Photos and Review by Stephen Bloch
At the age of 74, most people hope to be happily enjoying their retirement. Maybe they’ll get in some rounds of golf weekly, play some pickleball, see their doctors when something flares up, and visit with children or grandchildren. Maybe they plan the trip of a lifetime. David Byrne, while definitely staying fit as a “cyclist”, is doing a bit more. More, as in playing over 100 dates in a year long period, taking him to Europe this summer and then returning to the states for his last scheduled show at Forest Hills Stadium in New York. Quite the active “retired” lifestyle.
On Sunday night, Byrne played Milwaukee’s Miller HIgh Life Theater to a very, very sold out crowd. Byrne’s last stop in Milwaukee was on the American Utopia tour in 2018. The most recent show was very different from the one seven years ago. Last night’s show consisted of five cuts from Byrne’s current release, Who is the Sky?, with a heavier dose of the “hits” from The Talking Heads when compared to the last tour. I think the crowd appreciated the mix of material.
Having seen one of Byrne’s last fall, I knew what to expect. Floor to ceiling visuals, exquisitely choreographed dancing, harmonies galore, and banter that seamlessly segued into song. Byrne is definitely crafting shows for each stop with new visuals. Milwaukee’s stop included a visit to the Bobblehead Museum. Lots of applause and cheers for the RBG bobblehead and jeers for the set of Trump bobbleheads. “Like Humans Do” off of Look Into the Eyeball had people dancing with animal heads. There were also mouths. There seems to be a theme here. We also got the ICE footage that had its debut in Chicago last fall as well as bucolic scenery from the country. The crowd erupted when Byrne sang the final verse from “(Nothing But) Flowers” off of Naked: “This was a discount store / Now it’s turned into a cornfield”. I guess we like cornfields in Milwaukee. Quite the juxtaposition. Byrne has always been a city dweller, but he clearly has an affinity for nature.
The last third of the show is where things really heated up for showgoers. People rose to their feet from “Slippery People” all the way through “Burning Down the House”. Maybe I have an ear for his music, but I think I popped up quicker than most for his most recognizable tunes including “Psycho Killer”, “Life During Wartime”, and “Once in a Lifetime”. One note, out of my seat…
David Byrne is a bit of an alchemist. He mixes together sounds, sights, and stories. It’s a wonderful brew he’s concocted. Milwaukee drank up that tasty beverage last night for sure.
