Van Morrison will be performing live in its entirety his 1968 album, Astral Weeks at Hollywood Bowl, and Santa Monica, California radio station KCRW is going to webcast it. You can hear the show Fri. Nov. 7, 8 pm Pacific time here.

Lester Bangs’ Desert Island album, Astral Weeks is regarded by tens of thousands of people with really excellent musical taste as a heartbreaking work of staggering genius, a poetic epic of pastoral jazz folk and soulful Irish vocalese. Download it into your DNA at your earliest convenience.

Press release after the jump; video of “Astral Weeks” below.

LIVE CONCERT WEBCAST on KCRW.com
Van Morrison at the Hollywood Bowl
Friday, November 7 at 8pm

This is the first ever international webcast from the Hollywood Bowl and the first time Van Morrison has allowed a live concert broadcast

KCRW.com will make history on Friday, November 7 by providing the first-ever live concert webcast from the Hollywood Bowl, featuring a show by legendary singer Van Morrison. The Santa Monica-based public radio station will broadcast a 45-minute set of timeless classics by the Rock and Roll Hall of famer.

While the KCRW library hosts an extensive catalogue by Van Morrison, this is the first time the station has collaborated with the artist. The show will be presented in conjunction with Listen To The Lion Films & www.vanmorrison.com. They will be recording the second half of the concert for the upcoming release “Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl.” His band that night will feature the original musicians, bassist Richard Davis and guitarist Jay Berliner, who played on his classic album Astral Weeks. This is the 40-year anniversary of the album’s release.

Unlike most KCRW-produced content, the show will NOT be archived so viewers will have to tune in on Friday, November 7 at 8pm to catch it live.

“All of the music directors at KCRW have a personal relationship with Van’s music and it has been a thread throughout the history of the station,” said Morning Becomes Eclectic producer Ariana Morgenstern. “KCRW has a long history with both the Hollywood Bowl and this artist so it seemed like a natural fit to bring this concert to the largest audience possible,” said

KCRW recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of our World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl. It is also the place where this idea was hatched — Ariana Morgenstern was introduced to concert promoter Bill Silva while watching Radiohead in August and this collaboration was born out of their conversation that night.

Bill Silva Presents has produced over 10,000 events from small clubs to major stadiums all over the world, including such prodigious talents as Simon & Garfunkel, The Police, Madonna, Nirvana, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan.

Morrison’s career, spanning some five decades, has influenced many popular musical artists and he is consistently ranked among the best songwriters of all time. Watch a set of his timeless music from the comfort of your own home and portable player on KCRW.com, Friday, November 7. Find the show at http://www.kcrw.com/vanmorrisonlive. Full screen viewing will be available.