Show Preview: Bryan Ferry, Dawn Landes

BRYAN FERRY

[LUXURY ROCK] At age 68, Bryan Ferry remains a study in contrasts. He made his name as the coke-addled, space-alien frontman of English glam titans Roxy Music, but outside of that towering, monumentally influential act, he's built a solo career as a smooth-rock sophisticate, always dressed in dapper suits, with a perpetually cool demeanor. Like David Bowie and Peter Gabriel, Ferry weathered the '80s well, selling albums by the ton, and though his commercial status has flagged in the 21st century, his artistic output has been nearly unassailable. In 2010, he signed to Astralwerks and released a gorgeous, understated collection of pop tunes called Olympia.

 

His next venture, the 2012 album The Jazz Age, featured New Orleans-style, big-band reworkings of his hit songs, minus Ferry’s sexily detached croon. That led, in turn, to a collaboration with Baz Luhrmann on a set of jazz numbers for the soundtrack to The Great Gatsby. Now Ferry is trekking down the West Coast, anchored by an appearance at Coachella. By now, this elder statesman of English rock has created an elegant brand that is no longer interested in forward momentum. His eye is turned firmly toward his own legacy at this point, so a retrospective set visiting the Avalons and Olympias of yesteryear should be a comfort to Ferry and his fans.
SEE IT: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 248-4335. 7 pm Tuesday, April 8. $47.50-$101. All ages.

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