Frank YangHowever you choose to bracket the timeline – the three weeks since Saturday night’s show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre was announced, the two months since her First Thursday performances at the Art Gallery Of Ontario were announced, or the 37 years since her first album Horses was released – I’ve been remiss in my Patti Smith education. To be clear: as long as I’ve been a remotely informed music fan, I’ve known who she was and her importance – you couldn’t be an R.E.M. obsessive and not know about how Horses changed Michael Stipe’s life – and over the years I’ve gotten to know her “hits” (quotes only because she’s only had one song that could be called a hit in the record sales sense of the word), but learning more about her life beyond the broad strokes, about the other facets of her art – all of which are as important as her music to understanding who Patti Smith is – just hadn’t really happened.

Which mad this past week was as good a time as any to make up for lost time. On the back of Smith’s “Camera Solo” photo exhibit at the AGO which opened in February and will run through May, she was in town for a series of events including the First Thursday shows, a book signing, and a screening and Q&A of her documentary film Dream Of Life, in addition to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre show. A lot of Smith, certainly, but long overdue considering that I cannot remember the last time she was in Toronto for a show (The Patti Smith Setlists says aside from a short, four-song set at a TIFF event in 2008, it was Convocation Hall in 2000). I’d caught her briefly at Lollapalooza 2006 when she turned up to play an unannounced solo set at the kids’ stage, but for the most part, these events and their build-up were my crash course in just how much people loved Patti Smith and why.

The timing of the QET show may have been practical, coming at the end of the aforementioned multi-day promotional visit, but it was also a meaningful one for Smith, coming on the 24th anniversary of the death of Smith’s former partner and muse – Robert Mapplethorpe – as well as, as she’d tell us, the 37th anniversary of her meeting her future husband, Fred “Sonic” Smith. Given the occasion, the evening was billed as “An Evening af Words and Song in Memory of Robert Mapplethorpe” and as well as performing songs from throughout her career, she offered readings from her 2010 book Just Kids, a memoir of her time with Mapplethorpe.

Performing acoustically with her children Jesse Smith and Jackson Smith on piano and guitar respectively and Tony Shanahan on bass – when asked where long-time guitarist Lenny Kaye was, she replied “Pennsylvania” – the performance had a casual and intimate vibe; Smith was friendly and chatty – though her charisma and presence was such that you never forgot that you were in the presence of rock’n’roll royalty – and the sold-out audience hung on her every word, interrupting only to shout out declarations of love and asking permission to dance. With a set list containing songs both classic and new – last year’s Banga was respectably represented – the laid-back presentation didn’t recreate the overt energy that electrified the original recordings, but they remained unquestionably potent.

The punk rock edge was still there – a bit time-worn, perhaps, and sheathed but still tangibly razor-sharp. “Dancing Barefoot” was a jaw-dropper and the screams of “Holy shit!” that rang out as the last note of a scorching “Pissing In A River” faded aptly reflected the thoughts of the 1200 or so who’d just borne witness. And I couldn’t help but feel for those who’d seen Smith in a more conventional concert format where presumably she’d be less free to speak and offer anecdotes like the wonderful backstory to “Because The Night”; as brilliant as the music was, those stories were as much a part of the magic of the show.

Over the course of the almost two-hour show, it became clear this wasn’t a regular concert and not just because it was a musical legend on stage. Whereas others might perform their songs, Smith was sharing facets of her own life set to music, exemplifying the difference between a life in art and a life as art. Ghosts may have pervaded the show, but they did not haunt; rather, they hovered and were honoured, the overwhelming emotion being joyous. I might not have known that much about Smith going into the show, but coming out I now felt I knew her intimately. An utterly unforgettable evening.

Exclaim also has a review of Saturday’s show, while The Globe & Mail, Rolling Stone, and The Toronto Star were in attendance at the First Thursday shows. NOW has an interview with Smith, while The Victoria Times Colonist, CBC, Spinner, The Toronto Star, and Exclaim report from a Q&A session about her photo exhibit. And The Grid offers some thoughts on why Smith remains so important a figure to people of her children’s generation.

Photos: Patti Smith @ The Queen Elizabeth Theatre – March 9, 2013
MP3: Patti Smith – “Wing”
Video: Patti Smith – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Video: Patti Smith – “People Have The Power”
Video: Patti Smith – “Summer Cannibals”
Video: Patti Smith – “Rock’N’Roll Nigger”

Low is streaming their new record The Invisible Way at NPR. It’s out March 18 and they play The Great Hall on March 16.

