For the first time in over a decade, Roxy music will return to the stage, this time for their 50th anniversary tour. The tour will journey from Canada and through the US, eventually ending in London. They will be joined by special guest, St. Vincent.
Roxy Music will be touring the U.S for the first time since their critically acclaimed 2011 “For Your Pleasure” tour. Featuring stops across the U.S, including landmark venues like MSG and The Forum, their 50th Anniversary tour is sure to be the celebration of a lifetime.
Formed in 1972, Roxy Music has been regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time. They have inspired a number of big names including Depeche Mode, Nile Rodgers and Kate Bush. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
PC : Brian Cooke
Special guest St.Vincent will be joining Roxy Music for all North American dates, except Boston. After originally making her debut in 2007, St.Vincent has been described as one of the most interesting artists in modern music. Her work has been justly recognized, with her 2021 album, Daddy’s Home, garnering universal acclaim.
Artist presale is available from now until 4/1. General tickets go on sale 4/4 at 10 AM. Eight special anniversary editions of Roxy Music’s albums will be reissued throughout the year, with the first two LPs, Roxy Music and For Your Pleasure being released on 4/1.
Nearing the end of a 17-date tour, Nick Cave and his longtime collaborator Warren Ellis perfectly executed a second straight sold-out show in Brooklyn this past Friday evening. Following the culmination of a successful United Kingdom and European tour last fall, the duo kicked off the current leg of their North American excursion on March 1 in North Carolina, in support of Carnage, a hauntingly-poignant album they recorded together during the COVID-19 lockdown last year. The pair of Aussie friends have been working together since 1993, when Ellis (also known as a founding member of the instrumental rock trio the Dirty Three) played violin on Let Love In, the eighth studio album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Nick Cave
With approximately one hour to go before showtime, excited concertgoers were spotted congregating on nearby sidewalks or hastily exiting their Uber ride near the grand marquee in lights. After patrons filed past the security check points and into the inviting confines of the theater, many grabbed a drink, joined a waiting friend or checked out the merch table. Others snapped a cellphone picture of the historic venue’s centerpiece, the console of a “Wonder Morton” pipe organ, one of four other magnificent organs installed in the original Loew’s New York City movie theaters.
Warren Ellis
At 8:20 pm sharp, Warren Ellis, a trio of backup singers (Janet Ramus, Wendi Rose and T. Jae Cole) and a touring musician who would play keyboards, bass and drums throughout the night, took to the stage. The eternally-suave Nick Cave followed closely behind, dressed in a sharp blue suit with a white shirt and a marvelous slick of black hair. With Ellis seated, his signature gray beard resembling that of a medieval knight and wearing a shirt unbuttoned nearly to his navel, he began to play the small synthesizer perched on his lap. After a long wave to the packed house, Cave grabbed the microphone from its stand and immediately got down to business.
Kings Theatre
For nearly the next two and half hours, Cave and Ellis would thrill the audience with offerings from the aforementioned Carnage, 2019’s Ghosteen and plenty of classic tracks spanning the entire Bad Seeds catalog. With nearly every soul now on their feet, the first offering of the night was “Spinning Song,” a song about Elvis Presley and his iconic status in popular culture.
Nick Cave
Halfway through the 16-song opening set, one of several comedic moments from the night occurred during Cave’s introduction of “Cosmic Dancer,” a cover by T. Rex, legendary British musicians who formed in 1967. With Ellis now changing his keyboards for a violin, Cave alerted his fans. “Alright, fucking strap into your seats. Warren is going to do a violin solo. You think that things are going to be the same afterwards, but they will not be. Your lives will be different. You will tell your children that you were there when Warren performed [his] solo.”
Warren Ellis
Once the laughter subsided, “Hand Of God” (Carnage, 2021) was delivered by Cave with the emotional intensity you can always expect to witness during one of his shows. Furiously pacing the stage to the driving beat, Cave did halt on a few occasions to reach out and clutch the hands of adoring fans, all the while repeating the high-pitch title line . . . “Hand of God! Hand of God! Hand of God.” Closing out the masterfully-crafted set was “Balcony Man,” another brilliant track from last year’s Carnage. Seated at his piano once again, Cave instructed the upper balcony to cheer every time the word ‘balcony’ was spoken, and emphatically cheer they did.
