Saturday Night Live Salutes David Bowie

Last night on Saturday Night Live, Fred Armisen paid tribute to the great David Bowie.  Bowie was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on December 15, 1979 and it was an unforgettable series of performances combining brilliant music, avant garde art, and was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Armisen remembered staying up late to see Bowie perform on SNL when he was younger, and called the experience life changing. “He had these backup singers that were like choir singers from the future and a toy poodle with a tv monitor in his mouth,” Armisen said. “David Bowie transformed whatever space he was in, whatever medium he was using and that night for me, he transformed live television.” NBC.com has all of Bowies performances from that night in 1979 and you can watch them below.

Bowie performed The Man Who Sold the World, Boys Keep Swinging, TVC-15, and each performance was visually dazzling. Visitors to the Bowie Is… exhibition that is currently traveling the world have been treated to these performances, and at least one of the original costumes which is a part of the incredible exhibition. In The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie is wearing a very stiff dada art tuxedo costume , which is so rigid that Bowie can’t move and must be carried out onto the stage. In Boys Keep Swinging Bowie wears a life sized marionette costume that makes his head appear to be oversized creating some amazing visuals. For TVC-15, Bowie is dressed in a long skirt, apparently flight attendant style, and is accompanied by a pink poodle with a television in its head. Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias accompanied Bowie for the three performances which were Berlin Bauhaus inspired. Joey Arias recently talked about the experience with Paper Magazine.

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