What Patti Smith Draws From

Patti Smith’s legacy as one of the most provocative, literary, and influential rock singer-songwriters in history is just part of her artistic achievement. Perhaps the only artist whose accolades include induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a National Book Award, and a Legion of Honor from the French government, Smith remains a vital force more than halfway through her eighth decade on earth. 

Smith returns to the Lobero Theatre on August 9 for a concert benefiting several nonprofits in town through producer Earl Minnis, performing with a trio that features her son (with late husband Fred “Sonic” Smith) Jackson Smith on guitar and longtime associate Tony Shanahan on piano and bass. Excerpts below are from a brief conversation over the phone last Sunday night. 

Q. You’ve been called a punk poet laureate, at least in the press materials for this concert. How – 

A. Not my fault. It used to bother me, but I don’t care anymore. But what does that even mean? I’ve been reading poetry and writing my whole life. But I don’t think I’m qualified to be anybody’s poet laureate… I just do my work. I’m a writer… What excites me most is just the next thing, what I’m working on. I’ve always been work centric. 

What is the next thing?

I’m writing an autobiographical work… just ruminations at this point, the things at 76 that I think about – art, the environment, love. There’s also new poems, and poetry improvisation records I’ve been making in France… I’d like to do one more music record next year, too, but only if it’s something worthwhile. 

When you write today, have the themes changed, or mostly the perspective?

When I was younger, I had a lot of arrogance… and a lot of drive toward doing new things, trying to go places no one had gone. So I was always pushing myself to not just do something new for myself, but to create new spaces for future generations. Now, I’m trying to be articulate at this time in my life. I don’t have new ground to break or new things to accomplish. The newer generations will go to places that we hadn’t dreamed of. But what I can do is gather all of my experience and everything that I’ve learned and imparted to people, and maybe it can be useful… I’m quite happy with the place that I am… I have to monitor my body, of course, but my mind just seems to expand. My brain, which has always been very speedy, has calmed down to the point that I can really articulate the things that I’m feeling with more confidence. It’s one of the good things about getting older. 

I’m told that you are still very energetic in concert, even in your mid-70s. 

I don’t have the same mobility, but I do have a lot of energy as a performer. I’m aware that my mission in touring is that whatever energy I have has to go to the performance because that’s why I’m there. When I walk on stage, I want to be capable of giving them as much of myself as I can. If I find myself tiring, I draw from the band and I’ll draw from the people… It’s all part of gratitude… being happy to be alive, to be able to present new work. I’m glad to be here. 

The Patti Smith Trio performs at the Lobero on Wednesday, August 9, at the Lobero. Visit www.lobero.org for more information and tickets.