re: Patti/Lenny reading in LA area

[CBM <gadismanis1>]

Many thanks to the person originally posted the notice of the reading at Beyond Baroque in Venice, California!  I do not live in LA, do not read the LA papers so I wouldn't have known otherwise!
   
  It was a fairly calm event, considering the small venue, with very few of the usual crazies and beggars that attend the Los Angeles Patti events.   There were only about 80 seats in that small space, and nearly 30 of those were reserved for guests of the band and the Facility.  The Baroque staff managed to cram in 110 people by allowing standing in the lobby and on-the-floor seating, but a lot of people did not get in.  The cost was $15.   
   
  I arrived many hours early, to the surprise of the Baroque staff who had not had much experience with hosting such a celebrity since they hosted a reading by actor Viggo Mortenson, they told me (Smile).
   
  Also early were a group of fabulous jet-setting transcontinental Patti fans who kept me entertained for the long wait and threatened to kick the butts of line breakers.  Good line mates are an undeniably important part of the expenience! 
   
  Also present and intoroduced were Jesse, Patti's daughter and her boyfriend.  
   
         She apologised for being sleepy (supported by the wrinkled pajama shirt she was wearing under her regular black blazer?).  She was wearing difficult sandals and socks, so we didn't expect any Dancing Barefoot shoe antics....
  She made frequent mistakes on the guitar, sheepishly apologised to us and to Lenny, eschewed applause, but it was all good.
       She chatted and interacted with the audience very informally.  At one point whe sang about half of an old crooner tune with an audience member feeding her lyrics to sing.   Very funny.   She spent a good 10 minutes on stories about her mom, Bev, and help up pictures of her mom and other family members from the new "Complete" volume on sale at the venue.
   
   

  It was an acoustic set with both Patti and Lenny on guitar:
  .Southern Cross
  .Grateful
        ..Reading by Lenny from his book "You Call it Madness"
        ..Reading by Patti of a poem
  .Wing
  .So Lonesome I Could Die
       ..Reading by Patti of lyrics to "Pissing in a River"  (Great!)
  .My Blakean Year
       ..Reading by Lenny, followed by 
         a solo guitar piece (a song by the "You Call is Madness" "crooner")
       ..Reading by Patti of The Writer's Song from "Auguries of Innocence"
  .Ghandi  (also great!)
  .People have the Power
       ..Book signing from 11:00 on....
   
   
   
   
   
  The only sour note for me was the crazy woman in the Gung Ho tour shirt (khaki green shirt, frizzy blonde hair).  She arrived after the event had sold out, did not pay to get in to the venue, but slipped by the (very lax) security when the VIPs were going in before 9:30.   She positioned herself front row center.  Scary and obsessed.  She clutched a Radio Ethiopia LP to her breast throughout the performance, staring at Patti with glazed eyes.  Poor Patti. No wonder she doesn't come to LA very often!
   
  Sitting at her feet not being squashed by moshers was a nice change.  I haven't had that vantage point since I saw her at the Roxy in 1976.   She spit twice, so you can say we've had our showers....
   
  -Chels
   
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