Life On Mars?
Image: Mark Plati
Everyone Says Hi(gh)
The Chicago Daily Journal described David as the “Duke of the Area 2 show” in their review on Friday. They continued:-The blonde-haired legend was patient in his delivery, carefully crooning each and every word to both the classics and the cuts from his new disc, “Heathen.”
“I’ve already snuck in four new tunes and you didn’t notice,” he told the adoring crowd about an hour into the set. “Hopefully you’ll like all the rest.” It was impossible not to fall in love with everything presented from that disc, on which Bowie returns to his classic experimental rock heyday…
“Heathen” standouts included the mysterious “Afraid,” the ethereal “The Angels Have Gone,” and the cover of the Pixies’s “Cactus.”… “Heroes” was golden, “China Girl” was enticing and “Fame” was hot and funky. “Let’s Dance” featured a waltzy introduction and slamming guitar solo, while “Ziggy Stardust” brought the 80-minute set to a raging finale.
The Chicago Tribune also gave shouts out to David yesterday. They said :- Bowie, the consummate pro, seemed to enjoy himself, flashing a toothy smile every time the crowd erupted into adulatory applause. Bowie had another reason to be happy, namely that his new album “Heathen” is his best release in more than two decades. With such a diverse body of work to draw from, Bowie managed to slip in songs such as “Slip Away,” “5:15 The Angels have Gone” and his Pixies cover “Cactus” with such tried-and-true classics as “Ashes to Ashes,” “Heroes,” “China Girl” and a chunky/funky “Fame.”
Bowie’s faithful band, especially singer/bassist Gail Ann Dorsey and guitarist Earl Slick, added a level of inventive proficiency to whatever era of music Bowie chose to pursue.
The biggest surprises of his set, however, were not such anthemic war horses as “Ziggy Stardust” and a revamped “Let’s Dance,” but a pair of tracks from Bowie’s 1977 “Low”. Magically, “Breaking Glass” and the instrumental “A New Career in a New Town” sounded right at home next to the material from “Heathen.”
Ashes To Ashes
Image: Mark Plati
We also have some more inside snippets from the ever-faithful Simone. She tells us that the audience were thrilled with the addition of A New Career In A New Town to the set for the first time on the Area2 tour. David continued his jokey audience interaction, telling those in the top tiers “You are very high up there” and then pointing to the front rows and adding “So are some of you down there” :-). He had a dress thrown at him which he held up and announced he was selling in different colours, and offered a special deal price of $25 if it was thrown in with a Stylophone. We were left with a couple of mysteries….i.e who is ‘Walter’ ?? (apparently the audience were “all too young to remember him”) and what’s all this about “herbal smelling lobsters”? ..any clues would be appreciated 😉 He also delighted the audience with some bottom wiggling – I’ll leave you to make your own mental image….
One of our members, in the audience for the first time, posted a lovely journal about her feelings, titled ‘TREMBLING LIKE A FLOWER IN CHICAGO!’ Here is an extract “David was the brightest gleaming of all these stars. I had heard before, but never understood, how he has a ‘presence’ when you are there watching him face to face. I understand now. He was *working* it tonight, I tell you! It’s not my fault he’s still damn sexy… I have eyes… There’s one thing for sure, the people LOVE Bowie …At least as much as they did 30+ years ago. Sailor, if you happen to read this: Thanks for the dazzling show and your flawlessly divine performance.” Tia K. (If you were at the gig, it was Tia who threw her flower to David.)
And one more quote from the boards:- “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for that great concert at the Tweeter Center in Chicago. I’m still walking on air the day after… Just hearing your wonderful voice and seeing you flash that beautiful smile lifted me right up. I was so far above Cloud 9 yesterday that I couldn’t even see it when I looked down..Thank you so much for just being you.” Barbara (a.k.a. Bubba)
I’ll leave you for this time (but not quite – see below!) with a photo of David in Chicago, kindly submitted by BowieNetter Dave Poley.
Set List
Life On Mars?
Ashes To Ashes
Breaking Glass
Cactus
China Girl
Slip Away
Fame
I’ve Been Waiting For You
I’m Afraid Of Americans
5:15 The Angels Have Gone
“Heroes”
Heathen (The Rays)
Encores
A New Career In A New Town
Fashion
Everyone Says Hi
Let’s Dance
Ziggy Stardust
(Thanks again to SusanS)
:))
