Patti Smith is like your super cool, eccentric, "fun" aunt. The one who, when you were a kid, maybe you sort of took her and her fun stories, for granted, you didn't really appreciate her... and then one day, after you'd grown up, you truly saw her for the first time and: "...she's my aunt?? She's amazing! Whoa."
I had the chance to watch Patti Smith kill it at the Met last night--I know: it doesn't seem like those words should go together, "kill it" and "Met"--and she was astonishing. She had members of the audience, at the Met, dancing passionately, singing along with her, shaking their hands in appreciation. Yes: she took the Met to church.
She was astonishing because of her talent, and her gifts, but also because she radiated comfort: comfort with herself, with her stunning material, with the audience. Her daughter, Jesse, played the piano, and at times it really felt as if we, the audience, were just at her house, just kind of  hanging out with Patti and her family, as she sang these beautiful, moving songs.
At one point, she referred to herself as an "old dog." Don't you believe it. Patti Smith is aging like a fine wine; her "Because the Night" and "Gloria" brought down the house. What a privilege to witness... !

Show 'em how it's done, Patti...!