
I’m reading Patti Smith’s Just Kids and it makes me want to tell a Patti Smith story.
I saw Patti Smith play at the Backdoor at SDSU in late 1975. This was just after her debut album “Horses” was released. I went with my buddy David R. We were only 15 years old then but we knew our music, we knew all about the new bands from New York: Patti Smith, Television, The Ramones. We were also fans of Roxy Music, Bowie, Iggy and the Stooges, Lou Reed — pretty advanced stuff for two little stoners from the suburban wasteland of Allied Gardens.
We knew it was going to be a good show so we got there early. It was raining but we were first in line so we huddled up in the alcove and smoked our cigarettes, waiting. After a while, Patti and her band came slogging up in the rain, soaking wet, and marched past us into the Backdoor. It was on.
Shortly after the promoters opened the front door and there was a mad dash for the stage. We were sort of propelled before the mob, skidding to land right up before center stage (it was only about waist high). We were stoked.
John Cale came out, slammed a Coors tall down on the piano, and launched into a solo set, playing Fear, We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together, and some other songs I can’t remember.
Then Patti and her group took the stage. All sorts of chaos ensued. During an epic version of “Gloria” my buddy David held up a copy of Creem magazine (the one with the picture of Iggy from the Raw Power album on the cover) in front of Patti. This got her attention. She looked at the Creem, looked at us, and then slapped the magazine out of David’s hand and spit on him.
We were jazzed for days.
