Concert Recommendation
Songs of David Byrne and Brain Eno
I didn't even know Byrne had a new album out until I accidentally stumbled upon it… and then I discovered he's touring too! And Brain Eno is involved! You can imagine how excited I got. If you have no idea who I'm talking about, it's fair, let me explain- David Byrne is a Scottish-born, tiny bit Canadian, but mostly American singer, guitar player, and song writer. He was the mastermind (or masterhead) behind Talking Heads, one of the best New Wave bands there ever was. Brian Eno is a musical genius responsible for, other than his own material, collaborations with artists that range from David Bowie and U2 to the recent Coldplay album Viva La Vida.
So as I was saying, the tour started in September, and on October 29 it came to Toronto, where I of course was. So here's review time. In one sentence- if you got a chance, go watch it, no matter what. It's a show you don't want to miss.
I'll start with the bad though- no Eno. That's right, even though Brain collaborated on the album and songs, he's not on stage with Byrne. It's a bit of a disappointment, but to be honest it's not that bad.
And now the good- everything else. Byrne is quite incredible, and one of my favourite things about the guy is that you can see he enjoys performing. He said "thank you" after every time we clapped and cheered for each song. He was very energetic for a 56 year old, and he really looks half that age. He comes equipped with a lovely band- percussion, drums, bass, keyboard, and 3 backup singers. He plays his own guitar this time though, and he does it a lot better than I remembered. It's awesome.
A high point is the choreography. Other than the band, Byrne carried 3 dancers on stage who turn a rock show into something at a higher level, and that's a trademark of Byrne- combine rock with art. The dancers manage to be exciting and fun without taking anything off the rock and roll. It's quite an accomplishment.
And now for the music- it really rocks. Byrne's musicians, especially the bass player, are amazing. The new songs are just as good as the old Talking Heads ones, notably "Strane Overtones" and "I Feel My Stuff". It's a great combination of Byrne's great texts and Eno's music. But of course, the high point of the music is when the classic songs are reached- the concert included "Heaven", "Houses in Motion", "I Zimbra", "Life during wartime", and the legendary "Once in a Lifetime". The 3 encores included, among other songs, a version of "Take Me to the River" that casts a lot of momeries to Stop Making Sense, a classic concert-film from the Talking Heads, as well as a rocking version of "Burning Down the House". Incredible music indeed.
Now, if you don't believe my recommendations, check it out for yourself:- Life during Wartime
- Burning down the house
- I Feel My Stuff
- Heaven
- Once in a Lifetime
- Crosseyed and Painless
(Note: I didn't film these, I found them on YouTube the day after the concert. People are fast!)
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