Listen to “MI Local” with host Jeff Milo Tuesday nights from 9-10 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET.

Stating the obvious feels unavoidable: David Bowie, even 10 years after his passing, remains one of the most influential artists of all time. So, it feels like a silly question when I ask what motivated local musicians to arrange and then perform a tribute show to the late great chameleon of genre and aesthetic, doubly so when it’s spearheaded by a Detroit-based performance artist who, himself, has spent his 40+ year career creatively developing a particular alter-identity for the stage: the blend of punk, burlesque, rock and vaudeville in one white greasepainted package: Satori Circus. 

The artist behind Satori Circus has amassed several friends and collaborators over the years, including guitarists Rick Browarski, Jeffrey Cantwell, and Brandon Trenz, the latter of which actually did a lot of the rounding-up of additional musicians to form an ensemble, back on January 10, that performed a tribute show to Bowie at the Tangent Gallery (on the anniversary of his death). Now, this Saturday, they’re reforming, as Lads Insane (a play on Alladin Sane) for The Rise and Fall of Lads Insane, performing the entirety of Bowie’s iconic The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust. 

During our interview, we talk a lot about Bowie, of course, and about the rest of the musicians rounding out this group, including saxophonist Johnny Evans, drummer Bill Henrikson, and percussionist Jay M. Jones. The group will also be performing a few other choice cuts from Bowie’s 70s canon at the Tangent, along with other featured performers from the visual and performing arts scene. This is an all ages show, and you can find more info here. 

Also on the show, I played songs from five of the top 10 contenders for our Sounds Like Detroit Showcase! We recently announced the 10 local artists that WDET listeners will be voting on, to see who goes on to perform at our celebratory showcase at Batch Brewing on August 13, and you can find more information here. Voting goes live on June 3, but for now, on this week’s show, you can hear tracks from Laurie Love, Vahn Black, Rose St. Germaine, Illajide, and Michelle Held. 

Also on this week’s show, new music from Issac Burgess, who has an album release party at the Ghost Light on June 10, along with new pop-punk sounds from Haley & the Crushers, and a tender ballad from Kate Peterson, who you can see at this summer’s Sonic Lunch series in Ann Arbor.