'relaxin' with Patti Smith' by Yoshie Tominaga - relax November 2002

Photos by Yoshie Tominaga

INTRO: Patti Smith’s performance, widely whispered to have been the best set of Fuji Rock 2002, unfolded across three appearances over two days, including a poetry reading. Each performance was completely different, yet all were filled with love, healing, passion, anger, hope, and strength, enveloping the audience in a unique spiritual atmosphere. Raising her fist, she declared, “People have the power,” and showered the crowd with affection, calling out, “I love all of you!” She also praised Fuji Rock as the ideal rock festival she had always hoped for—a place where nature is respected, where not a single piece of trash is left behind, and where the people share that same spirit. Time and again, she expressed her gratitude for being part of such an environment. She repeatedly said, “I’m sorry,” in reference to the innocent lives lost in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and spoke passionately about the importance of peace. Surrounded by mountains, open skies, and beautiful nature, she spoke repeatedly of the joy of receiving energy from an audience united by a pure love of music and then returning that energy from the stage. Unlike the tense and fiercely charged performance she had given the previous year, this year’s stage was passionate yet overflowing with love, and it would become the stuff of legend. On that day, the cries of “Patti! Patti!” seemed as though they would never end.

I Followed Her Not So Much as a Hero, but as a Teacher for Life - The mutual resonance and trust between Nobuhiko Kitamura and Patti Smith

Patti Smith’s aversion to the media is well known.