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If I told you that I was going to to see the illustrious and the ever-more-present “Godmother of Punk”, Patti Smith, some may bat your eyes and say “Wow. Good for you. Bringing it back to the good ol’ days.” In the same mention, if I would have said that she was opening for the once-indie folk band (now turned indietronica, more on that later), Bon Iver, along with openers Hiss Golden Messenger, you would have replied “Come again?” Annnnnd, if I told you that I was going to see them both at the famed Hollywood Bowl on a dark, rainy night a week before Halloween, you would have ecstatically declared, “Holy S***.”
Swearing is in order here because I for one found it difficult to handle such euphoria... and a rainy fall night in Los Angeles? It’s all just too good. Patti graced the stage complete with grey pigtail braids and a purple blazer... hopping around looking like Robert Plant or some other rock god who’s not too gender-specific. She starts to scream, “Can you feel it in your blood? Raise your hands! Use your voice! VOTE! You are f***ing free!” She belted out in ‘People Have The Power’ with such a force I had to stand there in awe of her, not only her trail of enlightenment she has left but now, how relevant these lyrics are to our times. She laughs at a long pause and says to the crowd, “I’m just getting ready, honey,
I can take my time longer than you can comprehend! Maybe I’ll waste about 13 seconds...”
The crowd goes nuts as she goes right into ‘Land’. What a powerhouse this lady is, and humble as hell, telling us, “You know, I’ve heard of this place, but we never been here before.” And as the rain started coming down on us, Patti calls out for more and more water and it was as if she had been doing her own little rain dance up there all along (the Watusi, perhaps??). Her spirit and performance are unparalleled.
Bon Iver and his band opened with a myriad of hieroglyphics and light fixtures so psychedelic it was like Willy Wonka decided to go into the scary cave to meet a bunch of Egyptians. Seriously though, I’m pretty sure some people who expected a night of mellow acoustics forgot to check out Justin Vernon’s newest album, 22, A Million, his 3rd full-length record. A stark contrast from his chilling falsettos in For Emma, Forever Ago and my favorite Bon Iver, his voice became increasingly overshadowed by the band’s pressing indulgence into the stratosphere of autotuneness. Though the lyrics equally as heartfelt and beautiful, it’s a vastly different feel however I commend him for the drastic change...it shows how much he’s been through in the past 5 years. The first couple songs he played had a funky, jungle-like feel that was both cryptic and wildly experimental while being heavy on the sax. Indigenous and at the same time industrial, it became clear that we were in for an unexpected yet delightful treat. His absorbent melodies and crazy crescendos had us wowing for half of the show.
With neon trees and lightening blasting in the background, the song ’21 Moon Water’ off his new album put us Angelinos in a trance, the light drizzle of rain getting softer and softer as the music got louder and louder. The instrumentals are completely off course on this track in the best way, sending you into a kind of whirlwind that you’re frightened to come down from for fear of falling too far, off the edge of the proverbial cliff you’re flying above. But Justin lets you down softly, with his magical vocals giving you that extra push you need to keep going. His music has the romance of a late-night drive up the canyon along with the meaningfulness of the destined lives we all dream to fulfill. He laughs while admitting:
“You know, we’ve played a lot of shows. I never know what to say up here. It’s important, you know. I’m so humbled to share the stage with who I’ve shared it with tonight...that goes without saying. What Patti was saying, you are free, it keeps coming back to me. You gotta know that you’re free. Spread love, and be there for people. You are free. I’m not gonna forget that.”
Justin then striped down to what we’ve all been waiting for, no band, no fluff, just him and his guitar. ‘Skinny Love’ was a crowd pleaser and his most popular hit, even though I was a bit disappointed he left out ‘Holocene’. He did play the lovely ‘Michicant’, and then ‘Minnesota’, which he dedicated to Wisconsin. He waved and said a genuine “Love ya’ll” to the crowd after his encore, leaving us all to wonder how a guy so versatile and brilliant can also be just a dorky Midwestern guy donning a Cubs hat.
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Patti Smith |
The crowd goes nuts as she goes right into ‘Land’. What a powerhouse this lady is, and humble as hell, telling us, “You know, I’ve heard of this place, but we never been here before.” And as the rain started coming down on us, Patti calls out for more and more water and it was as if she had been doing her own little rain dance up there all along (the Watusi, perhaps??). Her spirit and performance are unparalleled.
Bon Iver and his band opened with a myriad of hieroglyphics and light fixtures so psychedelic it was like Willy Wonka decided to go into the scary cave to meet a bunch of Egyptians. Seriously though, I’m pretty sure some people who expected a night of mellow acoustics forgot to check out Justin Vernon’s newest album, 22, A Million, his 3rd full-length record. A stark contrast from his chilling falsettos in For Emma, Forever Ago and my favorite Bon Iver, his voice became increasingly overshadowed by the band’s pressing indulgence into the stratosphere of autotuneness. Though the lyrics equally as heartfelt and beautiful, it’s a vastly different feel however I commend him for the drastic change...it shows how much he’s been through in the past 5 years. The first couple songs he played had a funky, jungle-like feel that was both cryptic and wildly experimental while being heavy on the sax. Indigenous and at the same time industrial, it became clear that we were in for an unexpected yet delightful treat. His absorbent melodies and crazy crescendos had us wowing for half of the show.
With neon trees and lightening blasting in the background, the song ’21 Moon Water’ off his new album put us Angelinos in a trance, the light drizzle of rain getting softer and softer as the music got louder and louder. The instrumentals are completely off course on this track in the best way, sending you into a kind of whirlwind that you’re frightened to come down from for fear of falling too far, off the edge of the proverbial cliff you’re flying above. But Justin lets you down softly, with his magical vocals giving you that extra push you need to keep going. His music has the romance of a late-night drive up the canyon along with the meaningfulness of the destined lives we all dream to fulfill. He laughs while admitting:
“You know, we’ve played a lot of shows. I never know what to say up here. It’s important, you know. I’m so humbled to share the stage with who I’ve shared it with tonight...that goes without saying. What Patti was saying, you are free, it keeps coming back to me. You gotta know that you’re free. Spread love, and be there for people. You are free. I’m not gonna forget that.”
Justin then striped down to what we’ve all been waiting for, no band, no fluff, just him and his guitar. ‘Skinny Love’ was a crowd pleaser and his most popular hit, even though I was a bit disappointed he left out ‘Holocene’. He did play the lovely ‘Michicant’, and then ‘Minnesota’, which he dedicated to Wisconsin. He waved and said a genuine “Love ya’ll” to the crowd after his encore, leaving us all to wonder how a guy so versatile and brilliant can also be just a dorky Midwestern guy donning a Cubs hat.
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Bon Iver with Patti Smith at Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles (23 October 2016) |
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