Many David Bowie fans, several influential musicians among them, gathered at Carnegie Hall earlier this month to pay tribute to the late icon. The two-day “Music Of David Bowie” memorial concert featured performances by Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, J. Mascis, Perry Farrell, and Pixies, as well as Cat Power and The Mountain Goats. R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, who had already turned in a tribute to Bowie on The Tonight Show, joined Karen Elson for a cover of ““Ashes To Ashes,” off 1980’s Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps). And Stereogum has noted that Stipe released the video of their performance via R.E.M.’s website.
Stipe accompanied the video with a message that described the two nights he spent at the tribute “hearing songs that [I]grew up with, all contributors honoring the output of such an astonishing songwriter.” One such contributor was Wayne Coyne, who was joined onstage by the rest of the Flaming Lips (and Chewbacca) for a cover of “Life On Mars.” The Flaming Lips also shared a “Space Oddity” cover back in February, which Pitchfork reports has received the official video treatment. The video features the band, an auditorium filled with balloons, and a pair of heartbroken-yet-amorous nuns, which can be viewed below.
