Patti Smith Cancels Hotel Chelsea Gig

Punk poet Patti Smith cancelled her concert at the Hotel Chelsea on Thursday after the hotel tenants made several complaints. Hotel Chelsea Tenants Association president Zoe Pappas said that they are thrilled with the decision, as they showed the landlord they are dignified and unified and that they can’t be bought. Smith told the Association’s lawyer, Samuel Himmelstein, that she will play for them if they win in court, after realising that no one wants her help, Pappas added.

Thirty-eight of the 100 or so tenants remaining at the Hotel Chelsea were planning to protest the Thursday night gig at the property. The association told reporters that they respectfully decline the invitation from Smith and hotel management for the concert. They believe the timing is unfortunate due to the legal situation and publicity. The power of media to allow Smith to assume the leadership in the Chelsea’s future is offensive considering the fact she hasn’t directly communicated with the tenants.

The association’s statement continued that the turn of publicity overshadows their concerns and discussions with management, and they worry their participation in the gig will be misunderstood. They thank the management for the invitation and hope this decision is understood. They also hope the management and tenants will have more opportunities in the future to gather together in a respectful and constructive way.

The controversy over Smith’s appearance blew up on Wednesday when the tenants heard about her and the National Book Award winner’s plans to hold a concert. Although many of the tenants are fans, they were offended by the fact that Smith would perform at the request of Joseph Chetrit, the owner and landlord of the hotel, who is very unpopular. The two sides are currently battling in court over construction in the building.

After learning about the controversy, Smith attempted to clear the air on her own blog on Wednesday. She said that her small concert for the tenants was her idea. She hoped that they would have a nice evening and get the chance to directly communicate. She’s an independent person and isn’t directed or owned by anybody. Her allegiance is to the Chelsea itself, and she hasn’t done anything to ruin that. It’s hard for her to embrace change, but her hope is to witness the Chelsea find a positive and strong place in this century.

Then on Thursday, Smith’s spokeswoman released a statement from her. She said that, in respect for the Chelsea Hotel Tenants Association’s wishes, she has cancelled the gig. Her motivation was only to serve the tenants, and she’s satisfied if cancelling serves them better. Around 5:30pm, she called Himmelstein, the association’s lawyer, to explain that she pulled the show. He told journalists that she explained that she cancelled because the tenants didn’t want the concert, while she also insisted that she isn’t connected to owner Chetrit.