Last night was the first of two “The Music of David Bowie” concerts in New York with show one at Carnegie Hall.
Michael Dorf, who has been producing “The Music of” benefit concerts every spring for over a decade, selected Bowie for the tribute before his passing in January but that death turned the evenings (normally only one) into even bigger shows then they are normally.
Even without the Roots, who pulled out yesterday over an equipment dispute, and Patti Smith, who was ill, the cast of artists was very impressive including Cyndi Lauper, Robyn Hitchcock, Laurie Anderson, Debbie Harry, Michael Stipe, J. Mascis, Sean Lennon, Beetye LaVette, Perry Farrell, Ann Wilson, the Pixies and the Flaming Lips.
Debbie Harry, Blondie. Photo by Ros O’GormanHighlights included Lauper’s show opening Suffragette City, Debbie Harry getting the crowd to sing along to Starman, Joseph Arthur and his loop pedal doing a solo The Man Who Sold the World (and his American flag with “Fuck Trump” scrawled across it, Michael Stipe talk/singing Ashes to Ashes, Ann Wilson’s blistering Let’s Dance and Rickie Lee Jones’ solo All the Young Dudes.
The show, with a slightly different lineup, moves to Radio City Music Hall tonight.
