It was January 21, 2004 and I found myself sitting next to my daughter, Cayley, at the Dome, somewhere up in the nosebleeds awaiting  the entrance of Macy Gray.  Her set leading up to David Bowie was short but so overwhelmingly energetic that the distance between us and her was not existent.  I’ll always remember the power of her vocals and her entertainment factor.  Gritty, joyful, her performance was spirited and authentic.

Tonight I had intended to drive to the core to attend an event at the National Music Center, but am I just becoming a home body, when on a Thursday evening, I don’t want to go back out onto the roads?  I just want to stay home.

I decided to pull out one of my journals labeled Winter 2004 2 and to skim through until I found my notes on David Bowie and his performance.  With today’s news of the passing of Alan Rickman and a key historical player of the Stratford Festival, Brian Bedford, both from cancer, it causes me to take pause.  I think that Bowie’s 2004 concert was well-named.  I think it’s important to check in with ourselves over the course of this New Year and decide what it is in life that truly feeds the soul. What is this state that we refer to as REALITY?

There was a break as the stage was shuffled about and prepared for David Bowie.  Cayley and I sipped on our traditional two DOME cold beers and chatted.   Some time during that intermission, a woman with a huge roll of tickets came up to us and gave us two new tickets.  She said only, “David does not want any one sitting this far away.  He’s moving you up.”  Well…was that ever a blessing!  We had ideal seats one section above the stage on the left.  And so the music began to fly.  That night was a healing-night for me…hard to explain here, but it’s true.

I’ve taken photographs of my archives and while I wrote a lot about the music, I’m just going to post the visuals and maybe a video of the song that really moved me that night.

Eternal rest grant unto them , O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them .
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Live rightly.  Live justly.  Give to those in need.  Respect your body. Cherish your loved ones.  And…dance.

Always buy the t-shirt!