The first encore was comprised of two songs, “Hollywood” from Ghosteen, followed by “Henry Lee,” released on the Bad Seeds ninth studio album (Murder Ballads, 1996). It was during the early refrain of the second song when Janet Ramus, a British soul singer, innocently mixed up the lyrics. During the tune’s restart, Cave playfully exclaimed, “You can’t fuck this one up [again].” After the song’s conclusion, Cave graciously re-introduced his bandmates before they all exited the stage for a second time. The exultant crowd cheered non-stop for several minutes until Cave, Ellis and company finally reappeared.
Nick Cave
The exquisite hymn about loss and sorrow, “Into Your Arms,” opened the second encore. Following this fan favorite from The Boatman’s Call (1997) was a song requested by an audience member that had not been played by the Bad Seeds, according to Cave, “in a very long time.” Before launching into the melody, “Jubilee Street” from 2013’s Push The Sky Away, Cave remarked, “If we fuck it up, it’s on you dude.” The night’s penultimate offering was “Girl In Amber” (Skeleton Tree, 2016), a moving song written by Cave for Anita Lane, a founding member of the Bad Seeds. The night’s last offering, “Ghosteen Speaks” (Ghosteen), a song about the spirit of love and its existence, fittingly captured the overall theme of the night.
The Carnage tour wraps in Montreal, Canada with a pair of early April dates at the Place des Arts. If you were unable to catch a live show on their current tour, or just cannot get enough of Cave and Ellis, the global release event of This Much I Know To Be True is set for May 11, 2022. This feature film captures the exceptional creative partnership of both Australian natives as they brought to life the songs that would appear on the albums Ghosteen and Carnage. Additional details can be found here: https://www.thismuchiknowtobetrue.com.
Kings Theatre
Setlist: Spinning Song > Bright Horses > Night Raid > Carnage > White Elephant > Ghosteen > Lavender Fields > Waiting for You > I Need You > Cosmic Dancer > God Is In The House > Hand of God > Shattered Ground > Galleon Ship > Leviathan > Balcony Man > Encore 1: Hollywood > Henry Lee > Encore 2: Into My Arms > Jubilee Street > Girl In Amber > Ghosteen Speaks
Knickerbocker Arena will always be one of those venues with a special place in Grateful Dead lore. The band played the downtown Albany arena thirteen times in their career which included three three-night runs at “The Knick.” Today, we look back at the middle show of the last three-night run there in 1993. It may not reach the heights of the band’s initial heralded run here in 1990 which helped provide material for their Dozin’ At The Knick album, but it sees the Dead at a time when they’re clearly comfortable in their own skin with this last incarnation of the band. The show provides a solid blend of Grateful Dead fan favorites, a pair of Dylan covers, and some newer original songs that were only played a smattering of times in this late era for the band.
The show begins with a tune that was starting to entrench its spot as a show opener in this last phase of live Dead, “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo.” Jerry Garcia sounds engaged right from the get-go and drops an immaculate guitar fill early on in the proceedings. The band takes their time dragging out the composed portion of the opener before Garcia lays down another heavenly solo. After a courtesy nod of gratitude from the Knick crowd, the opening licks to “Walkin’ Blues” ring out loud and true and fellow guitarist Bob Weir takes control for the next number. He leads the way through a cover of the American blues classic before they resort back to one of their sentimental originals in “So Many Roads,” replete with another feathery Garcia solo that serves as the bridge before a somewhat “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”-esque ending.
The Dead make the following cover selection more than clear with a joyous romp through Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” that has both guitarists wailing on vocals by song’s end. Things then slow down again somewhat with the “High Times” that comes next. This Grateful Dead classic serves up a classic blend of bluesy Garcia solos that merely matches vocals of the same tenor. This sets the stage for yet another late-era Dead regular that never seemed to take off, “Eternity,” co-crafted by Weir and his fellow Ratdog bandmate Rob Wasserman.
A slow transition into “Deal” then follows, with bassist Phil Lesh pushing the tempo early and often before a jam that reaches near hysterical proportions closes out the first set earnestly. The second one begins with the familiar tones of “Scarlet Begonias” as the Knick crowd gets brought back to life with this vintage Dead number. This triggers a brief but blissful jam, with Garcia’s tricked out guitar creating the effects of a veritable flute solo, that serves as the springboard into a raging “Fire On The Mountain.”
