It’s almost impossible to pinpoint the moment when someone goes from being just another performer to an actual icon.
Take Patti Smith, who is on her way back to Seattle next week.
The famed singer, deemed punk rock’s poet laureate, has won praise for decades. Not only has she worked with some of the biggest names in rock — Bruce Springsteen in the 1970s, for instance, and R.E.M. in the 1990s — but she’s also earned some rare awards. Those include induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her music and a National Book Award for her memoir, “Just Kids.”
That gradual accrual of accolades eventually elevated her to the status of a musical icon. And while no one single moment makes it clear what brought her to such heights, it is possible to pinpoint when her rise began.
Her debut album, “Horses,” saw release 40 years ago, in the winter of 1975. Now, Smith is playing that album in its entirety at select shows around the country. She will headline two nights at the Moore Theatre in Seattle at 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
The shows are being billed by Smith as “a true, proud celebration” of the album that launched her career. For fans, it should be a unique opportunity to see a star looking back on her early moments.
Tickets are $32.50 to $47.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
G-Eazy also is heading to Seattle for a sold-out show at the WaMu Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, and he’s bringing some friends, including A$AP Ferg.
G-Eazy, dubbed the “James Dean of rap” thanks to his penchant for pompadours and leather jackets, released his debut album in 2009. That disc got the ball rolling for the rapper, while the following decade found him picking up more and more steam.
Appearances on the Warped Tour helped him win fans outside hip-hop’s usual channels, and his 2014 major label debut, “These Things Happen,” brought him to still-wider audiences. His latest album, “When It’s Dark Out,” saw release this past December, hitting No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
A$AP Ferg, meanwhile, has a sizable audience of his own thanks to hits like “Shabba,” “Old English” and “Work Remix,” each of which has racked up millions of plays on streaming services like Spotify.
Ferg got his start with the same Harlem crew that gave birth to A$AP Rocky, another big name in rap. Like Rocky, Ferg has since broken out on his own. He’s getting ready to release his sophomore album, “Always Strive and Prosper,” this winter.
Tickets are sold-out but can be found at a mark-up at stubhub.com.
Finally, Seattle’s own Industrial Revelation will play Neumos at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The jazz quartet formed in 2005 and has since released two albums that fuse electronica and hip-hop to make the act’s unique sound.
The group’s approach has drawn plenty of attention in the local press, even winning a “Genius” award from The Stranger in 2014.
Tickets are $10 at neumos.com.
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