David Bowie Tribute Concerts Set For NYC

Jimmy King

David Bowie Tribute Concerts Set For NYC

Jimmy King

A few hours before we learned of David Bowie’s death, The New York Times announced that New York’s Carnegie Hall would host a David Bowie tribute concert in a couple of months. Tony Visconti, Bowie’s longtime producer, put together the show’s house band. And given that Visconti knew of Bowie’s looming death, the show suddenly looks like part of a grand final statement that Bowie was offering the world.

In a Facebook post this morning, Visconti wrote that Bowie intended his new album ? (Blackstar) to be his final statement:

He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way. His death was…

Posted by Tony Visconti on Monday, January 11, 2016

So if Bowie’s death truly is part of his art, then perhaps this Carnegie Hall show can be considered part of that. The show will feature performances from the Roots, Cyndi Lauper, the Mountain Goats, Perry Farrell, Jakob Dylan, Bettye LaVette, Heart’s Ann Wilson, and surprise guests. Proceeds from the show will benefit a number of musical-education charities. The venue has recently hosted tributes to Bill Withers, Paul Simon, Prince, and Bob Dylan.

UPDATE: A second tribute show has been added the following night, 4/1, at Radio City Music Hall. Cat Power, Perry Farrell, Ann Wilson, and the Polyphonic Spree will perform at the Radio City show. Meanwhile, Michael Stipe and Laurie Anderson have joined the lineup for the Carnegie Hall event. The house band for both shows will be led by longtime Bowie producer Tony Visconti and original Spiders From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey. The Carnegie Hall show is sold out, and tickets for Radio City go on sale at 11AM this Friday 1/15 at musicof.org. Check out updated lineups for both events below, and look out for further lineup additions.

3/31 at Carnegie Hall:
Michael Stipe
Laurie Anderson
Cat Power
The Roots
Perry Farrell
Bettye LaVette
Ann Wilson of Heart
Jakob Dylan
The Mountain Goats
Robyn Hitchcock

4/1 at Radio City Music Hall:
Cat Power
Perry Farrell
Ann Wilson of Heart
The Polyphonic Spree

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