I live less than an hour from here. Too bad it was such a secret. :(
From VH1
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
DAVID BOWIE ROCKS UPSTATE NEW YORK AT UNANNOUNCED SHOW.
David Bowie took the stage last night at Chance, a small, 800-capacity theater in Poughkeepsie, New York and treated an enthusiastic audience comprised mainly of BowieNet fan club members to a 1 ½-hour long show.
Bowie took the stage, which was decorated with nothing more than a red curtain backdrop and red lights, wearing jeans, a denim jacket and a T-shirt that said 'Metal World'. After playing the title track off his forthcoming album, Reality, he gently advised the crowd "We're going to be playing a lot of new stuff tonight, we're going to take this easy, we're going to have a good time," and then Bowie added: "and we're not going to f**k up once." He then blasted into a rousing version of his 1983 hit, "Modern Love," to which the crowd excitedly responded. Over the course of the night, Bowie played six new songs off Reality: "Reality," "New Killer Star," "Pablo Picasso (Modern Lovers cover)," "Fall Dog Bombs The Moon," "She'll Drive The Big Car" and the fittingly titled "Never Get Old." He also played energetic versions of some of his best-known hits, including the aforementioned "Modern Love," "I'm Afraid of Americans," "Suffragette City," "Man Who Sold The World," and "Rebel Rebel".
The night was a chance for Bowie to test-drive some of his new material as well as his new concert set before heading off to Europe to kick off his A Reality tour. He engaged in friendly banter with the fans, thanking them for coming as well as getting feedback ("How we doin' so far?"). Bowie played with the crowd a bit by refusing to introduce any one of the songs. He said: "I'm not telling you the titles because it's like a test to see if you recognize it, if you sing it...but there's no prize attached to it."
He and his able band blazed through a 12-song set before returning to the stage for a six-song encore. When he returned to the stage, Bowie said: "I was just told backstage that this is the first time a band has ever come back on stage for an encore."
Through out the night, Bowie flipped through a songbook perched on a music stand at the front of the stage. Near the end, he said: "Thank god this isn't a proper show. I'd never do this at a proper show."
At the end of the night, Bowie grabbed the book from its stand, hugged it to his chest and waved goodbye to the fans while the band finished out the final song.
David Bowie set list, 8/19/03, Poughkeepsie, New York:
"Reality" "Modern Love" "New Killer Star" "Cactus" "Battle For Britain" "Pablo Picasso" "Afraid" "Fall Dog Bombs The Moon" "Sister Midnight" "I'm Afraid Of Americans" "She'll Drive The Big Car" "Suffragette City" *** "Fantastic Voyage" "Never Get Old" "Man Who Sold The World" "Rebel Rebel" "Hang On" "Heathen"