After a somewhat abrupt ending to “Fire,” the drum-fueled intro to “Samson and Delilah” emerges. Some vintage bass bombs from Lesh are peppered throughout on a frenzied take on this live show staple. Another old standby in “Ship Of Fools” then follows, graced with a typical breathtaking solo from Garcia, before the Dead break out “Wave To The Wind,” a song co-written by Lesh and longtime band lyricist Robert Hunter that was played only a handful of times in 1992 and ’93.
A post-song segue into “Truckin’” gets a little murky but the band soon finds their footing and treats the Knickerbocker Arena crowd to another classic Dead sing-along number. It sees some strong piano fills thrown in from Vince Welnick that help fuel a brief but explosive jam that sets the table for the traditional “Drums” > “Space” portion of the evening.
From the psychedelic mist emerges another song synonymous with ’90s-era Dead, “Long Way To Go Home” with an energized Welnick taking charge and leading the way on vocals. The tone then shifts from new school to old school in a hurry as the band dusts off “Attics Of My Life.” It ends a 41-show gap from its last performance, which just happened to be here at The Knick last June. The set then comes to a rousing finish with a “Turn On Your Lovelight” that sees Bob Weir doling out the signature bluesy vocals and Garcia once more digging into his bag of tricks and emitting joyous trumpet-sounding guitar fills on the closer. The second and final Dylan cover of the night then serves as the encore as the show ends with a beautifully somber take of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” The Grateful Dead would return to Knickerbocker Arena the next day to close out this run and, two years later, they would play their final shows at this heralded venue.
Check out video of the entire show here and below thanks to YouTube.
View This And More Grateful Dead Shows From Across The Years In New York State With Our Interactive Map Below
Grateful Dead Knickerbocker Arena – Albany, NY 3/28/93
Set 1: Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Walkin’ Blues, So Many Roads, When I Paint My Masterpiece, High Time, Eternity, Deal
Set 2: Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Samson And Delilah, Ship Of Fools, Wave To The Wind > Truckin’ > Drums > Space > Way To Go Home, Attics Of My Life > Turn On Your Lovelight
Sad Summer Fest presented by Journeys features a variety of artists and local bands including Neck Deep, MayDay Parade, and more. This unforgettable event will make stops in New York City at Pier 17 on July 22nd, and at the Stone Pony Summer Stage July 29th.
When asked what message he has for fans ahead of the summer tour, vocalist of Waterparks Awsten Knight writes, “I am ready to step around in the mud and get huge. If you see me doing push-ups in the parking lot do not approach me Lucas will tackle you OUT! Saddie summer will be my baddie summer better watch out because I get MOODY in the summer!! See you soon.”
“We’re stoked to be on Sad Summer this year!” says Neck Deep lead singer Ben Barlow. “We really can’t wait for another American summer, ripping a few heavy gigs, making the most of the sunshine and closing your night out with a show you’ll never forget.”
Mayday Parade will co-headline Sad Summer Fest for the second time, coming back this time with their latest music in the setlist. The band released their most recent album “What It Means to Fall Apart” in November and has spent the start of 2022 taking those new songs on the road, as well as performing songs from their self-titled album in celebration of its eleventh anniversary. Speaking on the band’s return to the Sad Summer Fest stage, lead singer Derek Sanders says, “We’re happy to have the opportunity to play such a great tour with so many wonderful bands. We look forward to seeing so many of you out there, it’s gonna be a wild summer.”
Journeys is excited to partner with Sad Summer Fest again this year. Connecting with our consumers and employees through live music events has always been a huge part of our identity as a brand. The ongoing partnership between Sad Summer Fest and Journeys has allowed us to come together to create a memorable and safe experience for fans that were missing live music and the face to face connection with their favorite artists.
Kari Irons, Journeys, Senior Vice President of Marketing
Tickets will officially go on sale March 24th at 10am local time, for purchase here.
