{"id":400,"date":"2022-03-21T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-21T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.nysmusic.com\/2022\/2022\/03\/21\/david-bowie-arrested-in-rochester-on-this-day-in-1976\/"},"modified":"2022-03-21T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T07:00:00","slug":"david-bowie-arrested-in-rochester-on-this-day-in-1976","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.nysmusic.com\/2022\/2022\/03\/21\/david-bowie-arrested-in-rochester-on-this-day-in-1976\/","title":{"rendered":"On This Day in 1976, David Bowie Arrested in Rochester"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There once was a time when marijuana was illegal in New York State, and on March 21, 1976, David Bowie<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"david
David Bowie’s iconic mugshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/em>, having performed just once previously in Rochester on June 17, 1974<\/a>. On this evening, as he was two years prior, Bowie was at the Rochester Veterans War Memorial,<\/a> and began the evening as he did at each stop this tour – without introduction and showing the 1928 surrealist film Un Chien Andalou<\/a><\/em> by Luis Bu\u00f1uel and Salvador Dal\u00ed, 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9,200 fans came out for this Saturday night performance, and although Bowie reportedly<\/a> 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\u2019ll see you in about five months from now, thank you.\u201d Seeming to imply a return to Rochester that fall, tonight would be Bowie’s last time ever performing in Rochester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Bowie – Rochester War Memorial Auditorium \u2013 March 20, 1976<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Setlist<\/strong>: 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<\/strong>: Rebel Rebel, The Jean Genie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next week, the penultimate North American tour performance took place at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum<\/a>, which was recorded by RCA Records with portions broadcast by The King Biscuit Radio Network, later released as Live Nassau Coliseum ’76.<\/em> It is from this show that Bowie and his entourage would drive back to Rochester for their eventual arraignment on the 25th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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