<\/p>\n
A David Byrne<\/a> concert is not like most concerts \u2014 it is a show<\/em>, in every sense of the word. The artist has been crafting his unique brand of spectacle for decades, from the greatest concert film of all time<\/a> with Talking Heads\u2019\u00a0Stop Making Sense<\/em>, to the tour-turned-Broadway-smash-turned-HBO-movie<\/a> American Utopia<\/em>. At 73 years young, the kooky genius is proving he hasn\u2019t lost his touch with his latest world tour<\/a> supporting his new album,\u00a0Who Is the Sky?<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Byrne brought the tour home on Tuesday, September 30th for the first of two nights at New York City\u2019s Radio City Music Hall. There might not be a better venue for such a production. For one, the Utopia<\/em> concept of a mobile band (I will never not be fascinatingly amused by the keyboard harness) returns, along with a quintet of backup dancer-singers. Every song is choreographed like a marching band conducted by a theatrical goof, as performers weave in and out of each other, occasionally get lifted into the air, and shift into dramatic blocking.<\/p>\n Get David Byrne Tickets Here<\/a><\/p>\n But as tightly arranged as it all is, this conductor \u2014 Byrne \u2014 is no Martha Graham. It seems he invites a looseness, such that you could imagine his conversations with choreographer Steven Hoggett being, \u201cOkay, and here let\u2019s wiggle around a bit. Just have fun with it.\u201d The lack of rigidity allows the joy of being in the moment to move through the troupe\u2019s limbs and out over the audience. Everyone gets their moment of spotlight, and choosing different individuals to follow during different songs is part of the fun; Byrne himself pleasantly blends amongst all the shifting blue suits (though he does stand out on the occasional, forgivable flub of the dance movements).<\/p>\n Related Video<\/p>\n The stage design itself is a simple-yet-complex wonder, primarily three staggered screens cordoning off the stage from the world backstage. The floor-to-ceiling displays shift scenes throughout: fuzzy little cartoon characters push away the darkness on \u201cLike Humans Do,\u201d lush woods and countryside roll by on \u201cNa\u00efve Melody (This Must Be the Place),\u201d and we\u2019re given a 3D look at Byrne\u2019s tastefully appointed apartment on \u201cMy Apartment Is My Friend\u201d and the cover of Paramore\u2019s \u201cHard Times.\u201d<\/a> The floor itself is also a screen, its images crossing right into the side screens as in the rug on \u201cMy Apartment\u2026,\u201d the waves during \u201cSlippery People,\u201d and perhaps most intriguingly the names under each performer on \u201cIndependence Day.\u201d<\/p>\n That latter song utilizes the tech in a truly intriguing way. Those names also display on the large back panel across a starry sky, moving about to actively match the stage blocking. There must be a neat trick to pulling off that tracking, as it\u2019s very obviously live and not pre-mapped; anyone with an interest in interactive art will get a kick out of trying to figure it out. Watching on the hanging screens on either side of the stage creates a sort of green screen effect, where it looks as if the performers and the projections aren\u2019t necessarily in the same plane of existence, though you clearly see they are. It\u2019s another surreal \u2014 or perhaps super-real \u2014 wrinkle to the artistry of the whole show.<\/p>\n But the screens aren\u2019t just there for graphic wizardry. Ahead of \u201cLike Humans Do,\u201d we see Italians singing from their balconies during the pandemic. The hot blue backdrop present for much of the absolutely phenomenal arrangement of \u201cLife During Wartime\u201d gives way to flashes of anti-ICE and pro-Palestine protests. Slogans like \u201cMake America Gay Again\u201d and the Burger King-riffing \u201cNo Kings\u201d bring crowd cheers when they\u2019re shown during a new number we\u2019ll call \u201cT-Shirt\u201d (\u201cSee my T-shirt\/ Take it off\/ Dance these shoes off\/ Till we drop\u201d).<\/p>\n While this clearly isn\u2019t a \u201cleave your politics out of my music\u201d type of show, there isn\u2019t exactly overt commentary. It\u2019s more interstitial, as Byrne often addresses the audience between songs like he\u2019s giving a presentation. Sometimes he\u2019ll explain the heart-thumping arrangement of \u201cPsycho Killer,\u201d or remind us of the beauty of singing for strangers like those locked down Italians. Before \u201cWhat Is the Reason for It?\u201d, he recalls the first time he heard the recently popular phrase \u201clove and kindness are the new punk rock.\u201d Prior to encore opener \u201cEverybody\u2019s Coming to My House,\u201d he makes a heartfelt statement about how no matter the crap of the world, \u201cPeople love being together.\u201d<\/p>\n He leaves the \u201canti\u201d statements to the screens (or the \u201cactual\u201d punks over at CBGB Fest<\/a>), and Byrne\u2019s message instead emphasizes the \u201cpro\u201d: pro-joy, pro-caring, pro-togetherness. The performance is built on an incredible setlist that features the best of Who Is the<\/em> Sky? <\/em>along with all the hits you want \u2014 \u201cOnce in a Lifetime\u201d lives up to its status as one of the greatest songs of all time, and \u201cBurning Down the House\u201d is a massive closer. But this isn\u2019t just a concert \u2014 it\u2019s a show<\/em>, one that layers art, commentary, and joy into a magical evening. There are plentiful moments to enjoy, wonders to ponder, and hopefully feelings to take with you after the curtain falls, making it just the latest of David Byrne\u2019s can\u2019t-miss tours. (See for yourself by getting tickets here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n