Santa Monica Beach Free Concert / Kathy Smith

["Paul Perner" <ravensdawn>]

Damn! Patti for free on a warm summer night right on
the beach at Santa Monica. And I missed it. I first 
kissed the woman I would marry on that beach near
the Ferris wheel. We were a typical match: me: half
Hispanic former strung-out street punk - she: beautiful
rich blonde (and bi)  with a palace in the hills. We divorced 
and Saturday I just walked around feeling sorry for my self.
I had no excuse not to go and join the fun and frolic.

Here's one for those found love and/or connection on
some level Saturday. Go for it - full throttle with 
kindness and communication - start a band or write
a poem. Life is too short.

When I was a little pre-drinking age sprout, I used to
go to the free summer Venice Beach concerts in the
early 1970s AD (yes, I'm a carbon dated museum 
piece). A person had the freedom to be a lot freakier
back then in public it seems (like an open-air version
of the expression of the punk clubs of '77, but before
the look and sound of punk). You could just walk up
to a stranger by the water and strike up a spiritual -
philosophical conversation - or just dance without
people thinking you're some homeless psycho.

I saw another singer named Smith there - The Kathy
Smith Band. The sun was setting in the ocean and the
performance was magical. She had that Laurel Canyon,
Joni Mitchell folk rock sound. She had two albums. The
first had a dreamy, apocalyptic song called "The End
of the World." It had a line, "It's the end of the world,
with so many things left unspoken..." (something like
that. Her second album is outrageously rare, but I've
been told it was a psychedelic gem with sitar backing.
I still have her first on vinyl. None of her work made
it into the CD re-release era. I'll buy or trade Patti stuff  
for any Kathy Smith items.

I missed Patti last night just because I needed to be on
the self pissy-pot (I think I walked pointlessly around
the block ten times). So to pay for my sins I'll scoop
out from my hippy child memory a bit of Kathy Smith
style Summer of Love and send it down Babel-list Way.

With blood on the streets of Baghdad and the un-thinkable
possibility of another Republican president.... with 
polar bears stranded on melting ice burgs... with the 
class of CBGBs attending one funeral after another....
Let's not leave anything unspoken. Let's rock and roll.

Paul


> [Original Message]
> From: Li Lightfoot <li_lightfoot>
> Hey Everyone:
>    
>   I saw Patti and the boys in San Francisco and Santa Cruz... I think
these were the best shows in years and years - and I've seen many. There's
something to be said for touring. It's a lot of work but it can pay off.
They were in Europe before the Left Coast shows and this is the first time
they've done that. Usually we just get a short shot at a mini-tour where,
no doubt, Patti is great, but this was astounding!
>    
>   Jackson's a complete chip off the old block(s) and a doll, too! Great
guitar work, if a little bit timid, but who wouldn't be in that situation.
>    
>   Thanks to everyone who posted.
>    
>   Peace and Love from Summer of Love central.
>    
>   LL
>
> "Gart, Mitchell" <Mitchell.Gart> wrote:
>   This sounds like an incredible tour. Wish she had come to Boston. Maybe
this
> fall. Thanks everybody for all the reports.
>
> - Mitch
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: owner-babel-list on behalf of CBM
> Sent: Sat 8/18/2007 4:34 PM
> To: babel-list
> Subject: Setlist from Santa Monica Beach Free Concert August 16 2007
>
>
>
> Setlist from Santa Monica Beach Free Concert August 16 2007