‘A Bowie Celebration’ goes virtual for second year
After five years of taking “A Bowie Celebration” on the road, Mike Garson — the late David Bowie’s longtime pianist — pivoted to a virtual presentation last year.
The pandemic is forcing him to do the same this year, but Garson is a little wiser for that time.
“You learn from some of the mistakes from last year and apply those lessons,” Garson, 75, says via Zoom from his home studio in California. “I’ve had to learn a new way of communicating. It’s sort of that, ‘What kills you doesn’t make you stronger,’ and I’m actually enjoying it.”
This year’s “A Bowie Celebration” — taking place Saturday,
Jan. 8, on what would have been Bowie’s 75th birthday — features many alumni from
Bowie’s bands as well as special guests from Def Leppard, Duran Duran, Living Colour and Walk the Moon as well as Rob Thomas, Noel Gallagher, Ricky Gervais, David Sanborn, Gary Oldman and others. The show will also nod to the 35th anniversary of Bowie’s film “Labyrinth,” while proceeds will benefit Save The Children.
“I wanted half new songs that I didn’t do last year,” Garson says. “I wanted half new artists, but I wanted some of the ones who wanted to come back and do it again. I tried to make it shorter, too, but… I keep finding more things I want to put in so, yeah, (it will be) three hours…” (laughs)
“A Bowie Celebration” streams at 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, and will be available for 24 hours. $25 and up via rollinglivestudios.com.