We had pretty good seats for the Talking Heads concert at Radio City Music Hall; up front in the orchestra to the far left just a few rows from the stage ( it may have even been first row as memory is failing me on this detail). I had seen the original four piece line up of the Talking Heads at Colden Auditorium at Queens College but this tour for the “Remain in Light” album would be different. The band would add players throughout the show; from minimalist to full out ensemble and, for me, this was a whole new concert experience. Add into the mix that the concert was being performed at the ornate legendary Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, home of the annual Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes, it was a perfect venue for the elaborate stage presentation. The Talking Heads had expanded from its punk roots to create something even greater and inclusive of a variety musicians and genres; it was not for everyone but I loved it. David Byrne is a true artist and continues to expand his, and our, musical horizons with groundbreaking ideas to this day. Byrne’s latest tour, which later evolved into a Broadway show, that I caught at Forest Hills Stadium a couple of summers ago, was extraordinary with infectious rhythms and the audience literally on their feet dancing in the aisles. Years prior to the Byrne concert, I had also seen the Talking Heads at the Forest Hills Stadium, which was memorable for a number of reasons but I will leave those stories for another time.
Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison had planned a “Remain in Light” fortieth anniversary tour before Covid hit; hopefully this could still happen sometime in 2021.

Crosseyed and Painless

Rock on!

GQ