Sundance: Bitter Tears Freely Falling

[Fest Music] The fictional pregnant teen Juno and I have something in common. When asked to name our favorite musicians of all time, we both enthusiastically list Patti Smith.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Patti Smith perform on David Letterman when I was 14. I was struck by her raw, emotional voice and the fierce power of her music. She exuded integrity, independence, intelligence, and thoughtful rebellion.

Patti Smith is the type of artist who makes music that inspires you to believe you do not have to accept the world as it is. The primary message of much of her work is that if you expend enough thought and energy, you can participate in artistic, social, and political movements that make the world a much more interesting and humane place.

Horses is one of the greatest debut albums in rock ‘n roll history, but if you really want to know why I have boundless respect for Patti Smith, please read this.

Smith was invited to perform at the Sundance Film Festival because she is the subject of a Steven Sebring-directed documentary called Patti Smith: Dream of Life.

So, you can imagine the bitter tears I cried when Patti Smith performed on Sunday night in Park City while I was stranded in Salt Lake.

Oh, well. C’est la vie. I’m sure sometime in the future I’ll see Patti on a warm sunny day. In a city where I can take a taxi cab or train instead of braving Parley’s Canyon in a small compact car that does not handle well in the snow. Only to be turned away at the door of the Star Bar because my badge does not say Rolling Stone.

You can see pictures of Patti’s performance and a list of upcoming Star Bar events for peps with proper Sundance credentials here. (Jenny Poplar)