Students to Perform with Earl Slick in David Bowie Tribute Concert
Image courtesy of the artist
Berklee’s Liberal Arts and Sciences Department presents Music and Meaning in the Works of David Bowie, a concert featuring influential guitarist Earl Slick on Tuesday, April 15, at 8:00 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center. Slick, who was Bowie’s lead guitarist for multiple albums and tours, will perform a selection of songs alongside students, including “Stay,” a single from Station to Station built around Slick’s memorable guitar riff.
Slick is known for his work on two of Bowie’s most celebrated albums, Young American and Station to Station, as well as several other records and tours. The guitarist has also collaborated with John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Robert Smith of the Cure, David Coverdale of Whitesnake, and others over his decades-long career.
This annual performance is the culmination of a course taught by associate professor Gretchen Shae, in which students analyze Bowie’s music through literary themes that permeate his songwriting, focusing on mortality, identity, and the supernatural. Ahead of the concert, Slick will meet with students from the class and also lead a separate master class for guitar students at the college.
“Performing the music of David Bowie is a way for our students to not only celebrate his incredible artistry but also to process the deeper meaning of these songs through the execution of performance,” said Shae. “Sharing this experience with Earl, an artist who contributed so much to Bowie’s music and has an amazing legacy in his own right, makes this an extremely special night for our student performers.”
This year’s production features a number of student collaborators, including Opal Gibbons, a third-semester electronic production and design major, as the concert’s musical director; Albin Sundstrom, a Swedish arranger who reimagined “Blackstar”; and Aine Lindsay, a music industry and leadership innovation major, leading the show’s content creation, promotion, and engagement with a team of peers.
Music and Meaning in the Works of David Bowie takes place Tuesday, April 15, at 8:00 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center. Tickets are $12 in advance and $17 day of show and are available for purchase online(Opens in a new window) or at the Berklee Box Office, located at 136 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston.
