David Byrne is a master of many things. Musician, producer, actor, writer, director, artist, biker—he can do it all. And he certainly did it all last Friday night at the Auditorium Theatre.
I caught the first of his three-night, sold-out, “American Utopia” run in Chicago and man am I so glad I did. Backed by a tremendously talented group of mobile, barefoot, grey-suited musicians who sang, danced, carried, and played their instruments from start to finish—Byrne has created the most brilliant marching band.
Each song was thoughtfully choreographed and creatively lit, thus making the visual experience a truly stunning one. (And, yeah, they sounded phenomenal as well.)
SETLIST
Here
Lazy
I Zimbra (Talking Heads song)
Slippery People (Talking Heads song)
I Should Watch TV (David Byrne & St. Vincent cover)
Dog’s Mind
Everybody’s Coming to My House
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads song)
Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads song)
Doing the Right Thing
Toe Jam (Brighton Port Authority cover)
Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) (Talking Heads song)
I Dance Like This
Bullet
Every Day Is a Miracle
Like Humans Do
Blind (Talking Heads song)
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads song)
Encore 1
Dancing Together
The Great Curve (Talking Heads song)
Encore 2
Hell You Talmbout (Janelle Monáe cover)