Recommendations of the Editorial team
If someone in the persistent relevance of Patti Smiths Werk doubted, then this answer came at the penultimate moment at “People Have the Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith”. A tribute concert with many known names that took place on Wednesday evening in Carnegie Hall. Over a period of two and a half hours, a caravan of singers, musicians and actors read. Some connected to her, others not necessarily. And they all sang Patti Smith’s words. An ongoing testimony to the still hypnotic effect of your songs and poems.
The likelihood that Smith would take part was pretty high. After all, she was involved in planning the show. But when she finally took part in the end of the evening, Smith did not choose light nostalgia. She sang and read “Peaceable Kingdom”, a largely overlooked deep cut Trampin from 2004.
At first it seemed to be an unusual choice. But then Smith came to the chorus. “Perhaps one day we are strong enough to rebuild it/rebuild the peaceful kingdom.” Her voice showed both determination and grief. And these words now, in the age of Trump 2.0, met even harder than after September 11th.
Breathtaking cast of the last night
“People have the power” had many such exciting moments. The concert that on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Horses took place, the youngest was in a tradition of all-star tributes at this event in 20 years. As the founder of the City Winery (and concert producer) Michael Dorf announced at the beginning, the show would contain songs from this album. But also draw attention to your entire work. What turned out to be one of the most surprising and emotional parts of the evening.
Each of these tribute shows has a house band that accompanies pretty much everyone on stage. But what “People Have the Power” immediately took from the others was the breathtaking cast of the last night. Under the direction of Smith’s long-term bass player and keyboardist Tony Shanahan, the support crew belonged to the bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fleathe former keyboardist of the Heartbreakers, Benmont Tench, the drummer and at times Rolling Stone Stone Steve Jordan and the guitarist Charlie Sexton. The fact that the band included such a range of musicians was already a message. That Smith’s music was not just “punk”, but is deeply anchored in the history of American music as a whole.
Chrissie Hynde was prevented – the fires
With these musicians as an anchor point, some artists Smith have modeled in different ways. Sharon van Etten – like Smith from Jersey – has her inner Smith in phrasing and summoning performance in a captivating “Pissing in the River” by Radio Ethiopia expressed. Maggie Rogers jumped in for Chrissie Hynde. Which could not appear on the show due to the fires at Heathrow Airport. Rogers started with “Frederick”. Before she switched to overdrive mode and merged her own stage movements with those of Smith. Karen o brought punk cabaret swing in “Gloria: in Excelis deo”.
Others have reinterpreted Smith’s work. Ben Harper played an acoustic lapslide guitar. And converted “Ghost Dance” into a Dustbowl anthem. “My Blakean Year”, also from Trampin‘, Always sounded a bit like a rem song. Michael Stipe made it even clearer with a hypnotic version that actually sounded like an outake from one of these rem albums from the middle of the nineties.
Johnny Depp – not a good front man
Some of the cover versions were not quite as good. A version of “Redondo Beach” by Courtney Barnett let the exuberant atmosphere on the fairground of the original fade. And an interpretation of “Dancing Barefoot” by Johnny Deep and Alison Mosshart from the Kills would have benefited from a front man with a more expressive voice.
But these moments were overshadowed by far more moving. Jesse Malin was brought to the stage in his wheelchair after his stroke. He got up and conjured up the typical street waste of the Lower East Side, completely motionless, while Flea switched to the trumpet.
Of the few actors who dealt with Smith’s poems – including Sean Penn and Jim Jarmusch – it was Scarlett Johansson’s reading of “Dear Robert”, Smith’s farewell to her friend Robert Maplethorpe. Music Will, a group of high school and elementary school students, whose organization is one of those who will benefit from the income from the concert ticket sales, brought a sweet and charming version of “Paths that Cross” (from Dream of Life from 1988). Which indicates that the song could serve as a title song for high school leaving certificates in the future.
Finale with “People Have the Power”:
When it became known that Bruce Springsteen Nobody doubted that he would play “Because the Night”. And in fact he did this. And initiated it with the words: “If I had sung this song, it would not have been a hit” and thanked Smith for doing it. But what no one had expected was the extensive guitar freakout that Springsteen held at the end of the song.
After reviving “Peaceable Kingdom”, Smith finished the evening with another song. Everyone knew that he would come. “People have the power”.
Since its publication more than 35 years ago, the song has repeatedly connected to a moment in history. Yesterday evening, with long -standing members of her own band (guitarist Lenny Kaye and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty) in the back, Smith unleashed it again.
But in view of the growing number of angry citizens who flow into the town halls or the rallies of Bernie Sanders and AOC, the song never felt like a battle cry. “Don’t forget it. Use your damn voice!” Smith summarizes Smith at the end. Perhaps people have power after all.