Guitarist, songwriter, and author Lenny Kaye (the Patti Smith Group) joins us on the golden anniversary of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era for a conversation, reading, and performance. Following the program, there will be a signing and select merchandise for sale. In 1972 Lenny was given artistic license by Elektra Records president Jac Holzman, to curate an anthology showcasing rock and roll’s overlooked songs from the rich period between 1965 to 1968. He assembled obscure cuts from albums that had gone unnoticed, singles that fell through the cracks, and one-hit wonders that needed re-contextualization. While the original two-disc collection contained many styles of music, its emphasis was on what would be known as garage rock – newly empowered by the British Invasion as it was translated to America. The songs were brimming with attitude and self-declaration and barely controlled mania, and provided inspiration and immediacy to a generation yearning to feel the power of electricity and psychic transformation. The album, along with its many offshoots, has since become a touchstone of rock and roll’s immediacy and reinvention, as well as keeping alive a slew of great songs that have become classics over the years. Following the program, there will be a signing and select merchandise for sale. Also, join Lenny Kaye and Friends a few days later for a full concert at the Beachland Ballroom on Friday, March 27 (https://www.beachlandballroom.com/shows/nuggets-celebration-27-mar). LENNY KAYE As musician, writer, and record producer, Lenny Kaye has been intimately involved with the creative impulse that marks the music. He is a founding member of Patti Smith and Her Band, dating from their first performance as a duo at St. Marks Church in New York’s East Village on February 10, 1971, and has worked with such artists as Suzanne Vega, Jim Carroll, Allen Ginsberg, Soul Asylum, and Jessi Colter. His books include You Call It Madness: The Sensuous Song of the Croon (2004); Waylon: An Autobiography (1994); and the newly released Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll. His seminal anthology of garage rock, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts of the First Psychedelic Era, is regarded as defining a genre and recently celebrated its golden anniversary. His new solo album, Goin’ Local, will be released on Yep Roc Records in July. Instagram: @lenny_kaye