Founding R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe is among the artists confirmed to perform at a star-studded concert celebrating the music of longtime friend and occasional collaborator Patti Smith. The show, dubbed “People Have the Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith,” will take place at Carnegie Hall in New York City on March 26, 2025.
The event is the 20th annual installment of the “Music Of” concert series organized by New York-based entrepreneur Michael Dorf. All net proceeds raised by the shows benefit music-education programs for underserved youth in and around New York City. The 2025 concert also will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Smith’s debut album, Horses.
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Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Rolling Stones touring drummer Steve Jordan are part of the event’s house band. Longtime Patti Smith bassist and keyboardist Tony Shanahan also is among the musicians who will accompany the evening’s guest singers.
The concert’s initial lineup also features Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O, Matt Berninger of The National, ex-Sonic Youth bassist/singer Kim Gordon, Courtney Barnett, Ben Harper, Sharon Van Etten, Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Angel Olsen, and the Kronos Quartet. More performers will be added to the bill, and surprise guests also likely will take part in the show.
Tickets for the “People Have the Power” are on sale now at CarnegieHall.org and via various other outlets, including StubHub. VIP packages can be purchased at MusicOf.org.
The first 150 VIP ticket purchasers will receive a free signed copy of Lynn Goldsmith’s new photography book, Patti Smith: Before Easter After.
More About Michael Dorf and the “Music Of” Series
Dorf is a businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who founded the New York City club the Knitting Factory and the City Winery chain of restaurants and performance venues.
He launched the “Music Of” benefit tribute concert series in 2006. The shows, which usually are held at Carnegie Hall, feature a lineup of various musicians and singers celebrating the songs of a specific well-known artist or band.
The subjects of the tribute events have included Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Paul Simon, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, David Bowie, Prince, Van Morrison, Neil Young, and Aretha Franklin.
Dorf’s Recent Comments About the Smith Tribute Show
In a recent post on his Substack page, Dorf shared his excitement and anxiety about the Smith tribute show.
Michael admitted being particularly nervous about this event because he’s a huge fan of Smith as a multi-faceted artist and wants her to be happy with the lineup.
“I’ve had the honor of working with her for now about 20 years,” he wrote. “[S]he has graced our stage at City Winery at least 10 different times and appeared 5 or 6 times as part of our tribute series at Carnegie. I’ve read her books, I’m a fan of her substack, and of course, her music.”
He continued, “[T]here are few more intense and powerful artists in New York alive today. And to talk with her on the phone about making this honor of the 50th anniversary of her seminal album, Horses, regarded by so many as one of punk’s formative recordings, makes me nervous. I mean, I have a serious responsibility to deliver an amazing line-up here.”
Dorf added, “I’m setting the bar high, because, well, that is what is required for such an important hero in my world. And I plan to deliver, because she is also a neighbor and a person whom I hope to work with well beyond this show at Carnegie in the coming years.”
About Smith’s Upcoming Concert Plans
Smith’s upcoming tour schedule features a series of 2025 European shows next summer with her quartet. The trek runs from a July 1 concert in Mainz, Germany, through a July 25 performance in Cologne, Germany.
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