MP3: Low – “Just Make It Stop”
MP3: Low – “So Blue”
Stream: Low / The Invisible Way

NYC Taper is sharing a show by The Thermals in New York last week. Their new record Desperate Ground is out April 16.

She & Him are streaming the first new track from Volume 3, due out May 7. They play the Toronto Urban Roots Fest at Garrison Commons on July 4.

Stream: She & Him – “Never Wanted Your Love”

The Concordian talks to Ra Ra Riot, who were just here last week but return on June 8 for Field Trip at Fort York’s Garrison Commons.

Stereogum have offered up a track from John Vanderslice’s whole-album cover of David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs, which is available to those who support his Kickstarter to fund his next album Dagger Beach, out this Summer.

MP3: John Vanderslice – “Big Brother”

Beach House have released a new video from last year’s Bloom.

Video: Beach House – “Wishes”

Pitchfork solicits a guest list from The Men.

The Guardian talks to Alison Mosshart of The Kills.

Edward MapplethorpeAt least for another night.

As exciting as it was when punk/poet/photographer/icon Patti Smith announced two intimate shows as part of the Art Gallery Of Ontario’s 1st Thursday series to support her Camera Solo exhibition, you had to know that it was going to be a bit of a scramble – to put it very mildly – to get one of the 800 or so available tickets. Unsurprisingly, it was a mess with the AGO’s website crashing some 10 minutes before tickets were even supposed to go on sale, and the only people who ended up getting tickets were those with the wisdom to line up for hours in person – in a blizzard, mind you – or able to somehow get through the switchboards to reach a ticket agent by phone. Needless to say, a lot of people were left shut out and disappointed about missing Smith’s first Toronto performances in who even knows how long.

And while those people won’t be getting into her first two shows in who even knows how long, they’ve certainly got a chance at getting into her third. Perhaps hearing the cries of her disappointed fans – or maybe someone wished upon a meteorite – Smith has announced another show at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre on March 9. Billed as “An evening of words and music in memory of Robert Mapplethorpe”, it falls on the 14th anniversary of the death of her former partner who has informed so much of her life and work. The music part of the show will see Smith backed by most of her band – Tony Shanahan, Jackson Smith, and Jesse Smith; only guitarist Lenny Kaye will be absent this performance.

Tickets for the show range from $29.50 to $49.50 and go on sale Monday, February 18, at noon via TicketFly. So if you were thinking of keeping the alarm off and sleeping your way through the Family Day holiday, maybe reconsider.

MP3: Patti Smith – “Wing”

James MinchinYesterday was one of those wonderful inbox-bursting days of press releases that, rather than having to try to figure out what to write about for a post, I had to choose what to save for later. Today we’ll cover all the concert announcements that will be bringing acts from near and far through town in the next few months.

We’ll start with California’s goth-garage rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club because, well, they haven’t been here since Spring 2010 and they give good – or at least smoky – photo. The details of their sixth album Specter At The Feast – coming March 18 – were revealed last week, but they’ve quickly followed that up with a full slate of tour dates that bring them back to Toronto for a show at The Kool Haus on May 9, tickets $25 in advance.

And as is the custom these days, they’re drumming up anticipation for the new record with a series of teaser videos.

MP3: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll (Punk Song)” (live)
Trailer: Specter At The Feast Part 1

The fourth and final installment of the Fucked Up-curated Long Winter concert series has announced their lineup, and addition to Toronto’s hardcore heroes once again headlining the affair, they’ll be joined by Holy Fuck, The Sadies, and more music, art, food, and whatsit. That goes down February 8 at The Great Hall, admission pay-what-you-can.

MP3: Fucked Up – “I Hate Summer”
MP3: Holy Fuck – “Lovely Allen”
MP3: The Sadies – “Another Year Again”

American electronic duo Matmos have announced a North American tour in support of their new record The Marriage Of Two Minds, out February 18. They haven’t settled on a venue yet, but they’ll be in Toronto on February 14. Update: It’s The Garrison.

