Update: The organizers of this event have issued a statement in the wake of Bowie’s passing, explaining how they plan to proceed. “The unexpected death of David Bowie has made this tribute to him into a memorial concert. While the series has had the surprise appearances and performances of the honoree several times in the past, this one will certainly become a poignant honor of his music by his friends, peers, and fans. We are all deeply saddened at this news, the timing of our public on-sale bizarre in its timing, and the show is taking on many more emotions. RIP David and may gods love be with you…”
City Winery impresario Michael Dorf announced yesterday that his ongoing “Music Of” series at Carnegie Hall would pay tribute to the music of David Bowie. Today, the timing of said benefit could not be any more fitting, as it was later announced that the iconic singer has passed away from a lengthy battle with cancer at the age of 69.
The choice made sense, considering Bowie’s new album Blackstar (currently available for streaming), his musical Lazarus out on Broadway, and several new music videos to remind music enthusiasts of The Thin White Duke’s presence in the realm of musical creation. The glam rock pop icon will be honored with this very special tribute concert on March 31st, with performances from The Roots, The Mountain Goats, Cyndi Lauper, Perry Farrel, Jakob Dylan, and Heart’s Ann Wilson, with more artists to be announced in the future.
The performance comes in a long-running series of musical tributes, that in the past have included Paul Simon, The Who, Talking Heads frontman Davie Byrne and so many more. The show was announced before Bowie’s death, but will obviously take on new weight in the wake of the tragic announcement.
Proceeds from the show will go straight to benefiting organizations like Young Audiences New York, Little Kids Rock, Church Street School of Music, the Center for Arts Education, the American Symphony Orchestra, and Grammy in the Schools. Tickets and information can be found on the official website.
Until then, enjoy this incredible throwback live performance of ‘Ziggy Stardust’:
[Via The New York Times]