A little bit of David Bowie is coming to the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. From 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, June 23, and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 24, the museum’s laser dome will host a tribute to the late rockstar.
Known as Ziggy Stardust, The Thin White Duke and The Goblin King, Bowie incorporated a range of stage personas into his music and acting. He debuted in 1967 with a commercially unsuccessful and weirdly experimental self-titled album. Undaunted by initial failure, he would release “Space Oddity” two years later. The now legendary record showcased a different sound: the beginnings of glam rock.
Despite critical attempts to categorize Bowie’s work into genres, his music flouted labels. He dabbled in everything from disco to psychedelic rock and industrial metal. Amid a sea of talented `60s-era rock groups, Bowie’s legacy stands out because of his ability to constantly reinvent himself and set new trends.
Bowie’s unexpected death in 2016 saw a monolith of classic rock crumble. He continued to inspire until the end, working on the album “Blackstar” during his battle with cancer.
The Digital Dome team at FCMOD wanted to commemorate a life that brought joy to so many fans.
“I never got to see a Bowie concert before he passed away, so that’s part of the appeal for me, “ said Ben Gondrez, who manages the FCMOD’s Digital Dome. “We don’t have a Tupac-like hologram of Bowie, unfortunately, but we do have original animations and images that highlight different points in his career.”
The museum has honored other fallen stars in the past.
“We did a tribute to Prince not long ago,” said Brenna Valentine, a coordinator at the museum. “It can be nice to help people remember beloved musicians, and we have shows for those who are still around, too. Generally, we do shows on two nights of each month.”
While the laser dome team’s goal is to emphasize Bowie’s high points, there is a certain difficulty in summarizing such a vast career.
“This isn’t a comprehensive tribute,” Gondrez said. “Bowie was making music for 50 plus years, if you can believe that. We have an hour for the show. We had whole team of people working on this, and they selected the soundtrack. It’s not a conventional laser dome experience, either. We do encourage people to get out of their seats, sing along and dance if they like.”
Tickets are available online through FCMOD’s website, under events at fcmod.org
Collegian reporter Ryan Greene can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com and on Twitter @Ryangre75057034.
