Re: Boston show

[kendall (Brian Kendall)]

Sorry for the late response, I stayed in Boston all day yesterday and
didn't have access to a computer.

I finally attended a Patti Smith show! (my first). Thanks to Mitch for the
setlist, It's as accurate as I can recall. Linda's account also filled in
alot of details, I'll try to keep mine from being redundant.

The first reading, "Footnote to Howl", -wasn't this the one published in
Rolling Stone recently?  It started with Patti repeating :"Holy Holy Holy
Holy Holy over and over about fifteen times (really a cool way to open).
Piss factory was very powerful and Wing proved that her voice is in great
shape -  the high notes were so pure! - really stirring.  Her voice struck
me this way all night - better than any live tapes I've heard - but then
again maybe that's because I've never seen her live.

I loved her banter with the crowd she was very funny and warm, when she
mentioned that she would be reading a poem about Georgia Okeefe,  someone
started to applaud and stopped short to let Patti continue speaking, she
said "it's OK,  you can clap for Georgia Okeefe"  - followed by a big round
of applause, later she mentioned Hank Williams and paused for a minor round
of applause for Hank, she replied "Oh I can tell this is an art crowd,
Georgia Okeefe got alot more applause than Hank Williams"

Lenny's song was great and done very powerfully, Oliver's ?  - well.  I'll
quote my wife who is a big fan of Patti's music, during Oliver's song she
turned to me and said, "who the fuck is Oliver Ray anyway?"  let's just say
we weren't moved during that song.

She introduced "Grateful" as a song inspired by Jerry Garcia's hair  (which
explains the silver thread line in the song).

The new material was excellent, I can't wait for the album - very melodic
and again in Patti's favorite 3/4 timing.

The Jackson Pollac prose piece was amazing.  Somewhere before or after the
song she mentioned Jackson Pollack as the reason so many kids have those
spin art things at home, "I think I  even have some at my house" she
continued.

She introduced PHTP as a song written by Jackson & Jesse's father.

during the encore when people were yelling out requests, someone yelled
"Come Into My Kitchen"  and Patti replied, "why, do ya got somethin goin on
in there?"

"Because The Night" was the best live version I've heard, again the vocals
were the highlight. And all acoustic!  If Natalie Merchant heard this
version she would have asked her record company to pull hers from the
shelves.

Now I can't wait 'til Patti comes back with the whole band!

BK