New Orleans celebrates David Bowie with second line parade

A couple from Nashville said they dropped everything, got in their auto, and drove in to New Orleans the prior evening after seeing a social media posting by Win Butler, Arcade Fire’s frontman, announcing the event with the note, “Let’s say goodbye right”.

The Times-Picayune (http://bit.ly/1RN7Av1) has reported that the parade came about in conversations between Preservation Hall creative director Ben Jaffe and Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and Regine Chassagne.

“I’m pretty sure everyone I know in New Orleans is coming to this”, a young woman wearing a spandex jumpsuit told a friend as they walked through Jackson Square. He also surprised the audience at the Preservation Hall’s “Midnight Preserves” concert series, leading a rendition of the Mardi Gras classic, “Iko Iko”.

The rockers played with Bowie at a live event in 2005 and he featured on their 2013 album Reflektor.

The Canadian band, whose career was always praised by the late musician, will be celebrating the life and work of Bowie with a parade through the streets of New Orleans.

Bowie became close with Arcade Fire during his final decade.

Bowie died on Sunday after a long battle with cancer.

Earlier this week on Facebook, the band wrote him a message.

David Bowie was one of the band’s earliest supporters and champions. He not only created the world that made it possible…