Patti Smith delivered an unforgettable evening at Cirkus in Stockholm

Patti Smith's concert at Cirkus on July 22 was clearly both highly anticipated and greatly appreciated. Patti had barely appeared on stage before applause and cheers filled the historic venue, while a large portion of the audience stood up to welcome her.

Ghost Dance, Dancing Barefoot, and Redondo Beach were some of the opening songs, and the audience was quick to show why they were there.

The interpretation of The Doors song The Crystal Ship began calmly, with Patti standing as if embracing herself. When the song ended, the audience cheered and loud applause could be heard all around me as I sat.

Between songs, she told brief anecdotes, including about a dream she had of Jim Morrison, which later became the basis for Break It Up. After the song ended, parts of the audience rose and the applause started up again.

During Nine, one of her later songs from 2012, she sang the same verse twice. She laughed at her mistake and joked that sometimes it's good to sing a verse two times.

About halfway into the concert, Patti left the stage and her musicians, one of whom is her son Jackson Smith, got a chance to shine. They then played the Lou Reed cover Walk on the Wild Side. During the next song, Patti's son—who played both piano and guitar during the concert—also sang.

When Patti returned to the stage, she asked if the audience was hungry, to which she received a resounding “yes” in response. After the prompt “Let’s eat,” she kicked off the first song after the break, Summer Cannibals. At times, Patti braced herself with one foot on a speaker and leaned towards the audience. I was probably not the only one who found the song very powerful.

A woman in the audience shouted “I love you” during a short pause between two songs. There was silence for a few moments before Patti turned towards the side balcony where the call came from and said: “I’m so lucky.” She then turned to the entire audience and said: “We love you too.”

The darker and somewhat melancholy song Fireflies especially moved me. The emotion and expression Patti had when she sang made the song very powerful—a feeling that lingered even more after the words “I’ll die alone,” which lingered on after the notes faded out.

Patti grabbed her guitar and turned to the lighting technicians: “It’s too dark in here. I want to see all the people.” She then introduced the next song, Beneath the Southern Cross, as a song dedicated to life. During the song, she also played her guitar with an occasional chord—if even more than one. During an instrumental part, Patti sat down on a chair. Whether she was tired or wanted to highlight her musicians was unclear—perhaps it was a combination of both.

The song became more and more rock-oriented towards the end, as the tempo increased and the volume from the stage was noticeably raised.

Patti urged the audience: “Raise your arms.” I hardly saw anyone who didn’t follow the call. She continued with phrases like “We are the future,” “Alive,” and “Free,” making the entire Cirkus erupt in cheers and applause. I thought the roof would lift. The applause quickly turned into a single, steady ovation, and there was no mistaking the audience's love for Patti Smith.

Patti talked about a song she wrote in 1977 about the Palestinian people, after which she sang Peaceable Kingdom. Her political commitment was clear.

The big hit Because the Night ended the official concert and Patti left the stage with her musicians.

Thunderous applause, however, brought her back. She said: “I wrote a song for you.” Then she took off her jacket and delivered People Have the Power to a standing audience, where everyone seemed to know the words. The concert ended with a standing ovation, applause, and cheers. There was no doubt that the audience loved Patti Smith.

Personally, I only knew a few of her songs before the concert, but the atmosphere at Cirkus and the concert itself is something I will carry with me for a long time.

Thank you, Patti, for a brilliant concert. I can only give her the rating of a strong four.