The Life Aquatic Tribute to David Bowie with Seu Jorge
Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA
11.21.16
Earlier this year on January 10th 2016 the world lost an indelible artist. David Bowie transformed the lives of countless musicians and millions of fans, forever changing the music landscape with his extensive discography and his ethereal persona. Three days after his death, musician and actor Seu Jorge lost his own father. Jorge, who is from Belford Roxo near Rio de Janeiro, is well known for his role as Pelé dos Santos in the film: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. In it, Jorge supplied most of the film’s soundtrack with beautiful Portuguese covers of select Bowie songs.
On a Monday evening in November, Seu Jorge brought his tribute tour to Seattle, performing at Benaroya Hall. Originally slated to perform at the Showbox, fans were treated to an intimate performance in the sonorous and ornately designed concert hall. With the hall filled to capacity, Jorge surprisingly appeared on stage in his official Team Zissou uniform after a short announcement from an “unpaid intern.” In the signature Zissou red beanie and blue uniform, Jorge bowed to the crowd before taking a seat on stage.
Intricately placed around him on stage were a few ships’ wheels as well as some wooden boxes, conveying a consistent nautical theme that echoed the film. Throughout the crowd, many fans donned their own red beanies. As Jorge began to play the Portuguese versions, the ambience was reflected in the lighting setup with images of Bowie projected above. On the album cut from the film, Jorge covers most of David Bowie’s defining hits. Performing them in Portuguese brought another dimensional element to the tracks. Songs like Life on Mars?, Queen Bitch, and Five Years resonated personally for many in the venue.
In between tracks, Jorge offered anecdotes about some of the songs. He spoke warmly of his father, Bowie, and his ex-wife, who is now his manager. In regard to his ex-wife, he affirmed the power women possess and his respect for them. He spoke at times about preparing the songs when he was on location with the film, with his thick accent warmly peppering the room. Toward the end of the show, a projector revealed a slide show, as he played over the images projected. A montage of the film, performances of Jorge, and composites of Bowie.
While it was not essential to have seen the film, thematically it was referenced throughout the performance. However, if you were a fan of David Bowie or of Wes Anderson or even Brazilian samba, the performance Seu Jorge has created is one of love and admiration for the influential elements his life. This was graciously shared with the crowd at Benaroya Hall.
Review and photos by Matthew B. Thompson
Seu Jorge
