Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 2 – Patti Smith

When thinking about the explosion of punk …what was 1977 London or New York like when the bands that set the stage for the next 40+ of punk rock?  What was driving the Ramones or the Damned or the Pistols or the Clash or Buzzcocks? But you can go back even further.  New York Dolls, MC5, The Stooges and even The Who provided a spark for these bands and those that followed.  And there was Patti Smith right in the middle of it.  When Patti Smith plays at Riot Fest, it’s safe to say no once at this year’s festival, and very few at any punk festival have influenced so much of what else is being played.  A beat poet, a la Alan Ginsberg, from New York she’s been at it since before  her debut album “Horses” in 1975.  While her music may be light on punk energy, it absolutely has the punk messaging and ethos.  Certainly not going to be the most energetic, rocking, or loud set at Riot Fest.  But probably deserves catching if not to only respect the history.  Added, videos of her live show that she is a great story teller and historian.  Plus her current set includes covers of Hendrix, Neil Young, Lou Reed, U2, and Midnight Oil (yes, that Midnight Oil), infused with her own poetic messaging and style.  And she’s freaking 72 years old.  That alone is amazing.  But wait, she’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame …how many Rock Hall of Famers have we seen at festivals…(Desert Trip excepted)…Sir Paul, Metallica, Chuck D (in Prophets of Rage), Radiohead, Mike D (forgettable DJ set), Chili Peppers?  That’s it.  So Patti Smith is rarefied air and deserves respect.  And on a lazy Sunday afternoon after loud punk for three days and two nights, it might be a nice reprieve.