SAD SUMMER FEST 2022 PRESENTED BY JOURNEYS
July 8 – Sacramento, CA – Heart Health Park @ Cal Expo
July 9 – Anaheim, CA – City National Grove Outdoors
July 12 – Dallas, TX – Gilley’s
July 13 – Houston, TX – Lawn @ White Oak Music Hall
July 15 – Orlando, FL – Orlando Amphitheater at the Central Florida Fair
July 16 – Atlanta, GA – Coca Cola Roxy
July 19 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE Outdoors
July 20 – Pontiac, MI – Crofoot Outdoors
July 22 – New York, NY – The Rooftop @ Pier 17
July 23 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium Outdoors
July 24 – Baltimore, MD – MECU Pavilion
July 26 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live Outdoors
July 27 – Newport, KY – Ovation
July 29 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage
July 30 – Philadelphia, PA – Skyline Stage @ the Mann
August 2 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
August 3 – Lewiston, NY – ArtPark Amphitheater
August 5 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/Eagles Ballroom
In 2017, the Washington Post published a story entitled “The Death of the Electric Guitar.” But you wouldn’t know it from the sell-out crowd that packed Colony Woodstock this past Monday night, March 21, for a masterclass in six-string sorcery by the acclaimed Nigerian guitarist/singer Mdou Moctar.
For those not in the know, Moctar has been turning heads with his unique brand of African blues/psych rock since his 2008 debut disc, Anar. This astounding collection achieved popularity not via a savvy record company marketing blitz, but when it went viral over African cellphone music trading networks and when two of its tunes were included on the globally-distributed compilation, Music from Saharan Cellphones: Volume 1 (Sahel Sounds). Moctar is the latest exponent of Tuareg Guitar Music, also known as Desert Blues, a fusion of rock, blues, psychedelia and ethno modal music popularized by tribal musicians in the Saharan region, particularly Mali, Libya, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Niger. He is furthering a sound that first gained global popularity via the critically-acclaimed works of Ali Farka Toure and Tinariwen.
Moctar is concluding a 25-concert North American tour in support of his sixth album, 2021’s Afrique Victime (Matador Records). This fiery collection has garnered rave reviews from the likes of NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Paste, Pitchfork and many more. Matador has just dropped an expanded edition with nine additional tracks, including a variety demos and live offerings, the setting where Moctar truly soars.
Moctar’s set at Colony Woodstock was heavily weighted with tracks from his new album. The show commenced with the album opener and its most streamed tune, “Chismiten.” Like many of the songs performed, this kicked off with some unaccompanied guitar, before the band joined in to propel Moctar’s vocals and lengthy solos with pulsing and very hypnotic beats.
The signature of Moctar’s style is the switchblade bite emanating from his white Fender Stratocaster. Though he slings it lefty like Hendrix to whom he is frequently compared, his trebly tonality may be even more reminiscent of that of Telecaster-powered blues legend Albert “The Ice Man” Collins or the Lebanese born, modal-minded pioneer of surf guitar, Dick Dale – both inspirations to Jimi. Mdou Moctar also brings to my mind the great Black Rock Coalition associated guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly (for more guitar thrills, check out his incredible disc, Rock the Cathartic Spirit). Moctar’s sound is heavily phased and overdriven via a modest array of stomp boxes and his retro Roland Jazz Chorus amp, something not seen much since Andy Summers’ days in The Police.
Moctar’s melodic style mixes Eastern-sounding modal scales with the blues punched up with psych/rock scream. There are plenty of slurs, trills, hammer-ons and pull-offs, single string climbs and even some tapping, in a percussive more so than melodic Van Halen style. The most unique visual aspect of his style may be his picking. This seems to be accomplished solely with his index finger, which plucks away at the strings like a mad chicken one moment, then becomes an indecipherable blur when he unleashes rapid-fire passages.
The hour-long set at Colony Woodstock was a Saharan shred-fest. Many of the tunes again began with Moctar solo and featured him improvising at length and repeatedly, greatly stretching out of the songs featured on his newest album to the delight of the audience. His music would not be anywhere near as powerful without the support of his band. Drummer Souleyman Ibrahim and guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane provided a powerful steady and unflagging rhythmic platform upon which Moctar soared. Bassist Michael “Mikey” Coltun, who has also served as Moctar’s producer since 2017, laid down a rich bottom with his Fender bass, just like Billy Cox in Hendrix’s Band of Gypsies. Kudos to Colony’s Max Siegel for providing impeccable sound and to owners Neil and Alexia Howard and booker Mike Campbell for bringing this intriguing offering to this intimate space.
