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It was Moby's festival, but David Bowie's night when Area2 opened at Nissan Pavilion outside of Washington, D.C., Sunday (July 28). Though every act on the bill performed admirably, Bowie's set was the most stirring, as befits a rock legend who continues to defy irrelevance.
Smiling shyly to a thunderous welcome, he opened with a chilling near-acappela version of "Life on Mars." Still slender, pale, and rock royalty, the former Thin White Duke now adds gracious charm to cutting-edge cool. He mixed a careful selection of tunes from Heathen with classics like "Ashes to Ashes" and "China Girl," old and new personas melding comfortably. As an encore, a teasing-slow intro blossomed into an explosive "Let's Dance," plus the endearing new track "Everyone Says Hi."
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Bowie upstages Moby at Nissan ? By Tim Lawson ? The Washington Times
It may be Moby's tour, but through outstanding songs and sheer animal magnetism, David Bowie owns Area 2.
The tour kicked off Sunday at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Va., featuring as diverse and talented an array of performers ? Moby, Mr. Bowie, Busta Rhymes, Blue Man Group and Ash on the main stage, plus a disc jockey tent ? as any package in recent memory.
Mr. Bowie, wearing a black three-piece suit with an untied blue tie, and still impossibly svelte at 55, controlled the crowd from the moment he strode onstage and flashed a knowing grin during the piano introduction to set-opener "Life on Mars."
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Area 2: Bowie to Busta to Blue Man ? By Sean Daly ? The Washington Post
The still-beautiful Thin White Duke, flashing those pearly whites throughout his hour-plus set and staying supernaturally dry in a black three-piece suit, mixed guitar-loaded songs from his sublime new album, "Heathen," with a smattering of faithfully delivered classics, including "Ashes to Ashes," "Heroes" and "Let's Dance." Claiming that he was "born in Manassas," Bowie closed with an incendiary "Ziggy Stardust," his voice sounding as otherworldly wonderful as it did all those eons ago.
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Moby and pal Bowie lead a hot 'Area2' ? By Melissa Ruggieri ? TimesDispatch.com
Although Moby closed the concert, the majority of the audience came to see the man who should have headlined the night, Mr. Thin White Duke himself.
Fatherhood and marriage must agree with Bowie, because the man looks healthier and sounds stronger than he has in years. Always the elegant fop, Bowie, 55, strode onstage in a three-piece suit, but quickly shed his jacket for a cover of the Pixies' "Cactus," performed with the attitude of a twentysomething
Maintaining an air of playfulness throughout his 90-minute set, Bowie and his stellar band glided through the ethereal ballad "Slip Away" from the emotionally satisfying "Heathen" before dishing out some classics. "China Girl" was infused with a thick guitar solo, and many a sexy grin from Bowie; Bowie chewed the fat off of "Fame" until only its lean, funky core remained, while "Heroes" soared with a tinge of restructuring.
You can read the full reviews by clicking on the publication names above...but you already knew that.
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We are all made of stars...Or, a nervous David Bowie scans the
heavens for Moby's hilarious bucket of water on a tripwire trick!
According to those BowieNetters that filed reports, (thanx very much to Simone, Kelmar, Bonster et all) it was a scorchingly hot evening, for which David wore the above clobber (after having removed his jacket due to the heat) for the whole show. The (approx) 85 minute set was punctuated with lots of funny in-between song banter, including the signing of an autograph for a fan from the stage! Here are a few examples of that banter courtesy of Bonster:
There was some jovial commentary about what it was like to be from Virginia (little know fact about him), as he explained that he was actually raised in Manassas and schooled at the Manassas College of Existentialism!
For Cactus: "This is by that Eighties band the Pixies..." loud applause, "...so how come you didn't buy their records?" more applause "If you bought their records they wouldn't have broken up!"
After Slip Away: "I'm selling these stylophones after the show for $19.95, all colors...in fact, just send your orders up here on stage"
Preceding Fame: "GAIL, what ARE you eating? Spit it out, It's time to Sing!"
Thanx for that Bons...well noted. For those of you still reading, here's the set list courtesy of Simone:
Life On Mars?
Ashes To Ashes
Cactus
Slip Away
China Girl
Fame
I?ve Been Waiting For You
I Would Be Your Slave
I?m Afraid of Americans
5:15 The Angels Have Gone
"Heroes"
Heathen (The Rays)
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Everyone Says Hi
Let's Dance
Ziggy Stardust
Well done to David and the band, here's to tonight's show at the Tweeter Center in Philadelphia, PA.
