Patti Smith comes to Rams Head Live

Patti Smith, legendary figure of rock ’n roll poetry, is coming to Rams Head Live this weekend. And you can get tickets for only $35!

Profoundly influenced by French poets Baudelaire and Rimbaud, Patti Smith started out as an artist and writer. She became a figure in bohemian New York City of the late sixties and early seventies.

While living there with her friend Robert Mapplethorpe, she interacted with renowned artistic voices such as Allen Ginsburg and William Burroughs.

In her 2010 memoir, Just Kids, Smith describes this magical time  of discovery. This work received the National Book Award, highlighting Smith’s literary merit.

She is also a poet with several published works. These often include lyrics to her songs as well as searing reactions to contemporary pop culture.

Among Smith’s other credentials are her 2007 induction into the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame and her inclusion in Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Artists.

Smith is tied to the rise of the punk movement in the seventies. But she is also a fan and proponent of classic rock ’n roll.

In fact, her work is frequently reverential toward those who came before her. She performs many covers of sixties hits and her original songs reveal a deep fascination with figures such as Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix.

Smith’s most famous albums are Horses (1975) and Easter (1978). These showcase a gritty non-traditional female voice. She often sings about women from a man’s perspective.

This is most notable in  “Gloria,” which she adapted from the Van Morrison song of the same name. But Smith  adds a lot more poetry and a bit of controversy to its iconic chorus.

“Gloria” is especially notable for its disarming opening line: “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine.”

But Smith’s biggest hit is “Because the Night,” which she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen. In 1978, the song reached number 13 in the Billboard Top 100.

This year Smith released her newest album, Banga, to critical acclaim.

Her voice is a bit scragglier than it was on her debut, but her delivery of poetic lyrics is always entertaining and powerful.

So head out to Rams Head Live this Saturday night at 9 p.m. for an intimate concert with a prolific artist and living legend.

It’s cheap, close and possibly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Doors open at 8 p.m.