Patti Smith Quartet Performs at Arena Vienna Ahead of Wiener Festwochen

Patti Smith, the 'godmother of punk', performed at Arena Vienna last week with her quartet as part of the Wiener Festwochen. The concert opened with 'Ghost Dance' from her 1978 album Easter, followed by 'Dancing Barefoot' and 'Birdland'. Smith shared a dream from over 50 years ago, scribbled in a notebook while working on Horses with Tom Verlaine, which became the basis for 'Break It Up'. She introduced her band, including her son Jackson Smith on guitar, A'sheen Murray, Seb Rochford on drums, and Tommy Shanahan on keyboard and bass. Smith dedicated a song to Fred Smith, a close friend and bassist who recently passed away. She also made political statements, including 'FREE PALESTINE'. Arena Vienna, a former slaughterhouse repurposed in the mid-1970s for the Vienna Festival, has deep ties to Vienna's autonomous movements, having been occupied by 700 activists in 1976. The performance was part of a three-part residency, culminating in the official festival opening at Heldenplatz. The concert ended with a rendition of Bob Dylan's 'One Too Many Mornings'.