NASHVILLE |DATE: DECEMBER 18, 2003
FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/LATHUM NELSON
DAVID BOWIE
RESCHEDULES MISSED DATES
WHILE EARNING ACROSS-THE-BOARD TRIUMPHANT REVIEWS
AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, THE FIRST U.S. DATE OF HIS WORLDWIDE 'A REALITY TOUR'
DAVID BOWIE has rescheduled the following dates from his “A REALITY TOUR” that were postponed earlier this month while he recovered from the flu. Tickets for the previously scheduled performances will be honored at the rescheduled events. Refunds (if required) are available at point of purchase now through Friday, February 27, 2004.
Philadelphia, Wachovia Center: March 29 (originally December 10)
Boston, Fleet Center: March 30 (originally December 9)
Toronto, Air Canada Center: April 1 (originally December 12)
Washington, D.C., Patriot Center: May 16 (originally December 7)
Atlantic City, Borgata Hotel: May 29 (originally December 6)
In the meantime, critics across-the-board praised the sold-out U.S. launch of BOWIE’s worldwide “A REALITY TOUR” Monday, December 15 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, the site of many of his classic performances over the years
“Unlike many other rockers of his generation, Mr. Bowie, 56, made his recent songs sound just as trenchant as the oldies…He has reunited with his 1970's producer, Tony Visconti, and–with an added jolt from Sept. 11–has returned to contemplating apocalypse and alienation, fear and fame. Mr. Bowie's music has always been an unlikely confluence of hard rock, 1950's rock, cabaret standards and sonic experiments…This time he had a convincing mix: still and eerie in recent songs like ‘Sunday’ and ‘The Loneliest Guy,’ brash in ‘The Jean Genie,’ heartfelt in ‘Life on Mars?’ and ‘Ziggy Stardust.’ Mr. Bowie paired old songs with their new relatives; ‘Rebel Rebel’ was followed by ‘New Killer Star,’ which contemplates ‘a great white scar over Battery Park.’ He triumphantly put across two worthwhile songs, ‘Hallo Spaceboy’ and ‘The Motel,’ from his overconceptualized 1995 album Outside, and he latched on to songs that others have pulled out of his catalog: ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ (which Nirvana revived) and ‘Under Pressure’ (which was sampled by Vanilla Ice). Mr. Bowie's band, including musicians who have been with him since the 1970's–Earl Slick on guitar and Mike Garson on keyboards–played familiar old songs with the original arrangements but pushed them a little further. Mr. Slick and Gerry Leonard on guitars scrabbled and clawed through ‘Fashion’ and ‘Fame,’ and brought out the rockabilly in ‘Hang On to Yourself.’ Mr. Bowie has sung many of these songs countless times, but with a shifted inflection here and a sly gesture there he made clear that he was still thinking through them, bringing them into the here and now.”
Jon Pareles, NEW YORK TIMES, December 17, 2003
“Bowie was in burly voice and brisk shape Monday, looking and sounding at least 20 years younger than his actual age…His last two albums reunited him with his producer from the '70s, Tony Visconti. Together, they've rekindled Bowie's talent for compelling melodies and hot riffs…a new rocker like ‘New Killer Star’ had the coiled guitar lines of old, while ‘The Loneliest Guy’ proved Bowie can still fashion a graceful ballad…He performed a song from his experimental, electronica album, Earthling, called ‘I'm Afraid of Americans,’ which seems more relevant now than when it was written six years ago. Live, the band fractured its funky beat with industrial guitars and keyboards that made its rhythm only more furious and deep…In listening to the hits, the breadth of Bowie's material especially impressed. He progressed from the fascistic funk of ‘Fashion’ or ‘Fame,’ to the glam-rock of ‘Rebel Rebel’ and ‘Hang on to Yourself,’ to the theatricality of ‘Life on Mars’ and ‘The Man Who Sold the World.’ The passion of Bowie's performance rescued these pieces from nostalgia. Here, they sounded like lost cousins to the new songs, connected by his still thriving skill at delivering good work.”
Jim Farber, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, December 17, 2003
“David Bowie gave a performance that was greater than a simple greatest-hits show at Madison Square Garden Monday night…For the first concert on the U.S. leg of his ‘Reality Tour’ Monday, pop's chameleon king didn't pander a greatest hits program to the sold-out house. That would have been too easy. Instead, Bowie and one of the best ensembles he's ever fronted challenged themselves by playing the show the hard way. He didn't just rely on the songs that have defined him as an artist–though there would have been no complaint if they had…If Bowie had a master plan for the Garden show, it might have been to create an event that would shake your mind and body. His rendition of the ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ did just that, as did the pairing of ‘I'm Afraid of Americans’ and ‘Heroes’ in the last moments of the concert before the encore call…He continues to defy time. His voice was strong, he was physically fit and stylishly dressed, and he was always ready to strut.”
Dan Aquilante, NEW YORK POST, December 17, 2003
"Bowie, 56, bounced energetically through new tracks like ‘New Killer Star’ and his cover of The Pixies' ‘Cactus.’ He crouched like a punk rocker during ‘Suffragette City’ and portrayed the narrator of ‘The Loneliest Guy’ [from Reality] with amazing power…"
Glenn Gamboa, NEWSDAY, December 18, 2003
“…Bowie segued easily into a brace of songs from his latest album, Reality, landing a particularly strong psychic punch with the brooding 9/11 missive ‘New Killer Star.’ Band offered powerful, unobtrusive backing, with guitarists Earl Slick and Gerry Leonard alternating chunky glam riffs and slashing power chords sans the artsy fillips that have characterized Bowie's live presentations since the late '80s. A midset foray into more atmospheric material let Bowie flaunt his still-rich baritone, sensually preening on ‘China Girl’ and contemplative on ‘The Man Who Sold the World.’ A similar sense of gravity reared its head later in the set as well, peaking on stark, white-hot versions of the doomy ‘Five Years’ and ‘I'm Afraid of Americans,’ both of which got plenty of headiness from the contributions of keyboardist Mike Garson.”
David Sprague, DAILY VARIETY, December 16, 2003
“David Bowie delivered the sort of killer show at the Garden that well demonstrated why he's become one of the most venerated figures in rock. Delivering a nearly two-hour, career-spanning set that included numbers dating back three decades as well as songs from his new Reality album, Bowie and his amazing seven-piece band gave a transcendent performance. The set list was cannily chosen, featuring the classic hits (‘Fame,’ ‘Ashes to Ashes,’ ‘Changes’), vintage favorites (‘The Man Who Sold the World,’ ‘Life on Mars’), relative obscurities (‘Cactus,’ from last year's Heathen CD, and the powerful ‘Motel,’ from Outside) and a handful of songs from Reality. The latter, including the hard-rocking ‘New Killer Star,’ for which Bowie just received a Grammy nomination, and the moving ‘The Loneliest Guy,’ were strong numbers comparing well to his glory days and fit seamlessly into the set.
Frank Scheck, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, December 17, 2003
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