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RIP David Bowie, an icon so otherworldly we can’t quite believe he was susceptible to death. We all get a free pass to cry in public today, so take advantage of it at the handful of D.C.-area bars (and, for the iron-willed, parks) hosting Bowie commemorations this evening.
Mark the passing of a legend the way Bowie would’ve wanted, surrounded by friends and strangers (and many, many strong drinks, if that’s your thing), preferably wearing some sequins and tear-proof grease paint, brought together to honor his incredible legacy.
DC9
The bar is in funeral mode this evening, throwing an impromptu memorial with an all-Bowie soundtrack. Drink your way through every Bowie metamorphasis with special cocktails for each decade of his long career.
Black Cat
Both the Cat’s jukeboxes have some Bowie, so you have options. Start your night at the Food for Thought cafe with Ziggy Stardust, and end it in the Red Room, which has Changes on one of the best jukeboxes in DC. Go forth and spend all your quarters.
The Raven
Need someplace a little darker to hide? Head to the classic Mt. Pleasant standby The Raven and its Bowie-equipped jukebox.
Showtime
Even darker? Cry over some Combohs and sing along to Labyrinth at Showtime, which is hosting a night of Bowie-only music and movie screenings on the bar’s TVs.
Sticky Rice
If wailing along to Bowie’s hits is your idea of a proper farewell, the H Street bar/sushi spot is hosting a night of Bowie karaoke. Costumes are highly encouraged, and for the slackers among you, “Sticky Rice will be providing the face paint.”
Meridian Hill Park
If crying in a bar doesn’t seem like a cosmic enough goodbye, a Ziggy Stardust listening party is popping up in Meridian Hill Park tonight. Show up at 8 p.m., bring some blankets and a thermos, and weep under the stars with some fellow D.C.-area mourners.
Deterred by the sub-30 degree temps? Bowie spent the last year of his life fighting cancer while recording his twenty-fifth studio album. Do it for him.
Photo by Flickr user Jean-Luc Ourlin through a Creative Commons License