David Bowie fans celebrated the life and career of the British music icon at a tribute night at Oz Kafe in Centretown on Jan. 13. The event was one of many tribute events held in downtown Ottawa as local residents mourned Bowie’s death from cancer on Jan. 10.
“It’s strange to feel sad for celebrities but this is not the same as any celebrity,” said Bowie fan Fernand Corneau at the tribute night. “I find it tougher because Bowie means many different things for many different people.”
The gender-bending, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee was arguably as much an innovator for the music community as he was a pioneer for pop culture. Bowie’s non-conformity and flamboyant personalities, whether as Ziggy Stardust or the Thin White Duke, inspired generations and empowered the sexual identities of many, such as the LGBT community.
The tribute night at the crowded venue was organized in collaboration with local Ottawa DJs and Bowie fans, Jas Nasty and KJ Maxx, shortly after the sudden news of the artist’s passing. For Maxx, the event was nothing short of an emotional memorial.
“I ended up crying myself to sleep,” said Maxx, describing the hours after he heard the news of Bowie’s death. “Basically Monday was the worst day of my life. It was shocking, nobody saw it coming.”
Oz Kafe owner, Ozlem Balpinar, and the DJs hastily set up the tribute night knowing the impact and importance the artist had on people’s lives in the community.
“We just wanted to do something in honour of his passing,” said Balpinar. “I just noticed there would be a sort of crazy outpouring of people sharing their favourite memories and favourite songs.”
Other commemorative events held across Centretown included a special karaoke night at the Shanghai and a live cover concert by musician Remi Royale at the Manx Pub on Elgin. The recent revival in Bowie fever has also been felt elsewhere in Centretown, such as local record stores.
“We’re pretty well cleared out of anything we had,” said the Turning Point’s store manager Nick Beaton. “It’s been a rough go for the community in general over the past few days.”
At Compact Music, manager Tyler Clarke noticed not only the sudden change in sales, but also a change in attitude at his store over the past week.
“I had a guy who came in and he’s usually very chatty,” said Clarke. “He didn’t really say much. He’s bought every Bowie album and he’s always understood and gotten into it. Now a person who understood him as a teenager is no longer there.”
The last time Bowie performed in Ottawa was at the former Corel Centre – now Canadian Tire Centre – in 2004.
Bowie’s Glass Spider Tour in 1987 at Lansdowne Park had the largest attendance of any rock concert audience in Ottawa up to that point in history – approximately 29, 000 people. His most recent album, Blackstar, has sold out at record stores such as Compact Music.
The Glass Spider Tour show in Ottawa was one of the first concerts Balpinar saw as a teenager, which made the tribute night only more special to her.
“To see David Bowie as a first rock concert was pretty incredible,” she said. “A lot of other shows – they didn’t pale in comparison – but he definitely set my expectations of live shows.”
Bowie passed away of cancer at the age of 69 just two days after his birthday and the release of his final album Blackstar, on Jan. 10.
“Everything became possible with him – doesn’t matter if you were in a small town or a city,” said Corneau. “It’s marvellous. I thought he would be living forever.”