By Christine Clarridge
The Seattle Times
SEATTLE — Looking for something completely different — and world-record breaking — to do on Friday night?
Well pull out your glitter leotard and head to The Showbox in Seattle where tribute band BowieVision is trying to set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed like David Bowie in one spot.
Arrive around 6:30 p.m. and makeup artists and stylists will be there to help with hair and makeup, said BowieVision manager and drummer, Jeff Mosier, who said he got the idea to try for a world record after booking the Friday, Oct. 28, Halloween performance at The Showbox.
“We said we’d do a Bowie costume concert, and it occurred to me to find out what the record for ‘most people dressed as David Bowie at once’ and there was no record,” he said.
“I filled out an application with The Guinness Book of World Records and two months later, I heard back from them. Trying to organize this thing, and keep up with all the rules and regulations is like trying to organize a moon landing,” Mosier said.
Nevertheless, the band is going for it on the night they’re touting as “The Night of A Thousand Bowies.”
At least 250 Bowie look-alikes must attend to create a world record event, he said.
Even if a world record is not set, Mosier said “there’s going to be incredible music from BowieVision and a Talking Heads tribute band from Portland. So it’ll be good.”
Bowie, who died in January, was a British rock star known for his flamboyant and androgynous image and his genre-busting music. His most critically-acclaimed album was “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” and his well-known songs include “Fame,” “Let’s Dance,” “All the Young Dudes,” “Young Americans” and “Under Pressure.”
To participate in this 21-and-over event, buy a ticket to the show ($20-$35), and indicate how many in your party will be dressing as Bowie. Your costume — from a movie, album cover, concert, or photograph — must be from head-to-toe and instantly recognizable as Bowie. Show up at the Showbox by 8 p.m. in full costume. For more detailed rules, go to http://bowievision.com/1000bowies.
