David Byrne played Forest Hills Stadium

David Byrne came to Forest Hills on a perfect late-summer night and brought the hits. 

A year into his Who Is the Sky Tour and David Byrne hasn’t lost the magic yet. Even after playing in New York just a year ago, Forest Hills Stadium was sold out and ready to get down with his classic art-punk jams from his glory days in Talking Heads as well as his eclectic solo career. Opening with a near a cappella version of “Heaven” helped set the mood on the beautifully temperate and crisp night, slowly bringing his band on stage to bring the songs to life, blooming with distinct direction and careful choreography. As the musicians joined him on stage, their collective power, both with their instruments but their vocal abilities as well, made for magical experiences at every turn. Giant screens provided hi-def displays of people carrying out bizarre and unusual activities around New York as the band laid into “Everybody Laughs,” a joyful tune that had people on their feet and grooving to his delightful vibes. He explained that in high school there was a girl he admired who seemed to be overtly happy in life and wondered what secrets she knew that he didn’t and the answer turned out to be dropping acid and sunbathing which led him to write “And She Was.” As he played his solo tune "Tshirt," projections shifted towards his own political views of anti-fascist calls to action like "no kings" and "make America gay again" and the rallying cry that the most punk rock thing right now is to be kind to others. While it perhaps came too early in the set, there's nothing quite like the chirping keys that morph into those warped synth melodies that start off the iconic "This Must Be the Place" and as everyone joined in for the "ahh ahh" moments, a sense of levity blanketed the stadium and people came together in the form of dance to celebrate the unfiltered joy that was beaming through the venue. The dancers on stage hit their stride during a stunning “Psycho Killer” which made for another euphoric highlight of the night. During “Life During Wartime” he flashed images and videos of the people fighting back against ICE and other current government forces which drew more enthusiasm from the crowd as the slinky bass lines and disco-infused beats had everyone getting down with the infectious groove. Of course it was the all-time classic of “Once in a Lifetime” that really did it for me (hearing one of the greatest songs ever recorded just never gets old) and as the crowd reached towards the heavens while chanting “same as it ever was,” it became instantly clear that it was pure magic for others as well. Returning for the encore to hit us with the one-two punch of “Everybody’s Coming to My House” and the sensational “Burning Down the House” made for the ultimate send off and the hope that Byrne can keep these electric shows part of his live repertoire for as long as possible.

Set list:

01 "Heaven"
02 "Everybody Laughs"
03 "And She Was"
04 "Strange Overtones"
05 "Houses in Motion"
06 "T Shirt"
07 "(Nothing but) Flowers"
08 "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"
09 "What Is the Reason for It?"
10 "Like Humans Do"
11 "When We Are Singing"
12 "Independence Day"
13 "Slippery People"
14 "I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party"
15 "My Apartment Is My Friend"
16 "Air"
17 "Psycho Killer"
18 "Life During Wartime"
19 "Once in a Lifetime"
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20 "Everybody's Coming to My House"
21 "Burning Down the House"