Mdou Moctar and band brought the evening to a close with an extended version of their new album’s title track, “Afrique Victime.” The track showcased the band’s tight unison playing on melody and stop-time passages and its hypnotic impact, as the tune stretched towards the 10-minute mark, with the rhythm section underpinning Moctar’s most frenetic, noisy and adventurous soloing of the night.
Gary Numan stopped by the Town Ballroom in Buffalo on March 12th. Best known from his 1970’s and early 1980’s hits “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” and “Cars“, Numan is still going strong in support of his newest album Intruder, his 21st solo record.
Though he played a good amount off of his new science fiction soundtrack about the impending climate catastrophe, he also included a good mix of his material throughout the years. Gary still has some dates in America before heading back overseas to continue his world tour.
Gary Numan – Town Ballroom, Buffalo – March 12, 2022
Setlist: Intruder, Metal, The Promise, The Gift, Everything Comes Down to This, Films, Ghost Nation, Love Hurt Bleed, Pray for the Pain You Serve, Bed of Thorns, Down in the Park, Cars, Here in the Black, The Chosen, My Name Is Ruin, A Prayer for the Unborn
Encore: Me! I Disconnect From You, Are ‘Friends’ Electric?
Blues Rock trendsetter, three-time Grammy nominee, Emmy nominee and 25x Billboard chart topper, Joe Bonamassa, is set for a 2022 U.S. Summer tour, beginning in August for his latest album, Time Clocks.
Bonamassa’s tour will begin August 2 in Nashville, TN at Ryman Auditorium and will come to an end in Wantagh, NY at Jones Beach on August 19. During the last show, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band will be included as a special guest performer, as well as others who have yet to be announced.
Bonamassa has been hailed to be one of the greatest guitar players of his time, not only within the U.S., but worldwide. In fact, Guitar World Magazine recognizes him as “the world’s biggest blues guitarist.” Bonamassa does more than just perform and make music for his ever growing fan base, but he brings every word to life, especially with the help of his guitar. Ultimately, he combined and established the Blues Rock genre to a high enough degree that it is now considered mainstream music.
Time Clocks, was made within the Big Apple at Germano Studios/The Hit Factory, with Kevin Shirley as the producer andRoy Weismanas executive producer. This heartfelt album allowed Bonamassa to rediscover himself during a new chapter in his life. Time Clocks is a true testament to the skill set he acquired over the years as he mastered Blues Rock music.
What started out with the intentions of being a trio record turned into probably my most adventurous and involved record to date.
Joe Bonamassa
For more information about tour dates and to buy tickets for the Time Clocks Tour, as well as his current U.S. and European Spring Tours visit Bonamassa’s website.
Joe Bonamassa’s Time Clocks 2022 Summer Tour Dates Aug. 2 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN Aug. 3 Fraze Pavilion Kettering, OH Aug. 5 Orpheum Theatre Omaha, NE Aug. 7 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO Aug. 8 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO Aug. 11 Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Hampton Beach, NH Aug. 12 Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Hampton Beach, NH Aug. 13 Leader Bank Pavilion Boston, MA Aug. 16 Flynn Center for the Performing Arts Burlington, VT Aug. 18 Merrill Auditorium Portland, ME Aug. 19 Northwell Health at at Jones Beach Theater Wantagh, NY
On March 10th, Samantha Fish performed in Utica at the Stanley Theater, one of the first of many shows on her 2022 Tour, sharing the stage with co-headliner Devon Allman.
With opener “The River Kittens,” she and the band created a humorous hype for the crowd. This is not the first Samantha Fish show I’ve seen, but it was one of the best, with a spectacular final act from Devon Allman.
Samantha Fish originally grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, a town known for its jazz/blues heritage and old school rock vibe. In her early teen years, Samantha learned to play guitar and soon rock on to the electric guitar. In 2009 she released her live album Live Bait and since then has collaborated with others on additional releases.
The Stanley Theater performance featured songs from her newest album Faster, released in September 2021. A few standout songs this evening were “Faster,” “Better Be Lonely” and “Kill or be Kind.” The Samanatha Fish Band consists of Ron Johnson on bass, drummer Sarah Tomek, and Matt Wade on keyboard. The band makes their presence known on stage and did an outstanding job bringing the audience to uproar, enthusiasm and a tremendous Thursday Night show.
