Bowiemas 2020
January 7, 2020 9:59 PM   Subscribe

January 8 marks 73 years since the interdimensional being known on this planet as David Bowie was incarnated amongst us. Bowiemas 2020 encourages you to look at art that David Bowie did (4 slides with accompanying article), the art David Bowie has inspired (comic book telling of the life of Ziggy Stardust), the music David Bowie did (writing Under Pressure with Queen, and isolated vocals by Bowie and Freddie Mercury from Under Pressure), and the music David Bowie has inspired (the composer for Little Women was told to do "a mix of Mozart and David Bowie, title music track "Little Women" (perhaps you agree he sort of nailed it)). Merry Bowiemas to everyone!
posted by hippybear (17 comments total) 36 users marked this as a favorite
 
Today of all days, we need a Bowiemas to celebrate. Thank you hippybear.
posted by vverse23 at 10:25 PM on January 7, 2020 [3 favorites]


Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be...
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:11 PM on January 7, 2020 [6 favorites]


I was just singing Bowie on my bicycle this morning -- by coincidence? or is the Great Spirit in the air?

(But it crossed my mind, when I thought I caught someone giving me the side-eye, that I started listening during Peak Bowie and I am a strange old man singing on a bicycle and Bowie is grandpa music.)
posted by pracowity at 12:26 AM on January 8, 2020 [4 favorites]


*Pours one out for Lori Mattix*
posted by kafziel at 1:05 AM on January 8, 2020 [8 favorites]


I don’t know that it’s grandpa music, so much as music that grandpas also know. I’m moderately involved in the Bowie fandom (CODB etc, if some of you know what I’m talking about), and a lot of the people involved are in their 20s or even younger.
posted by verbminx at 1:27 AM on January 8, 2020 [1 favorite]


...not to mention the inspired casting of David Bowie as Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006). More about the real Tesla Experimental Station built in 1899 in Colorado Springs.
posted by cenoxo at 2:49 AM on January 8, 2020 [2 favorites]


I just learned that the amazing arrangement of “Little Drummer Boy” for Grace Jones during the Pee Wee Herman Christmas Special was by David Bowie. Of course it was! We were all better for having Bowie on the planet in so many ways...
posted by kinnakeet at 3:00 AM on January 8, 2020 [2 favorites]


Long story as to why, but a friend recently re-posted someone's Tweet recently:

"I'm not saying that David Bowie was the lynchpin that held the universe together, but....(gestures broadly at everything)"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:23 AM on January 8, 2020 [16 favorites]


This seems ridiculously appropriate at this time.
"I'm Afraid of Americans."
posted by Bill Watches Movies Podcast at 3:36 AM on January 8, 2020 [5 favorites]




Thanks, hippybear. We have been hosting an annual Bowiemas/Bowienalia celebration at my house [the local Temple of Bowie]-- had to miss last year but this Friday will be our third. We assemble a little shrine of Bowie-related items and votive objects, and eat sushi [hey, it's a developing liturgy].

He is a fine role model for Capricorn creative types: you can let your freak flag fly AND have your shit together. I mean, have your shit together after 1978 or so.
posted by Capybara at 5:31 AM on January 8, 2020 [2 favorites]


Back in 2013, the MeFiMusic Challenge was to cover a song from Ziggy Stardust. Us musical types over there at the subsite were actually ASSIGNED a tune from the album to interpret, which made it extra challenging. There were a buncha cool versions! This was mine: Suffragette City.

Pretty much all the others can be found here, I think.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:48 AM on January 8, 2020 [4 favorites]


I love that twangy one-stringed thing you bring.
posted by pracowity at 5:56 AM on January 8, 2020 [1 favorite]


Merry Bowiemas, one and all!
posted by Chocomog at 6:51 AM on January 8, 2020


I just got back from my lunch break, where I managed to read through about half of that comic book biography of Bowie. I can't recommend it highly enough...the Allreds and Steve Horton really knocked it out of the park...it's gorgeous. And I'm fully prepared to believe that Bowie was in some fashion holding back the chaos that afflicts us today. Not that I do believe that, you understand...but I'm prepared to.
posted by Ipsifendus at 11:26 AM on January 8, 2020


Ah, but Bowie was just one of the guardians against chaos! When we lost Prince...well, I'm pretty sure that's when things switched over to the stupidest timeline for good. The Trent Reznor / Atticus Ross instrumental version of "Life on Mars" that was used in "Watchmen" is getting a lot of play in my house right now, as it feels all too fitting for the dreary day we're having in the PNW (also my shitty mood).

Capybara, your Bowienalia festivities sound lovely! I keep telling myself I'll attempt to make osso buco for the occasion, but post-holiday slack usually wins. Alas!
posted by Vervain at 1:55 PM on January 8, 2020 [1 favorite]


Tonight, I'm going to something he might have dug, a reimagining of ★ as an immersive experience.
posted by droplet at 4:53 AM on January 10, 2020 [1 favorite]


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