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Live From BAM: Yoko Ono & Friends
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 17, 2010
Modified Feb 17, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 17, 2010
Modified Feb 17, 2010
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Last night BAM housed quite an insane lineup, all part of Yoko Ono's We Are The Plastic Ono Band one-night-only concert. We were lucky enough to be at the show, where the widow of John Lennon celebrated her 77th birthday (it's tomorrow) just like the rest of us would—with friends like Bette Midler, Eric Clapton, Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Paul Simon... you know, just a small gathering of some the biggest names in music.
The show began with a video tribute to Ono put together by her son Sean Lennon, who also served as a gracious host for the evening, introducing each musician and praising his mom from behind whatever instrument he happened to be playing at the time. The first act was all Ono, with a band backing her that included Sean as well as Mark Ronson.
The second act brought out a mixed bag of guest musicians, for the most part all singing Ono's songs in their own way (though there was a rendition of the Beatles "Yer Blues" courtesy of Mr. Clapton). The Scissor Sisters, Gene Ween, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, Bette Midler (with Sean Lennon, Doveman, and others backing her), Justin Bond, Paul Simon and his son Harper, Beatles collaborator Klaus Voormann, Eric Clapton... they were all there. Ono noted that this was the first time she, Clapton and Voormann had played together in 40 years! And at the end, the group (sans an M.I.A. Clapton) came back on stage for an all-star rendition of "Give Peace A Chance," with new lyrics penned by Ono that she grabbed from the morning's headlines. We snuck some video that you can see after the jump (the entire show was also filmed, so expect a DVD at some point).
We'll leave you with some parting advice courtesy of Justin Bond, who performed "What A Bastard the World Is" last night—he told the audience to follow Ono on Twitter and do everything she says. If you want to play catch-up, on the 12th she told her online audience: "I would advise you to send a bucket of shadow to a friend."
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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