Free at Noon Flashback: Patti Smith’s Horses is brought back to life by a cast of Philly’s finest

Photo by Rachel Del Sordo | racheldelsordo.com

Friday’s Free at Noon tribute to the 40th Anniversary of Patti Smith’s Horses was a transcendent occasion, featuring eight performances by eight of Philly’s most captivating female vocalists.

Kicking off the set was Madalean Gauze performing the album’s iconic opening track, “Gloria.” She gave a stellar performance of the song, slowly gathering energy before exploding into a hair-thrashing, screaming climax which drew massive applause from the audience.

As the set continued on, the performers continued to live up to the album’s legacy – Hemming’s Candice Martello dug deep into her chest to pull out Smith’s sultry vocals on the bouncy reggae track “Redondo Beach,” while Jennifer Pague of Vita and the Woolf stole the show with her dominating vocals and infectious energy on “Break It Up.” On “Birdland,” Arc Divers‘ Emily Zeitlyn did her best slam poetry delivery, seamlessly navigating Smith’s intense lyrics before tiptoeing into a slowed-down, somber ballad.

On this day there was no mid-set dip in energy, as Abi Reimold and Rachel Browne continued the trend of exhilarating performances across the album’s fourth and fifth tracks. On the slowly developing “Free Money,” Reimold provided the audience with a shot of adrenaline as she powerfully strutted around the stage, while Browne (of Field Mouse and Anomie) expertly handled “Kimberly,” Smith’s loving ode to her younger sister.

Perhaps the most impressive feat was the extent to which every artist was able to completely capture Patti Smith’s complex vocals, which frequently morph from exasperated wails to exhausted sighs. The four-piece band provided a nuanced backing as well, with Ross Bellenoit whizzed around his effect pedals with perfect precision, Matthew Landis added emotive layers of piano, Todd Erk held down the low end on bass and Richie Straub brought the fire on drums.

As Horses reached its peak, Cat Park of Amanda X tackled the nine-and-a-half minute epic “Land,” an impressive display not only of vocal prowess but also stamina. After that emotional roller coaster, the chillingly beautiful voice of Cynthia G. Mason brought the audience back down to earth, concluding the spectacular afternoon with Horses’ calm but unsettling final track “Elegie.”

Listen to an archive of the performance and check out a gallery of photos below; for more on all the local artists performing on today’s Free at Noon, including their upcoming shows, read our preview story.

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