David Bowie 1987 09 10 Marcus Amphitheater Milwaukee

David Bowie 1987 09 10 Marcus Amphitheater Milwaukee Setlist: 1 Purple Haze/Carlos Guitar Intro 2 Up The Hill Backwards 3 Glass Spider 4 Up The Hill Backwards 5 Day In Day Out 6 Bang Bang 7 Absolute Beginners 8 Loving The Alien 9 China Girl 10 Rebel Rebel 11 Fashion 12 Scary Monsters 13 All The Madmen 14 Never Let Me Down 15 Big Brother 16 87 And Cry 17 Heroes 18 Sons Of The Silent Age 19 Time Will Crawl 20 Band Intro 21 Young Americans 22 Beat Of Your Drum 23 Jean Genie 24 Let's Dance 25 Fame 26 Time 27 I Wanna Be Your Dog 28 Blue Jean 29 Modern Love BOWIE IN MILWAUKEE Whether he was the headlining act or providing musical accompaniment for his friends, David Bowie made it to Milwaukee for at least 8 shows. Oct. 13, 1974: Bowie makes his Milwaukee debut during his Diamond Dogs Tour before a sellout crowd of 12,000 at the Milwaukee Arena. Milwaukee Sentinel reviewer Ron Legro wrote that “Bowie displayed a stare that could melt titanium, a moody set of postures that sometimes were remindful of a kung fu position and at other times of a page out of a mail-order catalog, and a creative tension that grew as the concert moved on.” Feb. 20, 1976: Bowie returns to the Arena during his Isolar tour for a less glamorous appearance. Damien Jaques, reviewing for The Milwaukee Journal, wrote: “Bowie is proving that less is more. The times have changed and rock should cast aside the overblown productions, the ostentatious extravaganzas that have become routine for the most ordinary band.” April 1, 1977: When Bowie comes to Milwaukee in 1977, it’s not as the headliner. Instead, Bowie plays keyboards and sings backing vocals for friend Iggy Pop during his Idiot World Tour stop at the Oriental Theatre. April 24, 1978: Returning to the Arena during his Isolar II tour, Bowie’s chameleon-like performance style had morphed yet again. The Journal’s Jaques found his show played directly to the audience. “The taut style of the previous Bowies who have been to Milwaukee was replaced by seemingly effortless performance.” Sept. 10-11, 1987: Bowie rolled into his two-night stay for his Glass Spider tour at the Marcus Amphitheater in style. Flanked by 150 entourage members, and with Peter Frampton and longtime Bowie guitarist Carlos Alomar on stage, this show would take four days to set up and a day to tear down. Critics, however, were not receptive to Bowie’s return to a more glamorous life. Sentinel reviewer Jon F. Eiche wrote: “The irony of all the distractions and non-sequiturs is that Bowie possesses an unusual voice that he uses to great expressive effect. Thursday it ranged from the artificially sweetened high tones of ‘Never Let Me Down’ to his more familiar low groans in ‘China Girl.’” June 13, 1990: Again at the Marcus Amphitheater, Bowie’s Sound + Vision tour stop would divide critics. Dave Tianen of the Sentinel found Bowie’s music to be a secondary prop to his videos. Dave Luhrssen, a freelancer for the Journal, disagreed: “It was a cinematic experience, where motion and stasis, light and shadow, fantasy and reality blended into three-dimensional live video.” May 19, 2004: Bowie heads to the Milwaukee Theatre during his final tour, the Reality Tour. Tianen, reviewing for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, praised the longevity of Bowie’s work as well as his continued energy as an entertainer. “This David Bowie seems more approachable, more human, more willing to engage an audience in personal terms.” . David Bowie Tour band 1987 – The Glass Spider Tour • David Bowie – vocals, guitar • Peter Frampton – guitar, vocals • Carlos Alomar – guitar, backing vocals, music director • Carmine Rojas – bass guitar • Alan Childs – drums • Erdal Kızılçay – keyboards, trumpet, congas, violin, backing vocals • Richard Cottle – keyboards, saxophone, tambourine, backing vocals Tour dancers • Melissa Hurley • Constance Marie • Spazz Attack (Craig Allen Rothwell) • Viktor Manoel • Stephen Nichols • Toni Basil (choreography) Tour design • Allen Branton – Lighting design • Mark Ravitz – Set design • Christine Strand – Video director

Added 14 Sept 2026