We are excited to see what Samantha brings for the rest of her 2022 tour.
Samantha Fishw/ Drummer Sarah TomekSpecial GuestRon JohnsonPERRI SAGE PHOTOGRAPHY http://perrisage.com
There once was a time when marijuana was illegal in New York State, and on March 21, 1976, David Bowie and three associates found themselves arrested for possession in Rochester. How he ended up taking the most iconic mugshot of all time unveils a deeper layer to the story.
David Bowie’s iconic mugshot
On March 20, 1976, David Bowie was in Western New York performing amid his 65 show international Isolar Tour, in support of Station to Station, having performed just once previously in Rochester on June 17, 1974. On this evening, as he was two years prior, Bowie was at the Rochester Veterans War Memorial, and began the evening as he did at each stop this tour – without introduction and showing the 1928 surrealist film Un Chien Andalou by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, which includes a famous section of a razor blade cutting into a woman’s eyeball. Bowie appeared on stage immediately as the film finished, while the audience was still disoriented.
9,200 fans came out for this Saturday night performance, and although Bowie reportedly had the flu during the concert, he sang without issue. As Bowie closed the show with “Jean Genie,” he said to the audience, “Thank you very much, we’ll see you in about five months from now, thank you.” Seeming to imply a return to Rochester that fall, tonight would be Bowie’s last time ever performing in Rochester.
David Bowie – Rochester War Memorial Auditorium – March 20, 1976
Setlist: Station To Station, Suffragette City, Fame, Word On A Wing, Stay, Waiting For The Man, Queen Bitch, Life On Mars, Five Years, Panic In Detroit, Changes, TVC, Diamond Dogs Encore: Rebel Rebel, The Jean Genie
Bandmates performing with Bowie this tour included music director Carlos Alomar (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Stacy Heydon (lead guitar, backing vocals), George Murray (bass guitar, backing vocals), Dennis Davis (drums, percussion), and Tony Kaye (keyboards). The band became collectively known as Raw Moon.
The next week, the penultimate North American tour performance took place at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which was recorded by RCA Records with portions broadcast by The King Biscuit Radio Network, later released as Live Nassau Coliseum ’76. It is from this show that Bowie and his entourage would drive back to Rochester for their eventual arraignment on the 25th.
The Arrest of David Bowie
So how did Ziggy Stardust end up getting arrested in Rochester after the show? As detailed by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in 1976, and again in 2017 with a first hand account of the arrest, it seems Bowie was set up following the after-party, acting on a tip.
That first hand account comes from Chi Wah Soo, who at the time was a twenty-year-old Rochester local that had moved to Rochester from Hong Kong with her parents when she was eleven. Soo used lyrics from her favorite music to learn English, and attended the concert, catching Bowie’s eye from the front row. Bowie passed a note to her through a third party, saying “Meet me at my party. David”. Obliging him, Soo remarked that he had a “halo around his head” when he arrived at the party, saying “Hello, love” to her.
After the party, Bowie, his bodyguard Dwaine Vaughs, Iggy Pop and Soo went to American Rochester Hotel, at 70 State Street (now a Holiday Inn), and met two girls (undercover cops) at the hotel bar, who were looking to score cocaine. After receiving a seemingly unrelated prank call, and with police listening next door, the party was over for the night as the four were arrested for possession.
At 2:25 am on March 21, three police detectives and a state police officer searched Bowie’s three-room suite, where they found 182 grams of marijuana – a little more than six ounces. It does seem that Bowie mugged for the camera before being taken to jail, with the photo below showing Bowie posing for a photo opp., with Iggy Pop to his right and the arresting officers on either side.
All four were booked at Monroe County Jail on fifth-degree criminal possession, which at the time was punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The four were all released around 7 a.m. on $2,000 bond each, with Bowie covering the cost for everyone.
Upon being brought to jail, Bowie used his real name, David Jones, and an address of 89 Oakley St., London, England. The others he was arrested with were identified as James Osterberg, Jr., 28 (Iggy Pop) of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Dwaine Vaughs, 22, of Brooklyn, who was Bowie’s karate instructor and bodyguard. Soo was also arrested, and while the three men moved onto the next show in Springfield, MA, it would be a few days before all four were back in court to face the charges.
