How Woodstock Shaped Patti Smith’s Wave

Patti Smith, the godmother of punk poetry, is best known for her life and work in New York City, but Woodstock, New York, also played a transformative role in her creative journey. She spent time at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, drawn by the quiet inspiration the town offered to artists.

In 1979, she recorded her fourth studio album, Wave, there with producer Todd Rundgren. The album marked a move toward a more melodic sound while keeping her signature intensity. Songs like “Dancing Barefoot” and “Frederick” carry a sense of openness and energy that reflect the influence of Woodstock’s artistic community.

Though she didn’t live in Woodstock, the town left its mark on her work. In her memoir Just Kids, Patti Smith touches on Woodstock not as a physical home, but as a cultural touchstone. She reflects on the way the legendary festival and the town’s artistic energy shaped the broader creative scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. For Smith and her circle in New York City, Woodstock represented a kind of collective pulse—an undercurrent of experimentation and possibility that influenced the music, art, and ideas they were shaping in real time.

About Patti’s Space

This spacious apartment occupies the full depth of the second floor on the west side of The Main House. It is accessed through the main entrance on Tinker Street, and up a charming flight of pine wood steps, original to the house. Patti’s Space is a modern, bright one-bedroom with windows on three sides. It features a renovated, well-stocked kitchen with a breakfast bar, a bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower, and a large living area. The modern, velvet sofa opens up into a extra large twin bed, and comfortably accommodates an adult. In between the “social” and “sleeping” zones of the apartment is a room - one step up - with French doors that can close or remain open; with two deep, cushy club chairs and a desk. It’s a great spot to read, lounge, or use as a writing space.

The airy bedroom faces north, and has a queen-sized bed for restful sleeping. The back side of the apartment, which faces south, lights up the wall of windows in the kitchen. French doors from the kitchen open to a private deck and spectacular views of the Comeau Property fields in the distance, and a birds-eye view of the brook and the grounds we call “The Back Forty.” Suited for 1-3 people, and has an in-unit washer and dryer.