Patti Smith played Castle Clinton (pics & setlist)

photos by Tamara Porras

“Patti Smith was amazing. Excellent crowd. Great energy. Full moon. Fantastic weather. Castle Clinton’s 200th anniversary. River 2 River. Ah!” – J.M.F.

Godmother of Punk Patti Smith concluded the free Castle Clinton 2011 season last night (7/14) when she played the outdoor Manhattan venue filled to capacity. Her two hour set opened with the bombastic 1978 single “Because The Night,” but dove into a fair amount of her earlier, more adventurous work including favorites like “Ghost Dance,” “Pissing in a River,” “Land,” “Aint It Strange,” and a few others. She also played a number of notable covers, including Neil Young’s “Helpless,” which she recorded for her cover album Twelve, and fellow NYC’s alt-scene vet Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day,” which showed up on the album’s accompanying EP. She also tackled Jim Carroll’s “People Who Died,” and the much more modern Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.”

Catch Patti again when she comes to Southampton, NY for Escape to New York.

Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye, who was scheduled to also make an appearance at the Johnny Thunders birthday celebration at Bowery Electric after the Castle Clinton show, will be a special guest on Saturday (7/16) at Mercury Lounge with The Fleshtones and The Insomniacs. Tickets are available.

More pictures and setlist from the Castle Clinton show below…

Setlist:
Because The Night
Ghost Dance
Birdland
Helpless (Neil Young cover)
Southern Cross
Blakean Year
Rolling in the Deep (Adele cover)
People Who Died (Jim Carroll cover)
Pissing in a River
Ain’t It Strange
Peaceable Kingdom
People Have The Power
Land
Gloria
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Perfect Day (Lou Reed cover)
Rock N Roll Nigger
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