DAVID BOWIE AND THE STATION TO STATION LIGHT TOUR

DAVID BOWIE AND THE STATION TO STATION TOUR



 In our youth, we were a bit more adventurous in the mid-70's in L.A. Music was everywhere…you had the Starwood, The Whiskey a Go-Go, The Roxy, Troubadour, Forum, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood Pallidum, Shrine,The Wiltern Theatre, Gazzarris, Perkins Palace, The El Ray, and the punk mecca Chinatown clubs and impromptu little clubs in basements and "different" places in the Hollywood or downtown industrial area, jazz clubs and r&b too, and numerous others. Music venues were everywhere, and going to a concert on a whim, a moment's notice was never ever out of the question.


In L.A. at the time, I had wanted to see David Bowie as he was on tour and going to play at The Universal Amphitheater and had somehow missed him, more than likely because of several shows and i didn't have the urgency needed to get some tickets. Being the crazier days, anything could have deterred me from seeing the Bowie concert (Mick Ronson had went on to his other musical endeavors after 1973 (Farewell Concert for Ziggy and the Spiders from Mars) and now it was Earl Slick and Carlos Alomar (from EW&F) and unbeknownst to me, Luther Vandross was a backup singer with David Sanborn on flute and alto sax. This was the Serious Moonlight Tour, San Diego Sports Arena in the hazy days og L.A.

Running into people, some musicians had said the concerts were amazing and even with Mick Ronson gone, Earl Slick held his own with his style and clarity at solid volumes- which I knew, and was already frustrated I hadn't seen it-but wait there's a playdate in San Diego and I can still make it. So ran and got tickets, which in itself was a bonus as usually always a sold-out concert! There was about a two-hour drive to San Diego and I didn't want to go by myself but wanted to go with a friend (musicians are cool but some tend to do a critique as you watch) so there was a girl I know who was just a friend and that kept it from being complicated and she would dress up for a Bowie concert and would look forward to it also. Driving a VW bug and more than likely listening to KROQ I went to get gas, picked her up and off we went, music playing from the radio and she was going to the Art Institute, I believe for fashion so much of the conversation was on the worldwide fashion trends, her ideas for designs and wanting to move to New York and maybe Japan. 

Upon hitting the outskirts of San Diego, I had an idea where to go and there were a few signs once moreso in the freeway vicinity.
You knew you were close once the traffic started to crawl. My driving time left some "buffer time" to allow for snail pace parking and a long line for the concert. The large venues like this, while on a smaller scale, clubs, like Whiskey-a-Go-Go, the Starwood in L.A. and too the punk clubs in Chinatown and elsewhere to name a few and even back in San Francisco at Fillmore West (Carousel Ballroom)-The Matrix-The Avalon Ballroom, there was more interaction with people in the crowd, whether you knew them or had just met. Even the free concerts be they at Speedway Meadows in Golden Gate Park and even impromptu concerts, Be-Ins in the Haight, Marin County, which at times had a nice size crowd were more "personable", as well as most of the musicians.


So now there was more feel of going to a sports event, in terms of the venue and massive amount of people-concession stand lines and bathroom lines and obviously the seating, but if your mindset was on the concert, that all seemed to fade away to focus on the music. The days of running into Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Dead, Santana, Jim Morrison and many different band members were fairly a thing of the past and was relegated to backstage passes (that's a whole different story) sequestered to the backstage; now deep with security. Although there does seems to be smaller clubs thriving again in L.A. and other cities, many jazz and blues venues have always been smaller clubs and the tradition has spread to other forms of music.

With the true concert goers mindset, you know if you don't go to the bathroom, and nature calls during the concert, you will miss up to ½ hour depending on the crowd and one's sense of direction as returning to your seat, which is problematic as a concert usually is around 2 hours so that's a healthy chunk to miss. Needless to say, we made our respective pit stops before the safari into the jungle of where might the seating be and do you have your stubs to remember where you were gonna sit? I am not sure, but booze, was around and sadly in some cases made assholes more assholier, but some brought in what could be smuggled in without seemingly lights blinking all over you indicating, "wide load" passing thru with hidden goodies depending on one's point of view...
Once ensconced in our seats, you could feel the energy...as it built up and up and up and no lets downs whatsoever... it was just stunning…the sounds were clear and sharp…Earl Slick proved he could handle his guitar and the band tight and strong and radiant in sounds..

..then Bowie came on stage and the crowd was in a cool frenzy that seemed endless and never a bore…both rhythm and lead guitar was Carlos Alomar..

.a horn sections that put the cap on some songs...the sheer feeling as if was part of the music and Bowie the artful performer…but had that charm of touching everyone in the audience…never arrogant but loved to entertain you…the band, as with all stellar musicians was beyond impressive….to give you an idea…imagine listening to Bowie live singing these songs!
Young American with Luther Vandross singing backup…

Space Oddity with the panache ONLY Bowie could convey…
Rebel Rebel and an anthem of his, everyone singing along…
All The Young Dudes…Mott the Hoople song...but Bowie delivers
1984 always relevant and sung from the heart…
Sorrow…and your mind wanders
Jean Genie and the crown went wild
Stay
Golden Years
Station to Station


Moonage Daydream and it riveted you to your seats…
Suffragette City
Rock and Roll Suicide
And his accolades to soul music…
Knock on Wood from Eddie Floyd
Here Today Gone Tomorrow from The Ohio Players
And many other songs…..
Even with the outlandish sets…the music overrode it all
And as it seemed endless when it was over and Bowie sincerely thanks the audience
It seems too short…but endless in memories

The procession out was positive, the sea of concert-goers back to the reality of the parking lot and the world…and talk of our favorite song… the best of his different stage attire…his hair...his makeup….his dancing…his performance art…..and the cheerful excited banter when on...
And those who were in love with Bowie and whatever band members…
David Bowie is an icon, he set fashion trends, band fashion trends and even though his bailiwick was rock music, he infused r&b, horns, jazz and opened people to other sounds outside of rock…music trends and told everyone it's o.k. to be you and…
To venture forth into the world….it is a magical place…if you let it be so….