The second Talking Heads concert at Forest Hills Stadium took place just two days shy of exactly one year from the first; I guess the band liked the venue as years later David Byrne brought his pre-Broadway run of his American Utopia show there also (a truly exhilarating and joyful concert experience in and of itself). The two Queens Talking Heads concerts have blended together in my mind through the years and I have written about them before; the urinating on a security guard’s head, the getting removed from the tennis stadium but making it back to my seat as the lights went down and the Talking Heads hit the stage, and a stuffed animal tossed out the car window onto Queens Boulevard on a ride home. This particular tour became the “Stop Making Sense” concert movie and album which ranks up there with the best rockumentaries. I have loved the band since the third album arrived and have seen them live many times in a number of variations through the years. David Byrne broke off and went solo and never looked back; the now 72 year old Jerry Harrison has been off my radar screen for years and the married duo Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz continued on with the Tom Tom Club project with some success.

The Name of the Band is Talking Heads

Rock on!

GQ

From a vantage point in the rear orchestra of Madison Square Garden, I first saw the great David Bowie hit the stage on a tour that would later become the “Stage” double live album. The iconic chameleon David Bowie is one of my all time favorites but for some reason I never did see him perform in concert as many times as I probably should have. Every album that Mr. Bowie put out was a must listen with varying styles and artistic expression. Every year New York City’s City Winery presents a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall (with a rehearsal show prior at City Winery itself) featuring the music of one musical artist. It had already been announced that Bowie’s music would be presented by various musical guest performers when David passed apparently unexpectedly. As it turned out the very private Bowie had been sick periodically for years. The demand for the benefit tickets was so great that they added a second night at Radio City Music Hall; I was fortunate to have been able to attend both celebrations of the man’s musical legacy. Amazingly. David Bowie had secretly recorded the “Blackstar” collection for release after his death. Others have tried to replicate his rock and roll road map with varying degrees of success but Bowie’s extraordinary career is unparalleled. A pre-pandemic exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum spanned his entire career in music, fashion and style with state of the art headphones that guided you through the building with sound and vision.

Let’s Dance

Rock on!

GQ