David Bowie – in concert from Universal Amphitheater – September 5, 1974
David Bowie this weekend. One of the far-too-many icons we lost this year. Seems like it happened a decade ago, with news of an additional passing almost daily; each as heartbreaking and numbing as the other. But sadly, David Bowie’s was a face we no longer got to see after this year – and would never see again.
An astonishing talent, with decades to his credit and millions to call his fans. When it was learned that Bowie had died, everyone I knew went back to some pivotal moment they remembered him from. A lot of people went to Space Oddity. And then there was Ziggy Stardust, Diamond Dogs – almost every decade from the 60s on, had some indelible aspect of David Bowie, weaving into our collective consciousness – becoming part of our soundtrack.
It’s hard to recall just how many times I saw David Bowie in concert – all I know is, I distinctly remember being moved by the songs, the performer, the performance and the spectacle. Even in later years, when the stage presentation was no longer an integral part of the show, David Bowie still had the aura of magic about him. The power to take us with him on his musical journey by merely standing on stage.
During a year of so much loss, it’s impossible to say who left the most profound impression – truths to tell, they all did and all for different reasons. The common denominator was genius and that uncanny ability to connect – no matter if it was the person in the front row or the last.
This concert, part of the Diamond Dogs tour, was a contrast to his previous incarnation as Ziggy Stardust. The Glam had faded, the spectacle was brought down to earth, but the power and the genius were still there. I remember sitting somewhere in the middle of the Amphitheater, mixed with fans and jaded press – eyes glued to the stage; ears hearing only the notes. We were lucky. We didn’t know it at the time. But we never took him for granted.
Enjoy – play loud and toast a few.
