i was there || patti smith

show: patti smith performing horses

location: riviera theater

date: 12.30.16

favorite song: the whole horses album is pretty epic so it feels a bit unfair to pick a favorite. i think the best part was hearing the background to how some of these songs came about like "break it up" (a dream she had about jim morrison) or "elegie" (written after jimi hendrix died).

memorable moment: as i mentally scan through my list of concerts that i have attended i feel pretty confident that that patti smith might be the biggest personal hero that i have ever seen live. being the naive *thirty* year old that i am now, i never fully realized what a badass she was until reading her book just kids. that book was really life-changing for me. so much so that i'll probably read it once a year for the rest of my life. patti is my idea of a perfect role model so getting to see her perform such an iconic album was really something i will cherish forever. she killed it on stage too.

biggest letdown: call me a cliche, newer patti fan, but i was secretly hoping she might play "because the night"

this show: had a weird juxtaposition of making me feel very much alive while also reminding me that loss is a part of life. patti speaks in a way that makes you feel so empowered, like you can catalyst for change. other moments of the show were quite sad though. she reflected upon the loss of beloved partner + friend, sandy pearlman, the death of her husband, + other greats like jimi hendrix + janis joplin. what really touched me were the bittersweet words she shared about her mother. patti made a joke about repeating herself now that she is seventy years old. she remembered how whenever her mom would re-tell a story she'd always think "oh no. not this one again." that memory turned emotional for both patti + the crowd when she followed up saying that she would give anything to have her mom back telling those stories over + over again. it was really touching.