David Byrne Played Davies Symphony Hall

You have to wonder if it ever gets tiresome to put on such a fabulous show every single night. By all accounts (including our own), David Byrne does just that. His sets never cease to deliver an incredible musical buffet ranging from his material with the Talking Heads all the way through his latest record that hasn't even been physically released yet. And with those sets, he notoriously gets the audience on their feet and dancing. Even for material they're not familiar with, even in symphony hall, even with a crowd that, let's be honest, was dominated by the over-forty set, he still gets everyone on their feet and dancing. Tonight was certainly no exception.

The set was a diverse selection of work that (as the title of the tour would suggest) drew almost exclusively on Byrne's collaborations with Brian Eno. This was especially interesting to see, given that Byrne's recent tours have focused more on his solo material, and the non-Eno Talking Heads albums. Seeing him get back into the mid-period Talking Heads material was especially rewarding, and Byrne touched solidly on almost all of the singles ("Life During Wartime", "Once In A Lifetime", Heaven", "Take Me To The River") from the era.

In addition to the older material, Byrne also brought out the new material, playing six tracks from his latest record with Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. This struck us as a particularly gutsy move, not because the record's new, but because it's only seen internet release thus far. Still, the audience was certainly attentive to the new material, and gave it just as warm a reception as many of the older tracks. The highlight for us was a searing version of "I Feel My Stuff" that closed out the main set. It started with the same disjointed piano sample from the record, and wound up with a directed guitar attack.

We have to admit that we had been skeptics of the "dance interpretation" section of the program. It seemed maybe like it was trying a little to hard to be "different", and maybe more of an effort to artificially up the artistic credibility of the tour. We couldn't have been more wrong. The dancers were a completely on target, and really added to each and every song that they were present on. They danced with the backup singers, with each other, and at one point even leapt right over (yes, you read that correctly) David Byrne. Their dance served to energize the crowd, provide a direct interpretation of the music on stage, and most of all to create an interactive dynamic that Byrne used to his favor throughout the set. If this is interpretive dance, then get us to the studio. Seriously, it was that good.

The set wrapped up with something that has almost become a Byrne tradition in San Francisco: an appearance by the Extra Action Marching Band. The band descended through the crowd-filled aisles for about 10 minutes of marching band jam-time, followed by a full-band version of "Burning Down The House" with all the house lights on. This time was especially spectacular, as Byrne's dancers joined the Extra Action cheerleaders on stage for one fantastic, final, chaotic tune. The crowd (and us, for that matter) couldn't get enough, and the cheering went on until Byrne basically had to bow out in order to be able to make it home for the night.

On that note, we will tell you this: there are still tickets available for Tuesday night. So, you're going, right? Seriously - this one's not to miss, folks.

Click here to check out the setlist. All songs but the last one were played - apparently it wasn't applicable. ;)

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

David Byrne's Two Night Run At Symphony Hall Begins Tonight

Well, if you've been waiting for this one like we have, then you're just about over the top on the fact that David Byrne's two night run at Davies Symphony Hall begins tonight! The show is part of the "Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno", and as such will feature material from the pair's latest album as well as a bunch of their collaborative Talking Heads era material. From what we're hearing on the internets, it's a bit of a stage show, with some choreographed dancers to accompany Byrne's band. As we've mentioned before, Byrne's live show is consistently bulletproof. Every time we've seen him, he's offered up a show that is simply not to be missed, full of energy and vigor. In other words: be there.

Tonight is sold out, but tickets for tomorrow are still on sale.

Randy Newman: New Record, Coming To Symphony Hall

If all you know about Randy Newman is that he wrote the songs from the Toy Story movies, then you're really missing out. Newman has been at work in the music world for more than three decades. His material ranges from the sarcastic rock of the seventies ("Short People", "I Love LA"), to his more recent explorations of the American experience. He is truly one of the nation's treasures: a song writer in the style of Gershwin or Porter, with a style that's completely his own.

Why are we telling you all this? Well, Newman has a new record, Harps And Angels, and is touring in its support. He'll be at Davies Symphony Hall on October 17th as part of the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Tickets are a tad on the pricey side, but at the same time, this is a show that can pretty much be guaranteed to deliver. If you're still not sure, check out the stream below for a taste of what's in store.

Stream: Randy Newman Playing Harps And Angels at Largo In LA

Second David Byrne Show On-Sale

Due to the success of the first show (and possibly the influx of yuppie ticket buyers who are willing to take the plunge for a show at Symphony Hall), a second date has been added to David Byrne's San Francisco Davies Hall appearances. The show (as previously mentioned) is in support of the new Byrne/Eno album, and features the "songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno". It takes place on Tuesday, October 7th, and tickets are on-sale now. While we cringe at the $90 ticket price, we are due to remind you that David Byrne's shows are among the most awesome. Ever.

mp3: David Byrne and Brian Eno - Strange Overtones

David Byrne Davies Pre-Sale Today @ 10 AM

Earlier this week we mentioned David Byrne's upcoming Bay Area shows had yet to go on-sale. Well, now the time has come: This morning at 10 AM there will be a pre-sale for the Davies Symphony Hall Show. You can get to the pre-sale here - the password is "eno". Enjoy.