Saturday, September 30, 2023

Lenny Kaye at the Tompkins Square Library branch

Photos and text by Robin McMillan 

On Thursday evening, Lenny Kaye, longtime guitarist with Patti Smith, sang his own song — "World Book Night" — to reopen the refurbished Tompkins Square Library branch, express his love for books, and promote his own new work—"Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll."

In each chapter, the 76-year-old musician covers the "moments" as a witness and an ardent researcher. For the record, those "transformative moments" are: Memphis '54, New Orleans '57, Philadelphia '59, Liverpool '62, San Francisco '67, Detroit '69, New York '75, London '77, Los Angeles '84/Norway '93 (yes, Norway — think black metal), and Seattle 1991. 

Kaye covered everything from his first performances with Smith — at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery in 1971 — to listening to his friends play his favorite East Village clubs to his love for artistic change and progress.
This was the first in a series of East Village arts-scene evenings at the Tompkins Square Library, 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. Next up: Writer (and tour guide) Jesse Rifkin and jazz maestro Matthew Shipp will discuss "The East Village in Music and Words" on Oct. 26, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Previously on EV Grieve:
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