Patti Smith's NYT op-ed: don't cry for CBGBs, we have the 'net

Punk matriarch Patti Smith was recently inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. She wrote about the contradiction inherent in that award in this New York Times piece. She urges people to quit whining about the death of CBGBs and other punk institutions -- revolution is written, sung, and expressed in video every day, online:

Should an artist working within the revolutionary landscape of rock accept laurels from an institution? Should laurels be offered? Am I a worthy recipient?

I have wrestled with these questions and my conscience leads me back to Fred and those like him — the maverick souls who may never be afforded such honors. Thus in his name I will accept with gratitude. Fred Sonic Smith was of the people, and I am none but him: one who has loved rock ’n’ roll and crawled from the ranks to the stage, to salute history and plant seeds for the erratic magic landscape of the new guard.

Because its members will be the guardians of our cultural voice. The Internet is their CBGB. Their territory is global. They will dictate how they want to create and disseminate their work. They will, in time, make breathless changes in our political process. They have the technology to unite and create a new party, to be vigilant in their choice of candidates, unfettered by corporate pressure. Their potential power to form and reform is unprecedented.

Human history abounds with idealistic movements that rise, then fall in disarray. The children of light. The journey to the East. The summer of love. The season of grunge. But just as we seem to repeat our follies, we also abide.

Link (via WorldChanging). Disclaimer: I am the biggest Patti Smith fan ever, and I'm posting the image above for the sole reason that Horses is one of my favorite albums of all time.

Previously on BoingBoing:

Q&A with Patti Smith

CBGB closing for good

Reader comment: Chris Spurgeon says:

I'm right there with you when it comes to love and admiration for Patti Smith. I was very moved by her portion of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's induction ceremony... the firey introduction by Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine, Patti's at-times tearful acceptance speech, and her (STILL!!!, AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS!!!) blistering live performance. Link

DaveX says,

As much as I love her, I'm only following her ideas about CBGBs so far. The day they try to take the Internet away, I won't be so understanding!

Jess Hemerly says,

Thanks for posting the Patti Smith op-ed. Here's a pointless Patti Smith-related story you might find interesting:

My senior year at NYU, I took a writing class called "Opinionated Writing" with a professor named Angela Dillard. She was awesome and so was her class. One of the assigned books for the class was called "Rock 'Til You Drop" by John Strausbaugh, former editor of the New York Free Press. In the book he basically contends that rock and roll music is for the kids and that at some point artists (and critics) just need to know when to stop performing because they're no longer growing as artists and by continuing to perform in their sad, aged state they merely parody themselves onstage. At some point, artists and critics become to old to be relevant and either have to move on to different genres or find another hobby.

Interesting argument, I thought, except that he spent a good chunk of text talking about how much he hates Patti Smith. Professor Dillard had him come into class so we could talk to him about careers in writing, and all the kids in the class were eager to ask questions like, "What kind of advice would you give to a college student looking toward a career in writing?" Apparently nobody had read the book. I had. I love Patti Smith.

So when I finally got to ask a question it was not, "I want to be a music writer, how do I get started?" Instead I asked, "Why the hell do you hate Patti Smith so much?" My class was horrified. He called Patti pretentious, saying that she positioned her self as the "punk poet priestess" of the day and got a lot of undeserved attention for it. I said, "But Horses is one of the best rock albums of all time." He admitted that yes, it's a great album, but "she had a great band." My class was horrified, but we went back and forth a little while longer.

It was one of the single greatest moments of my college career and I owe it all to Patti Smith.