Patti Smith Group

During the 1970s, New York City had a club by the name of CBGB that became the mecca of punk rock, helping to inspire the formation of some of the most pivotal bands like Television and The Ramones. It was the inspiration for Patti Smith as well, who after frequenting the place for some time, created her own label and started to make her own music. Since then, she has become a founder of punk rock, even been inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame, so an opportunity to see her perform live was like seeing a legend in the flesh. I unfortunately could not catch her in her heyday, as I was not born yet, but even in the 2000’s, she was still performing, and almost, dare-I-say-it, sounding better than she possibly could. The crowd was unsurprisingly enormous, and waited in anticipation before she took the stage. She played all of her hits including “Hey Joe/Piss Factory,” “Dancing Barefoot” and “Gone Again.” She didn’t speak much aside from the occasional “thank you” towards the audience, but the music never really stopped either, with each instrument playing a bit of something while the others tuned or rehydrated. The absolute highlight of the night was her performance of “Because The Night,” which she completely stripped down to an acoustic guitar and her vocals; completely showcasing her matured voice that was just a little bit deeper, a little bit raspier and a lot more emotional. People may start calling her a sell out around the 2010 time, but there is no denying the impact and music that she continues to make. An absolute honor.