David Bowie鈥檚 death in early 2016 prompted all manner of reactions. For Dave Bowes, his response was to channel those emotions back to the world via Bowie鈥檚 prodigious, four-decade output.
Bowes is the organizer behind the Bowie Ball, which now in its third year and slated for the Rickshaw Theatre on Jan. 6.
About 20 acts will perform over the course of the evening, touching on everything Bowie was involved with 鈥� the ground rules are open to anything the Thin White Duke wrote, covered or produced.
鈥淚t started with the outpouring of sentiment on Facebook,鈥� Bowes said of the first gig in 2016. 鈥淭here seemed to be a lot of that kind of outpouring of grief, and I felt that people needed to coalesce around something, around an event.鈥�
That first go-around was slapped together in short order. Within two months of Bowie鈥檚 death, the acts were lined up and the venue was secured. The format has remained the same 鈥� 15-minute sets 鈥� and there鈥檚 been a charitable angle every year. The Canadian Cancer Society has the been the main beneficiary, though portions from the inaugural event also went to the Keep A Child Alive movement, which raises money for kids in Africa living with HIV/AIDS. Bowie鈥檚 last live performance took place at a Keep A Child Alive fundraiser in 2006.
鈥淚鈥檓 a huge Bowie fan,鈥� said Rickshaw owner Mo Tarmohamed, who鈥檚 hosted each Bowie Ball. 鈥淭he first time we did it there was a tinge of sadness, but I think what comes through is the love of the music that he created. And it鈥檚 the music that lives forever.鈥澨�
Bowes leans on a core group of musicians to make each show happen, though each gig has featured new faces as well. Some of the performers on the Jan. 6 bill include Bend Sinister鈥檚 Joseph Blood, Jimmy Baldwin, Left Spine Down, the Judys and Cass King and the Next Right Thing.
Back for her third Bowie Ball, King says the crowd mix is nothing if not eclectic: punks, goths, EDM fans, singer-songwriters and just about anyone in between. 听
鈥淸Bowie] kept changing and evolving and doing what was interesting to him, so his catalogue was so deep. In a way that鈥檚 what allows us to keep doing this event year after year, and it feels like a new experience every time,鈥� King told the Courier.
While King can鈥檛 quite recall her entry point into Bowie鈥檚 career, Bowes sure does. He was in junior high and Ziggy Stardust was playing in the background during his first foray with the birds and the bees.
鈥淪he had a turntable in her bedroom and that鈥檚 what she put on 鈥� from there I just always remember his music being around,鈥� Bowes said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e young you don鈥檛 necessarily know that something you hear on the radio is necessarily the same artist as when you hear them in other instances. When you finally put it together, you go, 鈥極h, that鈥檚 the same artist, this stuff if great.鈥� That was my lightbulb moment when I realized this is something, this is David Bowie.鈥澨�
Bowie Ball tickets are available for $15 at Redcat, Zulu, Highlife and Neptoon records, or online at .
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