Show Date: June 23, 2009
I think often rock n roll is believed to have no legitimate elder statesmen/woman. Like everyone has sold their muse and/or soul. Not true.
Ladies, gentlemen, and those in the process of change, I submit for your consideration:
David Byrne
This show is what rock/pop music was and could be in the same show. It is a revelation.
Byrne takes the stage pretty promptly. Asks everyone to wait as “people are still at the bar”.
Dressed in all white from head to toe, with his beautifully coiffed silver-white hair, Byrne evokes a visioin of a preacher. Or maybe that quirky friend of your Dad’s that is way too emotionally invested in Amway.
“Are there any professional photographers here? No? Okay. Well, everyone should feel free to take pictures with whatever you want.” “We’ll be playing songs from an album I collaborated with British musician/producer David Eno and then some songs with musicians that will rename nameless for now.” “If any of you have babysitters, the show will be 2 hours and no one is allowed to leave in the last 10 minutes.”
“My name is Dave, and I’ll be your waiter.”
“1-2, hahaha, 1-2-3..” and off we fucking go.
Writing this show is like having an 8 course meal and talking soup.
We have 3 dancers, a percussionist, drummer, bassist, and keyboard/sampler musician on stage. Oh and 3 backup singers. Alll in their interpretation of a white outfit. Byrne is a gracious host. He fades and lets others have their time. Every song is visually interesting. Dance, vocals, instrumentation…constant flux. Showmanship + + + everyone can play their shit. Everything is tight. TIGHT.
The fifth song in the set, “Houses In Motion”. Fuck me. Check this video from 1980.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaMzKpNC2Jk
Now, imagine seeing this live. In person. From my vantage point in Row A. Describing something like that? Breaking it down into bits. Meaningless syllables, words. To hell with that. And after that song, a 3 minutes standing ovation erupted. It wasn’t encouraged. Byrne didn’t give one of those long pregnant pauses hoping to birth applause. The Portland audience appreciated something truly special. You could tell Byrne was pleased and a little surprised. Smiling broadly into the audience and raising his eyebrows to his fellow musicians, a mini curtain-call style bow was given with the backup singers and dancers.
If you missed this show, and you have the means…find a way to get there. If it is coming to your town…get on board.
<jump cut>
2nd encore.
“Wait there is more, the Extra Action Marching Band from San Francisco are in the back”.
A 10 piece or more band marches in. I am wiped in the face by a man in an accented g-string waving a flag. A transvestite/transexual (sorry, not sure) pegs me in the face with a pom pom. What a blast. Gay Mardi Gras comes to Portland on Tuesday night.
And…Well We Know Where We Are Going….
All ‘Heads’ songs have different arrangements for this show. Close to Caribbean. Not quite. Not quite electronic. But some. You can’t peg it. Like you can’t nail down Byrne.
Last song is “Burning Down The House”.
After it is over, Byrne says “they’ll be at Crown playing a set”. Nothing else.
And nods to a man with cop shades, wearing a black British Revolutionary Era Seargent-major hat, glitter, and pasties over his nipples in appreciation for his help. What a delicious zoo.
Setlist:
- Strange Overtones
- I Zimbra
- One Fine Day
- Help Me Somebody
- Houses in Motion
- My Big Nurse
- My Big Hands (Fall Through the Cracks)
- Heaven
- Air
- Life Is Long
- Cross-eyed & Painless
- Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
- Once in a Lifetime
- Life During Wartime
- I Feel My Stuff
Encore:
- Take Me to the River
- The Great Curve
- Road to Nowhere (with the Extra Action Marching Band)
- Burning Down the House (with the Extra Action Marching Band)
