Lenny Kaye, the 79-year-old guitarist from the Patti Smith Group, previewed songs from his first solo album at an event in New York City on Tuesday night.
The performance took place at the City Winery Loft’s Grammy Museum. Kaye discussed his creative process with actor Michael Imperioli and performed tracks including “The Things You Leave Behind,” “Poppy,” “World Book Night,” and “Yes I Will.” He also read excerpts from his book Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments.
Patti Smith attended the event and embraced Kaye onstage. The album Goin’ Local is scheduled for release on July 17.
Kaye described his songwriting approach, noting that music helps explain himself to himself and that a song exists because there is a need for it to be written. The evening combined performance with personal reflection rather than focusing solely on past achievements.
