WORDS AND IMAGES: DANIEL GRAY | The word genius is tossed off too often nowadays. It seems that everyone famous is getting labeled a genius for one reason or another. And while it might be too much to say that David Byrne is a true genius, if he’s not, he’s pretty damn close. The reasons were on full display on the second night of his two-night run at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. Byrne’s Who is the Sky? Tour (sharing the new album’s name) forces the audience to rethink how music can be presented. Is it a concert? Is it a Broadway show? No mic stands. No drum riser. No stacks of amplifiers. Just Byrne and 12 other performers put on a show that was fun, meaningful, breathtaking, and at many times, visually stunning.
Coming out in head-to-toe orange outfits, Byrne performed a beautiful acoustic rendition of “Heaven” with three other members of his entourage. A stark image of the moon served as the backdrop on the floor-to-ceiling high-definition video screen.
Following that was an explosion of people, sound, and visuals; more and more members of the show entered the stage, singing, playing, and, most of all, moving. The man who was once known for running all over a stage while others played was now part of a democratic swirl of performance as drummers, singers, dancers, a guitarist, and a bass player all got their moments to shine individually and within the entire ensemble, overcoming the monochromatic nature of the outfits. (They have also been all blue at other shows.)
The mixture of new songs from Byrne’s Who is the Sky? and other solo work, with, of course, his Talking Heads days, was well thought out and seamless. Banging into the Talking Heads hit, “And She Was,” early let the audience know that his voice could deliver exactly what was expected. As a matter of fact, Byrne’s voice was a revelation, powerful and unique as always. He was also a physical marvel: performing, dancing, and even singing while balancing on one leg. At a certain point, you must remind yourself: the man is 73.
Byrne managed to get introspective for parts of the night, paraphrasing John Cameron Mitchell, “Love and kindness are the most punk things you can do right now. A form of resistance.” He spoke of feeling isolated during the pandemic but finding inspiration from the balcony singers in Italy, keeping community and a sense of togetherness alive.
If the 13 performers on stage weren’t enough, the video screens played a large (no pun intended) role in the show. For the song, “T Shirt,” different slogans appeared on screen from the generic, “World’s Best Dad” to the timely “No Kings.” Byrne came out to introduce “My Apartment,” describing what it was like to be there during the pandemic. On the floor of the stage was his projected rug, and the inside of the New York City apartment was projected on the back and side screens. During the song, the video swirled to give a 360° view of the space. (The man has a nice place.)
While many of the night’s songs had the audience on their feet dancing, “Life During Wartime” brought everyone up in a frenzy, and the balconies were shaking. The video screens were just plain blue for part of the tune until a musical break, and then images of ICE raids filled the screens, many from Los Angeles, bringing the moment and protest home and reminding everyone what the song was really about. Protest with a groove.
At the end of the show, Byrne gave a complete list of performers on the large screen. It was a great version of giving credit where credit is due. So here they are: Mauro Refosco (music director/percussion), Ray Suen (music director/guitar and violin), dancer/vocalists Jordan Dobson, Sean Donovan, Tendayi Kuumba, Sasha Rivero, and Hannah Straney, percussionists Yuri Yamashita, Tim Keiper, and Stéphane San Juan; keyboardist Daniel Mintseris, and Kely Cristina Pinheiro on bass and cello. And of course, David Byrne.
