Yep, it was great

The Patti Smith Birthday Bash last night was really great. Jackie Sheeler did an amazing job organizing an eclectic 2-hour line up that started with Baudelaire's masterpiece "Drunk" and ended with Patti Smith's song of hope "A Farewell." The namesake guest of honor didn't make it, but her spirit was there throughout.

For yours truly, the strangest moment was before the show even started, when my 82-year-old father-in-law and his wife showed up, courtesy of sister Lisa. I was moved by their presence, but sort of freaked out as well. I mean, Patti Smith ain't exactly Sinatra and the spoken word sensibility she inspired is a somewhat acquired taste. But they stayed for the whole show, and seemed to honestly enjoy my work.

Highlights of the show were a Patticento, where Sheeler combined excerpts from hundreds of poems and songs of Patti Smith into a cool piece, accompanied by The Bass Player from Hand Job, who is himself a poet to be reckoned with. Rimbaud pieces were cool, too. I was happy with my pieces, but, due to a last minute demand from one of the other readers, I ended up sharing the mike on "A Farewell" with another poet and her psuedo-mime girlfriend (both in silver paint), which weakened the power of the piece considerably. Another highlight was my new favorite musical group, Rewbee. Check them out on myspace and look for them live. Very early X-like, with a New York edge.

Here's one of the pieces I read (the funny one). I'll be posting an audio of the other piece in the next few days.

The Crotch Sniffer

The crowd presses toward the stage, eliminating all
empty spaces between the goddess and themselves
as if proximity alone would ensure a touch of the same

spark that lights her fire. It's June 16, 2003, it's San Francisco and
it's Patti Smith. "Patti, Patti," the chanting begins. I'm a old pro at
holding position in a crowd. No one in this room has a chance

in hell to move me back. Three people in front of me now, and,
guaranteed, when the show ends, three people will be in front
of me then. I don't give an inch, not even for the cute little five-

foot-two blonde in Birkenstocks and backpack, armed with two
bottles of Calistoga. They're everywhere here. Backpacks full of
bottled water. So help me, God, none of them will get in front of me.

Even the six foot five dot-commer guy can't get past me. He's all
stringy hair and glasses. T-shirt, khakis, backpack. Been making
moves to get by but forget it, man, this spot is mine. Too bad for him.

Lights dim. Roar begins. Band appears. Then Patti. Then a
scream. The six-five guy falls flat on the floor. Patti starts to sing
as fifteen people rush to the guy and offer him sips of the

bottled water from their backpacks. "I'm okay, I'm all right, thanks,"
he says, still sprawled below. Fuck him. I'm here to see Patti. His
girlfriend mumbles, "It's okay, this happens to him all the time."

So why does he go to concerts, I wonder? Patti puts on one
hell of a show, with poems from her new book, along with the
classics. The tall guy taps his fingers on the floor and stays there,

the entire concert. Even the encores. There's got to be something
behind this. During the last song, I sneak a glance and see the key.
The guy's a freak. He's not looking a Patti, he's sniffing between the

legs of every chick that drifts near him. He's a freakin' crotch sniffer.
Probably pulls this act everytime he goes to a show. I'm torn now
between absorbing only Patti or giving this guy a quick kick in the

balls. Thank god for multi-tasking. Two quick boots and before the end
of the final song, he's making his way out the door like a dog. Patti turns
her head my direction and smiles. I know she is looking right at me.

Big Show Tonight

I'm excited (duh!) about the big show tonight: a poetry reading in honor of Patti Smith's birthday party at Bowery Poetry Club at 10pm. Details about in yesterday's post. As for me: I'll be reading two new poems, along with a poem written by Ms. Smith. My poem Abigail, and Patti's poem "A Farewell" will be accompanied by music written specifically for the event tonight by myself and the fabulous Dean Parker, whose numerous credits include assistant composer for the new movie "The Good Shepherd." He'll be performing tonight as "The Bass Player from Handjob." I'm excited about the new pieces: they're at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Extremely funny and extraordinarily sad. The extremes of life. Everyday is the in-between. Black is the new black.

Patti Smith BDay Bowery Poetry Club Tomorrow at 10 pm

The big shoe tomorrow night at the Bowery Poetry Club is going to be great, for sure! It's a very special show celebrating Patti Smith's 60th birthday. Patti's performing Friday, Saturday and Sunday (New Year's Eve) at the Bowery Ballroom, so this is a great way to get the weekend started. Here's what organizer Jackie Sheeler has to say:

"we will have everything from rimbaud to baudelaire to patti rant soundtracks to dancers to accordions to a patticento (that's a new poem made out of patti lyrics from all over the place, with a background of amazing pattiloops put together by The Bass Player From Hand Job, who is a wonderful producer & musician).

