David Byrne performed with his latest collaborators, Ghost Train Orchestra, at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago on Halloween.  The show was more like a theatrical production or art installation than a traditional rock concert. It’s the same style as his Broadway show, American Utopia. Gone was the usual rock concert equipment. No visible amplifiers, no microphones, no drum sets, no cables.  The stage was basically a blank canvas upon which video imagery was displayed to go along with each song.

The intro “Heaven” had the group playing on the Moon as the Earth slowly came into view behind them.  The Earth is the only home we have so we need to make it our Heaven was the message he gave after the song ended.  The second song, the new release “Everybody Laughs”, is an optimistic song about finding common human experiences to overcome modern divisions. It’s interesting to see how the themes of David Byrne’s songs have evolved from the early days of the Talking Heads – from anxious, detached observation of alienation and consumerism to a more direct engagement with civic life, community, and social issues.  Love and kindness are a form of resistance, he said before the song “What Is The Reason For It?”

The rest of the setlist combined Talking Heads classics with songs from his latest album “Who Is The Sky?”   This observer found the new songs better live than on the album with the addition of the visuals and choreography.  Especially noteworthy of the new songs was “T-Shirt” and “My Apartment Is My Friend”. Many of the songs had a video backdrop of urban, suburban or rural scenes.  “T-Shirt” had a mix of different sayings you might see on a t-shirt.  “My Apartment Is My Friend”, a song about being alone during the pandemic, had Byrne’s apartment as its visual accompaniment.

Standout Talking Heads songs included “Psycho Killer”, “Once In A Lifetime” and “Life During Wartime” which had a visual backdrop of the recent conflicts on Chicago streets with ICE agents.  The performers choreography appeared to have them running from the scenes displayed behind them, adding to the tension of the song.  The lyric “this ain’t no fooling around” hit pretty hard.

The choreography was an integral part of the show.  Bryne was surrounded by twelve mobile multi-instrumentalists, all in matching orange jumpsuits.  They went from coordinated dance moves, to playing in a straight line, to marching and weaving in between each other, like a marching band. 

The encore concluded with the classic “Burning Down The House” which did indeed bring down the house. Paramore released a cover version of this song and David Byrne covered one of their songs, “Hard Times” earlier in the night. 

This was a truly unique and memorable musical performance by an artist who refuses to coast on his past achievements. 

See the full setlist here. 

Cost of a ticket: $58 to $353

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value +

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Jeff Wardzala