Grizzly Bear Review: Tuesday June 29, 2010
Punk rock's poet laureate, Patti Smith ranks among the most influential female rock and rollers of all time. Ambitious, unconventional, and challenging, Smith's music was hailed as the most exciting fusion of rock and poetry since Bob Dylan's heyday, and it sounds just as fresh now as it did back then.
You could sense the anticipation from the crowd before she came on. And Patti shows her appreciation at every opportunity, waving to the crowd and pausing between songs to regale stories from her past.
Confidence oozes from every pore during Money, her stage presence proving she deserves her status as A Poetic Punk Pioneer more now than ever.
She may not have the Mick Jagger lips, but she sure has the swagger, the bands intelligent rework of The Rolling Stones ‘Play With Fire’ sizzles with conviction. To find out that they'd only rehearsed the song for tonight’s performance.
As Patti divulges her admiration for the sadly departed Tim Carroll - "her generations greatest poet" - 'For The People Who Died' morbidly but rather aptly is dedicated to him, even though he stole one of her guitarists years ago. 5-piece Patti And Her Band show more passion and desire to please every single body in her grasp than such legends usually adhere to.
Biggest cheer of the night goes to ‘Because The Night’. Simply stunning. ‘We Got The Power’ has everyone singing in unison for the chorus.
After possibly the shortest stage exit ever, the band are back for an encore of, would you believe it, Lou Reed's ‘Perfect Day’. Subject matter aside, it's surely one of the most perfect pieces of music to conclude the night.
