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episode date - June 3, 2004
A Season-opening performance by one of my all-time favorite legendary performers at the Jones Beach Amphitheater seemed like a perfect way to kick off an especially promising summer season of live music here on Long Island. I froze my ass off.
Last year, Bowie performed in broiling heat, relieved only by a mid-set downpour that sent half of the crowd scrambling for their cars. This probably informed my optimism, but you should never count on the weather, especially on the south shore where the ocean breezes tend to cool things off remarkably. My ignorance caused me to arrive wearing a skimpy shirt, while the temperature plunged over 20 degrees in two hours, dropping into the ‘50s. Luckily, I had a beach towel in the back of my car, so I bundled up in a cocoon of cotton and settled in to watch Bowie as he did his best to heat things up.
Bowie is a wonder to behold, all of 57 years old but looking fit and perhaps even younger than the last time I saw him. He has the energy of somebody half his age, and more stage presence than 95% of the new breed of performers who might refer to Bowie as a source of inspiration. His set list consisted of a generous mix of old and new, emphasizing his catalog of classic material as well as a few surprises. For whatever reason, Bowie seemed particularly interested in reclaiming a few of his songs that had been usurped by others over the years. The first surprise was “Sister Midnight”, which stems from Iggy Pop’s trilogy of albums produced (and in the case of this tune, co-written) by Bowie. “All the Young Dudes” came soon afterward, a song recorded by Bowie but made famous by Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople. A version of “Under Pressure, with bassist Gail Ann Dorsey ably singing Freddie Mercury’s lines also fit into this category. Bowie’s intent became obvious, though, when he then launched into the oldest song of the evening. The present generation of music fans might mistakenly associate “The Man Who Sold the World” with Nirvana, but Bowie’s confident rendition made it clear that while a few cover versions might be nice to hear, this song which dates from 1971 is still his, and still relevant. All of these songs appeared within the first 45 minutes.
Other surprises of the ‘oldie ‘ variety included “Queen Bitch” and “Quicksand”, both from the album Hunky Dory, interspersed with newer songs like “Cactus” (from Heathen) and “New Killer Star” (from his latest collection, Reality). A highlight of the show came with a stellar rendition of “Station to Station,” that was offset with a somewhat rushed version of “Modern Love.” An encore that drew heavily from the Ziggy Stardust album summed up a very satisfying evening of music that almost distracted from the sound of my teeth chattering.
Interested in more Bowie stuff? Well, we have 24 album reviews from his illustrious career buried within this site... click on each title to read Tom's views on each.
Aladdin Sane
Black Tie, White Noise
Bowie at the Beeb
David Live
Diamond Dogs
Earthling
Heroes
Hours
Hunky Dory
Images 1967-1968
Let’s Dance 1967-1968
Lodger
Low
Never Let Me Down
Outside
Pinups
Pinups
Scary Monsters
Space Oddity
Stage
Station to Station
The Man Who Sold The World
Tonight
Young Americans
Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars
CLICK HERE to browse/buy any of the titles listed above.
CLICK HERE to listen to the full show!
 
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