white with foam

Photo: Laura Musselman shot for Seattle Weekly

Until last night, I was kinda meh on Everything that Happens. It seemed like, in order to avoid making the Other Bush of Ghosts, they chose to make a radio-ready folk album instead. But after Byrne’s show at Benaroya, I’m a believer. The new songs opened up like flowers, revealing inner beauties I didn’t fully appreciate: the bass motif in “Strange Overtones,” frex, or the nice floaty vibe of “One Fine Day.”

Come to think of it, he should change his name to David “Slow” Byrne, which would not only address the endurance of a thirty-year-old song like “Heaven” (which I hated in high school), but also his role on stage as a sea of calm at the center of this polyrhythmic fury. The contrast was just lovely, and with all eleven musicians & dancers wearing white from head to toe, it felt somehow sunny and tropical, too.

Shape-shifter that he is, I honestly didn’t expect so many hits to be covered. Nor did I expect my two favorite Heads albums, Fear of Music and Remain in Light to be so well represented. I mean, “Air?” Seriously? “I Zimbra” was an early surprise. That’s when the dancers first came out. At first I thought they were just pretentious roadies, but then it became clear that they were gonna be the hardest-working people up there, twirling and jumping and, you know, interpreting. I don’t have the vocabulary to describe dance, but it felt like their take on what was happening in the songs was just right.

One of the night’s sharpest left turns, and a real highlight for me, was the live-action “Help Me Somebody.” By becoming the manic preacher from the original field recording, DB managed to simultaneously make the song tighter and give his backup singers a chance to work out. All in all, it was six degrees of awesome. I now consider my wife fully paid in advance for making me do Barry Manilow next month.

Tags:   concert review · David Byrne · MusicNo Comments