MP3: Matmos – “Sun On 5 at 152”

It’s been known for a while that punk-poet legend Patti Smith would be in town at some point as part of her Camera Solo exhibition running February 9 to May 13 at the Art Gallery Of Ontario, but NOW finally has details – and they’re pretty swell. She’ll be performing both music and poetry at the March edition of their 1st Thursday events, with two shows on the night of March 8, one early and one late. Tickets are $15, limited to two per person, and go on sale February 8 at 10AM.

MP3: Patti Smith – “Wing”

Having failed to make it over here to support Centipede Hz when it came out last year, Animal Collective will seek to remedy this with a March 9 show at the Danforth Music Hall, and perhaps by way of making up for the delay, will be bringing Dan Deacon along as support, even though he was here just in November in support of his latest America. Tickets for that are $27.50 for floors, $25 for balcony seats, all general admission.

MP3: Animal Collective – “Today’s Supernatural”
MP3: Dan Deacon – “Lots”

Pennsylvania punk-asses Pissed Jeans will be at Lee’s Palace on April 16 to play you songs from their new record Honey’s, coming for your ears February 12. Tickets for the show are $15 in advance.

MP3: Pissed Jeans – “Bathroom Laughter”

Having had to cancel their last scheduled appearance back in November, Vancouver punks White Lung have announced a make-up date as part of a Spring tour with Brooklyn’s Hunters, who made a favourable impression last Winter opening up for The Kills. That bill is at The Hard Luck on April 22, tickets $10.

MP3: Hunters – “Headache”
Video: White Lung – “Deadbeat”

We may have to wait an extra six weeks for North American release of Daughter’s debut If You Leave – it’s out in Europe March 18 but not here until April 30 – but at least we’re getting a North American tour immediately thereafter. They’ll be at The Great Hall on May 7, tickets $16.50. Somewhat bigger than The Drake down the street where they made their debut in October, but still pretty cozy.

MP3: Daughter – “Love”

And last but certainly not least, there’s a festival date to keep you warm until, well, it’s actually warm. To mark their tenth anniversary, local label Arts & Crafts have coerced flagship act Broken Social Scene to break their long-standing retirement – inactive since November 2011! – for a one-off show that will probably be one of those “all hands on deck” affairs that sets Toronto hearts a-fluttering. The two-stage, all-day event – dubbed Field Trip and happening on June 8 at Fort York’s Garrison Commons – will see them be joined by a goodly portion of the label’s active roster – both domestic and international – including Feist, Bloc Party, Hayden, Cold Specks, Timber Timbre, Ra Ra Riot, and more. Early bird tickets go for $55, regular tickets for $75, and kids get in free.

MP3: Broken Social Scene – “World Sick”
MP3: Hayden – “Old Dreams”
MP3: Timber Timbre – “Black Water”
MP3: Ra Ra Riot – “Dying Is Fine”
Video: Feist – “Graveyard”
Video: Bloc Party – “Kettling”
Video: Cold Specks – “Hector”

Frank YangTexas in September is hot. The shade-deprived Zilker park in Austin, Texas where they hold the Austin City Limits festival each Fall, is very hot. Zilker Park at high noon during what would be called a heat wave by any non-Texan standards, is holy-shit-I’m-going-to-spontaneously-combust hot. And yet there I was, on the third and final day of the festival in 2007 before noon instead of safely ensconced in my air conditioned hotel room, all to see Nicole Atkins.

But the heat stroke was worth it. Her set was as good as anything anyone would perform the rest of that day or night, including a scorching rendition of punk legend Patti Smith’s “Pissing In A River” that showcased Atkins’ rawer side. It’s something that her debut Neptune City, for all its merits, didn’t do proper justice to and which her more stripped-down second album Mondo Amore goes some distance in rectifying.

Mondo Amore is out on Tuesday and her Kickstarted North American tour kicks off on Wednesday, eventually winding its way to The Horseshoe in Toronto on February 26. There’s interviews with Atkins at My Central Jersey and IFC has premiered some short film/videos/trailers for Mondo Amore with more to follow this week. Patti Smith released her last album Twelve in 2007 and last month revealed to The Guardian that she was writing a detective novel. Austin City Limits, after having the good sense to move to slightly-cooler early October for the last few years, is back in mid-September this year. If you’re thinking of going, pack your SPF 10¹⁰⁰⁰.

MP3: Nicole Atkins – “Pissing In A River”
Stream: Nicole Atkins – “Pissing In A River”