Thomas Dolby, the British singer and synthesist best known for his quirky hit single and MTV video “She Blinded Me With Science,” embarks on a club and theater tour of the U.S.A. this Fall to debut a new style of musical storytelling, with the help of two very special guests: Gail Ann Dorsey on bass guitar and vocals and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Lipke on guitars and vocals.
In the DC area, Professor Dolby performs live at The Birchmere on Thursday, Oct. 23.
In this intimate concert series, titled the Iconic ’80s Tour, Dolby will bring his unusual journey to life, blending songs, stories and musical reminiscences from the 1980s.
“I met Gail onstage when I guested with Bowie’s band at the Roseland Ballroom in New York in 2000. Of course, she is a consummate bassist and singer, and her style complements mine perfectly,” Dolby said. “Andrew is a well-known artist from nearby Philadelphia, a recording and live performer who excels in hybrid orchestral works. I’ve seen him re-imagining the music of acts like Radiohead and Björk. As an ensemble I believe we can blend multiple musical idioms into a coherent flow that will make intriguing, delightful sense of the 1980s.”
In his No. 1 Amazon bestselling memoir, The Speed of Sound, Thomas Dolby cataloged his extraordinary journey from destitute busker on the streets of London and Paris, to in-demand session keyboardist with the likes of Foreigner and Joni Mitchell, to sharing the stage with David Bowie at Live Aid and Roger Waters at The Wall in Berlin. Beyond music, he founded a Silicon Valley tech company, co-invented the Nokia polyphonic ringtone, played a key role in transforming TED into a global phenomenon, and earned acclaim as an award-winning filmmaker and novelist. He is now an Endowed Professor of Music at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.
Watch Thomas Dolby discuss “She Blinded Me With Science” for Why This Song? on YouTube:
Dorsey is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist with an impressive career. Widely known as David Bowie’s longtime bassist and vocalist, she has also toured and recorded with such notable artists as Tears for Fears, Lenny Kravitz, Bryan Ferry, and Gwen Stefani. She is currently a featured performer in the Blackstar Symphony with bandleader Donny McCaslin. Gail has previously released three solo albums and is currently focusing her talents on writing and recording on her next project. Her forthcoming new single, “It Takes All Kinds to Make a World,” will be released this fall.
Lipke is a South African-born, Emmy-nominated composer, producer, arranger, conductor, and vocalist based in Philadelphia, known for his work across a wide range of musical genres. He has written for ensembles such as the Aizuri and Carpe Diem string quartets, Variant Six, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and he has released seven self-produced albums. He has collaborated extensively with Amos Lee as orchestrator and conductor, toured with Get the Led Out as a multi-instrumentalist, and performed as vocalist in Steve Hackman’s symphonic fusion projects including “Brahms v. Radiohead.” His orchestrations have been performed by major US symphonies, and he has conducted the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center along with orchestras in Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, and elsewhere. His most recent work is a concept album trilogy inspired by Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha,” with a new project, IRIS, forthcoming.
Thomas Dolby
The Birchmere
Thursday, Oct. 23
Show @ 7:30pm
$58.95
All ages