The Return for Arraignment
On March 25, the first day Bowie had a break from tour to return to Rochester, the Thin White Duke was greeted by a large crowd that included a teen fan who got his autograph as he stepped off an escalator, and “a half-dozen suspected prostitutes,” according to the John Stewart from Democrat and Chronicle.
Bowie wore a gray three-piece leisure suit and pale brown shirt, holding a matching hat, and was represented by Rochester lawyer Anthony F. Leonardo. He was arraigned within 10 minutes, pleading “Not guilty, sir.”
Reportedly at the arraignment, Soo gave Bowie her traditional Chinese wedding blanket, and Soo believes that in the music video for Bowie’s 1983 hit “China Girl,” her blanket appears in the music video. The pair would not speak again after this day.
Bowie and his entourage used stairwells and elevators to avoid the crowds, using a side exit to arrive at Leonardo’s office on the Times Square building’s seventh floor. Although he had remained silent throughout the morning, Bowie granted a five-minute interview to newspaper reporters in Leonardo’s office, although his lawyer would not allow any questions directly concerning the arrest, saying it was the first criminal charge he’d ever faced.
While complimenting the city police, Bowie noted the protection they provided him when he arrived back in Rochester. “They were very courteous and very gentle. They’ve been just super,” said Bowie. His fans efforts were also noted, saying he felt “honored” by fans’ support and insisting that the arrest would not sour him on future concerts in the city. Bowie answered most questions in the brief interview with short answers, shaking hands with reporters as they entered and left Leonardo’s office.
Over the next month, all four were allowed to remain free, and Bowie, being in Europe on tour at the time, was excused from appearing at the next hearing. Perhaps having a sense of humor about the case, Judge Alphonse Cassetti set the preliminary hearing for all parties on April 20, 1976. The charges, however, were effectively dismissed in May when a grand jury declined to indict Bowie or the other three.
Another Look at the Mugshot
The mugshot photo was uncovered in 2007, when auction house employee Gary Hess was clearing out the estate of a retired police officer. Hess gave the print to his brother Todd to sell on eBay, and wanting to garner some publicity for the sale, Todd leaked the photo to The Smoking Gun, which quickly published the photos and helped the image go viral.
The photo ended up selling on eBay in 2007 for over $2,700 to an “uber fan” in the Midwest, who notified the singer of the special purchase; Bowie was reportedly “pleased” at the news.
As you might notice, the mugshot displays March 25 for the date, and while this is not a typo or error, the circumstances are certainly unique given that David Bowie was arrested in the early morning hours of March 21, yet the date displayed is four days later. The reason for this was that Bowie’s lawyer successfully argued to delay arraignment until March 25, given that Bowie was mid-tour – with four stops left in North America – and the penalties for being forced to appear in court on March 21 would be stiff, given that he was due to perform at Springfield Civic Center in Massachusetts that night.
Bowie took the opportunity for a ‘staged’ mugshot photo to look as dapper as possible, posing for one of the most iconic mugshots in rock n roll history. The mugshot has even spawned a documentary, Bowie Goes to Jail, as well as merchandise.
After 10 years, quintet The Cast Before the Break, who began their career tracking at a Connecticut-based studio on Red Cedar Lake is back with their finished album, Where We Are Now.
The five members of the post-rock band, The Cast Before the Break formed in college in Upstate New York back in 2007. Four years later in 2011, the band signed with Deep Elm Records who helped to re-release As Your Shoulders Turn On You.
The 10 year anniversary of their album Still that released in 2011 and the pandemic led to the beginning discussions of the band rekindling to finish the old album.
Experiencing these past few years of collective loss is a lot of what brought us back to each other. While Where We Are Now deals with some of these same topics, it also exhibits a newfound catharsis. It acknowledges the pain we’ve experienced, but also how far we’ve come.
Jordan Stewart, guitarist
The long-awaited third album from The Cast Before the Break will bring back old memories from old listeners and spark the interest of new ones. The album, Where We Are Now brings together the emotions and everything the band had from their first two records, which help create the band’s most dynamic, raw and epic album yet.
