David Byrne
If there’s one thing I love more than the NYC music scene, it’s when I get to take advantage of it for free. So yesterday evening I headed out to the great borough of Brooklyn to watch David Byrne perform in Prospect Park. This was the first in a series of outdoor shows for Celebrate Brooklyn! and I’m fairly certain it had to be their most packed to date as there was barely standing space on the surrounding lawn outside the bandshell. (Despite the foreboding weather reports that we would all be drowned by incoming thunder showers.) I wasn’t able to get out there until 6:30 PM so my friend Jeff and I took one look at the line, decided to cut our losses, and scouted a spot directly in front of the monitor. This proved to be an excellent decision and for all you NYC residents I would suggest getting out there as early as 4:30 PM for future concerts.
Where to begin? I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Byrne just a month ago at the Dark Was the Night show and couldn’t wait to snag a bigger dose. First and foremost, he is the epitome of a wonderful performer and exhibits such tremendous positive energy while he’s playing that I couldn’t help but smile throughout the entire set. If you’re not familiar with My Life in the Bush of Ghosts or Talking Heads get familiar IMMEDIATELY. Byrne is a man of such immense eclectic talent it’s impossible to describe all his ventures without going on for ages, not to mention his dedication towards environmental awareness, so I must cut to last night.
Opening with “Strange Overtones,” Byrne launched into a carefully-crafted show where his band turned into choreographed dancers, he displayed his signature jerky-shimmy style, and everyone had a full-out blast. Personal highlights for me included “Houses in Motion” (turned into a total jam-fest) and “Heaven,” both classic Talking Heads anthems. But then there was “Once in a Lifetime” where Byrne was so exuberant and enthusiastic… guys, seriously. The whole show was fantastic. Including the three encores, which I never thought were going to end. First round included “Take Me to the River,” second brought about the fabulous “Burning Down the House,” finally culminating in an acoustic version of “Everything that Happens” off the 2008 Byrne and Brian Eno collaboration. This morning, as I was telling my extremely jealous brother about the three encore set he said, “He meant to only do two, but in his complete absent minded genius forgot about the 1st one after finishing the 2nd.” Might be on to something there.
Whenever someone is interviewed for New York Magazine, they tend to be asked, “What New Yorker would you most want to meet? Alive or dead.” My answer would be David Byrne, the artist so cool that the weather dare not rain on his parade. Last night was so much fun and I feel truly honored to have been there. AND it was FREE. Thanks Brooklyn!
For outstanding pictures of the show, please check out the always reliable and lovely Brooklyn Vegan.
