streaming Patti Smith
Dec. 31st, 2020 03:06 pmI wouldn't normally list a streaming concert here, but this hasn't been a normal year.
Patti Smith did a streaming concert on her birthday, December 30th. She had her regular band with her, Lenny, Tony, Jay Dee and Jackson. It was a recorded live performance. I'm curious when it was recorded.
The sound was great. Just the five-piece, plus Patti singing and occasionally playing guitar. Her daughter Jesse joined on piano for one song, after presenting her mother with a birthday cake. So with fewer musicians, no audience drowning out the music, no production to get in the way, and listening on headphones, you could hear every note.
The video was not so great. They didn't exactly use high-end cameras, so the color and resolution weren't the greatest. And one of the camerapeople kept walking in front of the lights and the other cameras. I watched at my computer, with headphones.
It was interesting that, since we were just sitting there at our computers, we were kinda forced to pay attention. There were some lyrics that I hadn't been aware of. Plus, one entire song, "We Three," I realized I had never really listened to the lyrics at all.
I was a little disappointed that the show was only an hour, and not a full show, but hey, it was only ten bucks. I'm really curious as to how many people tuned in. I'm sure there were fans watching from all over the world!
She said at the beginning that the songs they chose were among their most requested songs. The setlist was:
Grateful (written for Jerry Garcia)
Kimberly
Free Money (written for her mother, who dreamed of winning the lottery, even though she never played)
In My Blakean Year
Ghost Dance
Dancing Barefoot
We Three
Beneath the Southern Cross
Because the Night (written for Fred)
(Happy Birthday)
People Have the Power (written with Fred)
And since I couldn't take a camera to the show, I resorted to screencaptures. :-)

Patti Smith did a streaming concert on her birthday, December 30th. She had her regular band with her, Lenny, Tony, Jay Dee and Jackson. It was a recorded live performance. I'm curious when it was recorded.
The sound was great. Just the five-piece, plus Patti singing and occasionally playing guitar. Her daughter Jesse joined on piano for one song, after presenting her mother with a birthday cake. So with fewer musicians, no audience drowning out the music, no production to get in the way, and listening on headphones, you could hear every note.
The video was not so great. They didn't exactly use high-end cameras, so the color and resolution weren't the greatest. And one of the camerapeople kept walking in front of the lights and the other cameras. I watched at my computer, with headphones.
It was interesting that, since we were just sitting there at our computers, we were kinda forced to pay attention. There were some lyrics that I hadn't been aware of. Plus, one entire song, "We Three," I realized I had never really listened to the lyrics at all.
I was a little disappointed that the show was only an hour, and not a full show, but hey, it was only ten bucks. I'm really curious as to how many people tuned in. I'm sure there were fans watching from all over the world!
She said at the beginning that the songs they chose were among their most requested songs. The setlist was:
Grateful (written for Jerry Garcia)
Kimberly
Free Money (written for her mother, who dreamed of winning the lottery, even though she never played)
In My Blakean Year
Ghost Dance
Dancing Barefoot
We Three
Beneath the Southern Cross
Because the Night (written for Fred)
(Happy Birthday)
People Have the Power (written with Fred)
And since I couldn't take a camera to the show, I resorted to screencaptures. :-)
