Danny Green Quartet
Patti Smith at House of Blues - Photo by Kelly Davis
After appearing at Spreckels Theatre on Saturday evening, where she read from her book Just Kids and played some acoustic songs, Patti Smith performed with a live band Sunday night at House of Blues. Attendance was on the light side, possibly because folks had opted to go to the Saturday night show, or they weren't aware of the 8 p.m. set time (thank you, Patti Smith; some folks need to get to bed early on school nights).
I was never a huge fan of Smith's music, but I've always admired her career; the woman's lived a very cool life. This is the second time I've seen her live. She's an engaging, charismatic performer who can be a goofy storyteller one minute the next, staring down an audience member who dared film the show via cellphone. "I'm not making a fucking documentary," Smith snapped.
There was no photo pit and a rule against shooting straight on, so these are from the left of the stage and the balcony. For more on Smith and her new album, check out Scott McDonald's article in the Oct. 10 CityBeat.
