While you were watching the Giants’ 4th quarter collapse to the Eagles, Patti Smith and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe made a trip to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, where they honored the 100th birthday of French writer/political activist Jean Genet with a “walk-in” performance in the middle of the museum. Stipe opened with a cover of David Bowie’s song about Genet, “The Jean Genie”, before Smith dropped a 20-minute improvisation of Genet’s biography.
Courtesy of the MoMA, you can watch the entire shindig above. Museum director Klaus Biesenbach’s account of the performance is also available at that link and is a must read. Also, because we’re on the subject of Stipe-Smith collaborations, be sure to check out R.E.M.’s new studio album, Collapse Into Now, when it hits stores on March 9th. The two icons appear together on the final track, “Blue”.
