I want to be very clear about something regarding my performance coming up -
Patti Smith's album EASTER 4/9/23 at @recordbar Kansas City.
NO. I WILL NOT BE PERFORMING THE SONG.
For those who are familiar with the album EASTER you know the song I mean.
We will be omitting this song WITH INTENTION during our performance.
What I mean by that is I will be drawing attention to its absence, and in its stead submit a new piece of work created by myself, SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES, yet in the spirit of Patti Smith. Patti the punk, Patti the poet, Patti the truth teller. This is what felt most natural to me. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES was created in large part to repurpose existing material, draw attention to issues and tension contained inside of it and our nostalgia for it, and submit a new narrative.
I believe it is my responsibility as an artist and a white person IN this society to not just skirt around this, but to be explicit about my feelings and thoughts here. And to properly prepare my audience so they know what to expect for my performance as far as this song is concerned.
I think it's a great opportunity to draw attention to it and address it, rather than just shrink and be silent.
So here are my thoughts:
I think I understand Patti's intent with this song. As a woman of the word, language, the book...as a punk, poet, as an artist...She wanted to reclaim the word's original meaning/definition. She wanted to reclaim this word as a word of power. She wanted to reject form, norms, names, labels. She wanted to celebrate the rejects, the weirdos, the artist.
Here's the problem:
As a white person, she has absolutely no right to do that.
It's a great example of white privilege tunnel vision.
Of operating like all things belong to you (white person) and can be molded, appropriated, reinvented towards your purposes and intentions.
You just can't Patti.
That word, as we all know is loaded with meaning. Not just from the dictionary, or existing in some void. Its meaning is also created from CONTEXT. HISTORY. Here on the ground. INSIDE of society.
Out of how it WAS and IS used to perpetuate harm, hate, and assume power over people of color. Period.
SPECIFICALLY, kidnapped black Africans and their lineage of children in the so called United States.
You want to be Free? You want to be "outside of society?
How nice for you.
People of color don't have that privilege.
Patti has omitted this song from Spotify, Apple iTunes...but as far as I can see she has not spoken about why. She nor Lennie Kay have drawn attention to it, acknowledged it's harm, the mistake.
This is a problem.
So since Patti hasn't said I'll say it:
Her choice to repurpose that word, or at least attempt to, however well intentioned and meant to be a form of commradery and punk advocacy was misguided at least, and harmful at worst. Her continued silence on the subject perhaps is even more harmful. Omission without aknowledgement is not pulling the knife completely. It would be great if she would offer a word. Hold the harm and complexity with us.
I absolutely adore Patti Smith. I look up to her and her work a great deal. She truly is one of my heroes. Not just her music, but her writing, her point of view, her being. I could listen to Patti talk all day. I wouldn't arrange to perform one of her albums live on stage if I didn't believe in this body of work and it's beautiful themes of life, death, resurrection and rebirth.
But this is a great opportunity to remember to hold the complexity and embrace the tension. I can love Patti Smith AND still not like the fact that she made this move in her art, AND has yet to talk about it. I can draw attention to it. I can present her work through a fresh lens on stage and still challenge it's authority. That's the punk way. That's the SHE SPEAKS way Alive and attuned to the present moment, I evolve. I shake my fist. I embrace. I throw it down. I listen. I speak up.
I hope, especially if you're white, you will do the same. Kill your idols and hold them dear, and know when to walk away completely. Speak up.
See you Easter Sunday.....