Patti Smith Ends New Year's Eve Residencies at Bowery Ballroom

Patti Smith performs at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City for her end-of-year three-concert run.

Bo Powell

Patti Smith announced on New Year's Eve that she will be ending her tradition of year-ending residencies at Manhattan's Bowery Ballroom. Smith, who has played three shows at the end of December at the venue for 14 consecutive years, broke the news on stage at her New Year's Eve gig on Saturday night.

Smith's final New Year's Eve gig at the ballroom included a guest appearance from former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, who sang a rendition of the Jimmy Webb tune "Wichita Lineman." (It wasn't an unfamiliar song for the singer, who performed it occasionally with his old band on their world tour for the Monster album and released it as a b-side to the "Bittersweet Me" single in 1996.)

According to Lenny Kaye, Smith's guitarist, the band still intends to play New Year's Eve gigs in the future, but will be moving on to another location.

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Song Stories

“Oh Sherrie”

Steve Perry | 1984

Steve Perry's girlfriend Sherrie Swafford was actually in the studio when Perry began writing this song--his lone Top Ten hit as a solo act--with two co-writers. The trio began at midnight one night with just "Oh, Sherrie!" and "hold on, hold on." Three hours later, they had a complete song. Swafford, however, had to wait until the next day to hear it. "Sherrie actually got tired and went to bed," Perry said. She also appeared in the video, but their relationship did not hold on for long.

More Song Stories entries »

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