Station to Station - What We Can Learn From David Bowie
One of my coolest cultural experiences occurred on August 19, 1983 in Dallas, TX. Working as a young editor for a national travel magazine, my appetite for sucking the marrow out of life was limited only by my imagination and the thin state of my wallet. My appetite included art, baseball, good food and exceptional music. Given this, imagine how fortunate I felt on that hot August night when I had the opportunity to experience some serious moonlight with David Bowie at Reunion Arena.
I came of age with David Bowie.From Ziggy Stardust to the slick electronica of his Berlin phase, there was something about Bowie that simply resonated with my soul. My tastes in music ranged from the gritty earthiness of the Delta blues to the weirdness of Velvet Underground, to the sublime heaviness of Sabbath and the technical artistry of Rush. But it was Bowie that always surprised and delighted and kept me guessing. Even now when I hear Rock and Roll Suicide or Station to Station, the music is still fresh, even current.
Needless to say the moment I learned of his death a part of me went with him. The only other time I felt this heaviness about an artist dying was when Stevie Ray Vaughn lost his life in a helicopter crash. I wept on that day, and my heart feels broken right now. When greatness passes from us, how can we not mourn?
So, the only way I could make sense of this was to think about what I learned from his example. As I jotted down some observations, after a while I felt like I needed to share these ideas - so why not here, at WA? I narrowed my list down to three qualities I admire.
Bowie was Original. In looking at my own writing, I realize that his influence (added to the influences of other great artists I admire) had instilled in me a thirst for originality. No matter what my subject, I do my best to take an original approach. He taught me to seek my own voice. Isn't this a worthy undertaking for us all - to be original, to differentiate, to stand out from clutter?
He took risks. Perhaps more to the point, he was true to himself. While I couldn't abide the promiscuous experimentation that marked his early personal life (no judgment here), it was his music - the chances he took, the willingness to go his own way - that left its mark. In this world of sameness it is worthwhile to seek and discover our own signature. That can only be done by taking chances.When we are true to our own path we break free from mediocrity and have the opportunity to experience fulfillment.
There was always a commitment to excellence. That night in August I was fortunate to take in the fullness of Bowie's vision for this tour. Besides the sublime sound, the stage design and artistic execution were impeccable. What I admire is that this impeccability was a commitment to his audience. As artists in our own right, we have a responsibility to put our best effort before our audiences. This creates a kind of alchemy that is uniquely larger than the sum of parts. It is transcendent.
Catharsis is good for the soul. Thanks for the indulgence. Hopefully you might find something of use in these observations. I know this isn't the standard 1-2-3 blog post that can be so valuable in our learning curve. But, then again, as Bowie demonstrated so masterfully, life isn't an exercise in paint by numbers.
Be well, and keep writing.
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I did an internship at Axis Studios in Manhattan that occupied the top two floors of the Studio 54 building. You needed to be buzzed onto the elevator to get to the studio.
While taking the garbage out one night, the engineer was the only other person working in the studio. He fell asleep during my long trek down to the street, so I could not get back on the elevator.
He was there to do a session with Bowie.
Into the lobby walks David Bowie and his producer and there is no way for us to get upstairs with the engineer asleep at the buzzer.
It took us 45 minutes to rouse him by phone and it was the greatest experience of my internship.
lovely to see a post on David Bowie a legend in his own right, will miss him, only last week or so we watched the Labyrinth the movie we always loved that movie to.
Hi Erica. Thank you. I broke the news to my 22 year old daughter - and she was crushed (she literally had just watched Labyrinth that evening). Bowie was a transcendent artist. We are in agreement about his generational legacy - the music will live on!
Coming of age moments with David Bowie of my own and this post expresses beautifully how I feel. He was truly one-of-a-kind! My daughter is just as sad as I am which shows how much his music crosses generations and will live on.
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May David Bowie's soul Rest.