"patti, lenny, and tony know about the party, and lenny said if time permits he will stop by. (they have practice that night, for the bowery shows.) a friend of patti's mentioned that jackson will be in town and said he thought this was an interesting thing, so maybe he'll come by. we've invited a lot of high-profile punk folks, but even if none of them show up this is going to be an INCREDIBLE night! we're also raffling off a number of patti rarities -- such as a signed mint copy of Ha Ha Houdini -- and everybody in the raffle gets an mp3 cd of live or hard-to-find or even unknown patti tracks.

"come on out! there's no cover, just purchase a few beverages to support the club that is hosting this event. full details at http://www.poetz.com/pattibday.htm "

Line up includes:
Meagan Brothers & Mike Fornatale
Christine Goodman
Poez
Amy Ouzoonian with Colossal M'Lady
Kathi Georges
Rew
Lisa Gruenberger
Michael McHugh
Nelson Alexander & Moira Smith
Janet Hamill has written a poem for the occasion,
to be performed by Mary Fries

The club is at 308 Bowery, foot of First Street, between Houston & Bleecker, across the street from CBGBs. 212.614.0505

Hope to see you there.

and PATTI'S FANS!

That's that

Went to New Jersey for Christmas dinner. It's nice enough to get together with family but these days, things have changed. It seems for every family get together, someone has a computer floating around and it becomes tough to concentrate on all the fun family type things we used to do, like screaming at the television when your team is losing, or drinking too much wine or playing the piano or peeling potatoes. With the computer around, one person gets to be in charge, and the others have to either succumb to his or her wishes, or sulk in the corner because they don't get to have a say as to what the computer is doing. And god forbid if there's more than one computer around. All immediate communication is lost.

Yesterday, there was only one, playing music. Who chooses what gets to be played? Whoever owns the computer. Touch someone else's computer it's like you stuck a finger up their ass. It's a very touchy situation.

The best presents were electronic, which was fantastic for me. I got a voice recorder that you can record your thoughts on and download to your computer. But I still found myself, with some nostalgia, missing the corny knitted caps or homemade cookies. That kind of thing.

Still it was great to sit at a table not in a restaurant eating turkey, stuffing and potatoes. And for that, I feel awfully lucky and grateful.

Poetry Submission Deadlines

If you want to get your work out there, but you can't remember where or when to send it, here's a helpful link to a plethora of Grants, Awards and publication deadlines. A lot of these deadlines occur in January and February, so rev up that typewriter (does anyone have a typewriter anymore, besides Brigit?), and beg Santa for stamps and envelopes.

Patti Smith's Birthday Celebration at Bowery Poetry Club

Patti Smith changed my life. So as soon as I heard that Jackie Sheeler was planning a 60th birthday party for Ms. Smith, I begged to be a part of it. I played Patti Smith once on stage under the moniker "Padded Myth" (the nickname was an acknowldegement of the media's tendency to build up, then systematically attempt to destory everything good). I am more influenced by her work than any other female poet except Emily Dickenson (see "The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry" where Patti's on pages 82 through 91, and I'm on page 477). I spent hundreds of nights listening to her music while writing record and concert reviews for The Eye newspaper in the early 80s. And, for the past 20 years, through no fault of my own (no surgery, no makeover, nothing, honest!) I have been told that I look like Patti Smith.

All of this made me a natural candidate for being on the bill, I explained to Jackie via email.

Guess what?

Jackie understood! I'm reading at the Patti Smith Birthday Party, which is at the Bowery Poetry Club on Thursday, December 28th from 10 pm until... Please go! Other confirmed performers include Christine Goodman, Meagan Brothers, Jackie Sheeter, and The Bass Player from Hand Job. And maybe some of the band members from Patti Smith Group and maybe Patti. The whole night will be videotaped and given to Patti as a gift from the people who love her and her music.

Be there!

By the way, if you've never heard Jackie Sheeler's poetry, this will be a good chance to experience one the best poets in New York, or for that matter the world.

See you Thursday.

Things I learned in college--the real link!

Okay, so yesterday's link didn't work. But this one will, for sure!

Just click on this:

Things I Learned in College

and voila! Click on the song of the same name and you will hear it!

Then let us know what you think...

Puh-leeease!