Celebrating with Patti Smith

Our upcoming Carnegie Hall fundraiser, March 26, 2025

Patti Smith & Michael Stipe at City Winery March 11, 2009

Yesterday, we announced the Patti Smith tribute at Carnegie Hall. Whenever we unveil a new major show, it feels like hosting a party—hoping we execute flawlessly, sell out the venue, and ensure everyone, the public, the performers and the honoree have a fantastic time. This tribute celebrates the 20th anniversary of the series I’ve hosted at Carnegie Hall to raise funds for music education programs, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Patti’s groundbreaking debut album, Horses, which launched her legendary career.

I’ll admit, I feel a bit more nervous than usual when announcing these shows. There’s always a level of risk involved in selling out the iconic 2,802-seat venue. It’s an expensive space, a union hall, and it demands significant effort from our mostly volunteer team to ensure everything runs smoothly. However, we’ve sold out every year, which alleviates some of the economic pressure—though that’s always in the back of my mind.

What makes me most nervous is making sure we curate an amazing line-up that impresses Patti.  I mean, she is Patti Smith.   I’ve had the honor of working with her for now about 20 years, she has graced our stage at City Winery at least 10 different times and appeared 5 or 6 times as part of our tribute series at Carnegie.  I’ve read her books, I’m a fan of her substack, and of course, her music.  But still, just because I am a producer lucky enough to “hang” sort of with the band, does not mean I am NOT intimated by what is the greatness of special artist.   And Patti Smith, well, there are few more intense and powerful artists in New York alive today.   And to talk with her on the phone about making this honor of the 50^th anniversary of her seminal album,  Horses, regarded by so many as one of punk’s formative recordings, makes me nervous. I mean, I have a serious responsibility to deliver an amazing line-up here.    So, yea, I’m a bit apprehensive to make sure she is more than happy with how this show goes. 

This show is also going to be more than just one of our “tributes” as well.  Her work as an artist goes well beyond writing hit songs that can be covered by other great musicians which has been our formula.  Patti herself has been one of those great’s paying tribute to some of the honorees in the past.  The photo above is from the night we did the music of REM, the shot taken at the afterparty held at the old City Winery on Varick Street.  She also performed at the Bruce Springsteen tribute, Dylan of course, and our Who tribute, among others.  But Patti’s work and artistry includes so much more.  Read Just Kids, a profound glimpse into the relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and the NY downtown scene surrounding Hotel Chelsea, Max’s Kansas City, and Andy Warhol.   For me, as just a kid coming to NY in 1986 and starting the Knitting Factory, just as Andy Warhol died with his Factory, this was the stuff of legends and Patti was magical to me, like Lou Reed and others.     Connecting to the NY art scene from the late sixties and seventies is thru Patti Smith.  So, yes, OMG, I can’t fuck this up.

M Train, her memoir which came out a few years later, which she called the “roadmap to my life” goes even deeper and illustrates what a remarkable multiplatform artist she is. All the more reason I need to deliver on an amazing Multiplatform show in March.  OK, I’m setting the bar high, because, well, that is what is required for such an important hero in my world.  And I plan to deliver, because she is also a neighbor and a person whom I hope to work with well beyond this show at Carnegie in the coming years.   She is the first call for important cause related benefits, from politics to climate change.  Her long-time collaborators and bandleader’s Lenny Kaye and Tony Shanahan are both close friends who I see monthly.    As I write this I am making myself even more nervous.  But maybe it is adrenaline or maybe it is like her quote from an interview with Sonic Youth’s Thurson Moore about Patti’s first-ever meeting with Bob Dylan (which led to a life-long friendship). 

She explained that the first meeting with one of her biggest songwriting idols was fearsome as she took to the stage with the fresh knowledge that the freewheelin’ troubadour was in the building. “Somebody told us he was there. My heart was pounding,” she explained. “We often dream of meeting our heroes, but when we do, the encounter can be decidedly strange and romantic images of cool, calm and collected can go right out the door.”  I plan to stay cool, but when Patti email’s me or calls me, I hope she knows my heart starts a pounding like it is the first time meeting.