God David Byrne plays the Wang Theatre
By Clay Adamczyk, The Suffolk Journal, 5 November 2008 [Link]

The Talking Heads' front man, writer and recent bike rack designer David Byrne is not one to live in the past, but has never shunned the past either. Now that he is touring under the moniker "The Songs of Byrne and Eno," in support of his and Brian Eno's self-released "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today" (2008), he's showing just that performing songs both new and old.

Though Eno could not be persuaded to join the tour, last Friday's (Halloween) performance at the Wang Theatre was beautifully put together and had the high energy choreographing that was very reminiscent of the Heads' theatrical film "Stop Making Sense" (Palm Pictures, 1984).

As Byrne approached center stage, it became evident this was a performance rather than an ordinary concert. He was followed out by a drummer, full percussion section, a keys/synth player, a trio of back up singers and three dancers all clad in Byrne's classic white.

After the initial roar of the crowd died down, Byrne and his band were able to begin what was a two-hour treat, as fitting for Halloween as Byrne's phantom mask worn during the second encore that was as visually enthralling as the songs themselves.

Beginning with the soothing and intricate wall of sound that is "Strange Overtones" from the new album, they quickly changed pace busting into "I Zimbra" from the second Eno produced Head's album "Fear of Music" (Sire, 1979). "I Zimbra's" African rhythms had the dancers excitedly darting back and forth across the stage as Byrne, perfectly timed, dodged them avoiding near collision.

The peaceful side of the new record was predominantly more featured through songs like "My Big Nurse," and the third encore closer "Everything that Happens," while the crowd shakers were more Talking Head's tunes, providing a striking contrast between the then and the now.

"Life is Long's" relaxed attitude was accompanied by Byrne and the dancers all turning in unison while sitting in swivel chairs. Later when with the entire band back on stage, they all moved in unison once again, this time to "Life During Wartime" as they all ran in place exactly as the song is performed in "Stop Making Sense."

Energy and a few moves are not the only parallels that can be drawn between the performance and the old Heads' film. Every Heads' song Byrne graced the audience with is featured on "Stop Making Sense" from "Heaven" to "Slippery People," and from "Once in a Lifetime" to "Born Under Punches." They even played their famous Al Green and Teenie Hodges cover "Take me to the River."

Unexpectedly, they even brought down the house with a song Brian Eno had nothing to do with, the Talking Heads staple, "Burning Down the House."

When Byrne touched off of "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" (Sire, 1981), he sang all the parts that were originally, as Byrne jokingly describes, "Sound vocals, now called samples, soon called lawsuits."

Before the new album, Byrne and Eno had not worked together in 27 years. A new and nameless song that Byrne performed provided optimism that the two would collaborate again soon, for he announced, "it will be out soon." [Note: This song, "Never Thought", is a bonus track on the deluxe package of Everything that Happens Will Happen Today. —ed.]

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