By Karan Singh
“It’s okay to dance,” rang a familiar voice at the packed Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles this past weekend.
David Byrne hadn’t yet appeared on stage when he gave those in attendance a clear instruction, cloaked as permission. The curtain lifted a few moments later to reveal a stage covered entirely in screens, from wall to floor. On what appeared to be the surface of the moon, the veteran singer opened his second night at the venue crooning operatically, “Heaven is the place, A place where nothing, Nothing ever happens.”
Byrne’s recent show comprised a healthy blend of Talking Heads essentials, select picks from his early solo projects, and a handful of cuts from his latest studio album, Who Is the Sky?
In addition to a cover of Paramore’s “Hard Times,” Byrne also performed the recently published Brian Eno collaboration “T Shirt” in sync with slogans such as “Make America Gay Again” and “No Kings” towering over him.
Inside David Byrne’s performance masterclass
Accompanied by a band of instrumentalists and vocalists dressed in matching orange jumpsuits, Byrne’s performance was as much a legacy act as it was a performance masterclass. At 73 years old, the Grammy Award-winning artist moved with a confident fragility and assurance reflecting his 50+-year musical career.
Throughout the loaded set, ensemble members walked on and off stage with their respective instruments, sometimes leaving just Byrne and one other person to take charge of the crowd. Byrne matched his supporting group’s movements beat for beat, even stepping aside occasionally to let individual members take the spotlight.
The show itself is a creative extravaganza, from Steven Hoggett’s choreography (Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Sweeney Todd) to the enveloping stage design to those iconic jumpsuits, designed by Calvin Klein’s new creative director, Veronica Leoni.
The North American leg of David Byrne’s Who Is The Sky? tour concludes in December with dates in Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, and Miami, followed by stops in Australia, Europe, and the UK in 2026.
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