Declarations of days devoted to popular (and some unpopular, for that matter) musicians are not uncommon within city governments. Not too long ago, Chicago created a David Bowie day. And Boston has a history of such days: they have a Godsmack Day (should you wish to avoid Boston during this time, it’s August 6) and a Riot Grrrl Day (should you wish to rush to the city during this time, it’s April 9). And it’s just been declared by Mayor Marty Walsh that Patti Smith is the next musician to become another random day in Boston.
Said day shall be October 10. And though it may — and certainly after this year will — seem like a random selection of day/month, the reason it’s been set for this day is that Smith will be stopping by the city on Saturday 10/10 to give a talk and do a signing for her new memoir, The M Train.
The proclamation glowingly praises the musician/author (after all, they devoted a day to her). It reads, “Ms. Smith’s work brilliantly balances the sacred and the profane. It also gives a brief rundown of her history with Boston (though it’s unclear whether “what do Patti Smith and Boston have in common?” was ever on anyone’s mind before): “Ms. Smith has earned the love of Bostonians beginning with her earliest Boston shows at The Jazz Workshop/Paul’s Mall in 1976 to her most recent headlining of the City of Boston’s 2014 New Year’s Eve First Night celebration.” Here’s the full document, via Vanyaland:
