Byrne-ing down the house ALBANY — "So you wake up this morning, and it's not the same as it was yesterday," David Byrne stated simply at the start of his concert at The Egg the day after the presidential election. No, it's not the same as it ever was. The former head Talking Head and his magnificent, multiculti, international, 10-piece ensemble — dressed all in white from head-to-toe — was clearly in a jubilant mood Wednesday night, and so was the sold-out crowd, who roared back their approval. This wasn't just a concert; it was a celebration, full of energy, hope and joy. Titled "Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno," the evening's repertoire was centered on songs from the duo's new album, "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today," although Byrne also drew on their groundbreaking 1981 album, "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts," for a thrilling rendition of "Help Me Somebody." And, of course, there were plenty of old Talking Heads gems from the three albums that Eno produced for them. The Talking Heads-Eno collaborations focused on the fusion of African polyrhythms, old-school funk and rich sonic textures, all of which were in evidence Wednesday during "I Zimbra," "Once in a Lifetime," "Life During Wartime" and "Burning Down the House," thanks to bassist Paul Frazier, percussionist Mauro Refosco and drummer Graham Hawthorne. But it was keyboardist Mark Degli Antoni who won the MVP award for his uber funky clavinet playing. It's hard to top those barnburners from the new wave days, but Byrne relied heavily on his three back-up vocalists to layer on the harmonies and vocal depth for new songs like the gospel-rooted "One Fine Day" and old favorites like the sensuous "Take Me to the River." Byrne himself was in fine voice, his singing more flexible and much improved from his earlier days when he often seemed willfully eccentric simply for eccentricity's sake. "Heaven" may have featured his best vocals of the night, at once soothing and languid. It would have been a very good concert indeed strictly from a musical perspective, but Byrne also added three dancers for this tour, and their movement and spirit raised the performance to greatness. The kinetic threesome — Lily Baldwin, Natalie Kuhn and Steven Reker — executed inspired, imaginative choreography that was woven into and through the musical performance, not merely tacked on. During "I Zimbra" they danced with the back-up singers' microphones, moving them around the stage, as they led the singers. During "Houses in Motion," they caught Byrne as he fell backwards into their arms. And during the new "Life Is Long" they performed in swivel chairs on wheels, along with Byrne. The dancers participated on nearly half of the evening's 20-song set, and every time they appeared, the energy level rose. So Byrne's show was a seamless fusion of a new wave funk concert and modern dance recital, and if he didn't completely re-invent the concert form, he at least stretched it into a few new shapes. "This ain't no party. This ain't no disco. This ain't no foolin' around," Byrne sang. But he was wrong. It was a party. And quite a glorious one at that. Greg Haymes can be reached at 454-5742 or via e-mail at ghaymes@timesunion.com. Concert review: "Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno" |
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