Patti Smith's songs supply the power

TAMPA -- Following Patti Smith on stage is a sap's game, but Ralph Nader managed to pull it off Saturday at the Sun Dome on the University of South Florida campus.

Smith and Iris DeMent were the musical draws at the former presidential candidate's "People Have the Power" rally, which also featured speeches by Jello Biafra and Michael (Stupid White Men) Moore.

Biafra was heartfelt and literate. Moore, best known for his film Roger & Me and his TV show The Awful Truth, was those things and funny as well. Even if you disagree with him, he's an entertaining guy.

DeMent announced that she would sing a "preachy song," and she sure did. Wasteland of the Free could make Britney Spears consider ending it all, and her simple acoustic rhythms lent the song strength.

But the real news for music fans was Smith's first appearance in the bay area in way too long (a couple of decades). This was Patti Smith Unplugged, with two acoustic guitarists and an electric bass player.

Smith, once the scrawny, doe-eyed Princess of Punk, came across as an Earth Mother on Saturday night, figuratively gathering her brood around her to sing some powerful yet subtle songs.

With an electric band, Smith is a dervish, howling and whispering her songs into the darkness. At the Sun Dome, she let the songs supply the power. While the spark of her voice was felt, she held it in check just a little, perhaps not wanting to dominate the evening.

Ghost Dance, one of Smith's most hopeful songs, was given the feel of an anthem with a powerful bed of guitar chords. Easily one of Smith's most accessible songs, it rang through the hall with the grace and majesty of a Woody Guthrie song.

The demanding rhythm of Boy Cried Wolf demonstrated that Smith can still sing those piercing notes that first got her noticed almost 30 years ago.

A beautiful William Blake poem, The Lamb, was a highlight of the evening. "Little lamb, who made thee?" she asked and answered.

The hypnotic drone of her Voices closed her set with hope and courage. When Smith played in Tampa in one of her early tours, she fell from the stage and chipped two vertebrae. She seemed pleased to be here anyway, and sang for the crowd with obvious pleasure.

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