David Byrne
June 26th at the Greek Theater, Berkeley

David Byrne stops at nothing to ensure that his audience witnesses something spectacular when he takes the stage. It’s not only his musical catalog and dynamic stage show that make him a truly consummate performer, it’s as much about longevity. The works of Byrne have spanned some three decades, and much of it still sounds provocative and timeless; material that he wrote with the Talking Heads way back when they were helming a music scene that would ultimately change the course of rock ‘n’ roll endures to this day. David Byrne helped define a time and a place and a movement… and then transcended that moment.

After a supporting set of gypsy-flavored rock by Denver-based DeVotchKa, Byrne and his exceptional ensemble took over the Greek Theater on Friday night. The show did not sell out. Those of us who took a seat in the enveloping stone bowl certainly felt like we were part of something extraordinary. Having never seen Byrne before, but being promised a show that’d be nothing short of riveting by previous spectators, my expectations were high—but what transpired on stage that night actually surpassed them. Byrne was supplemented by a seven-piece backing band (which included three singers) and three nimble dancers, all clad in white, Byrne himself a spiritual vision with that shock of white hair and ageless grace that likens him to a sage, or musical prophet. While the dancers loosely flipped and danced their agility into a sunset procession of performance art, Byrne stood at the forefront commanding both stage and audience, through old Talking Heads standards and new songs off his recent collaboration with Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.

Highlights abounded (though the whole show was a highlight), and included “One Fine Day”, “House in Motion”, “Crosseyed and Painless”, “Heaven”, “Born Under Punches”, “Once in a Lifetime”—an incredible setlist met by multiple encores. “Take Me to the River” prefaced a surprise appearance by the fantastical Extra Action Marching Band, who clamored straight down into the theater dome from behind us, ascended up to the stage through the crowd, and then joined Byrne and company for a captivating “Road to Nowhere”, which led into a most amazing summation of a most amazing night, a sensory-overloaded “Burning Down the House”, played from beneath cascading white balloons that rained down on the rapt audience and colorful musical troupe. On an apt solo note, reminding us whose show this actually was, David Byrne closed down the set with an acoustical “Everything That Happens” from the new record. I floated out of the venue, telling anyone who would listen that my mind was officially blown. – Angela Zimmerman

Watch: David Byrne, “Houses in Motion” [at youtube.com]

The Hunches
June 26th at Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco

I wasn’t tipped off about the Hunches’ snarling garage-punk prowess until the recent, long-delayed release of Exit Dreams, their third and final full-length album. The album is a bit of a bummer to listen to, because it seems a shame that a band clearly at full strength in the songwriting and ferocity department is on its way out—after picking it up, it took a few weeks before I was ready to put anything else on my turntable. Just plain great.

Despite having broken up a year ago following the recording of Exit Dreams, the Portland, Oregon-based band was generous enough to schedule four final West Coast tour dates, and at the Hemlock Tavern last Friday, they delivered on their fabled ability to pummel all those within earshot. The three instrument-bearing band members—guitarist Chris Gunn, drummer Ben Spencer, and bassist Sarah Epstein—were the proverbial anchors here, remaining relatively in place alongside the tall, drunken majesty of singer Hart Gledhill, who took a few minutes to gather himself and commence howlin’ the tunes.

In a set that consisted primarily of tunes from the latest album—the ringing rage of “Pinwheel Spins”, the clanging, grimy twist of “Swim Hole”, and best of all, the melodic pathos of “Not Invited” (with its killer refrain: “I was born today, I was born today… it’s not my birthday”)—they drew the audience, who were pretty docile for the openers, into a whirling pool of sweat. Most of us standing towards the front played a part in helping the wobbly, lumbering Gledhill remain standing, but he fell to the floor several times, getting kicked a bit more than was due. He’s an incredible frontman, and hats off to Gunn as well—that dude can rip like no other, his abilities inspiring much of the bleary post-show chatter among the audience. They all knew exactly when to stop, too—they couldn’t have played longer than 25 minutes, and despite knowing that there coulda been a lot more—they have three albums behind ’em—the Hunches are smart enough to always leave the audience wanting more.

Now might be a good time to pick up their limited-edition Home Alone 5 LP, comprising their Peel Session from some years back and a smattering of other odd tunes. They were only selling it on this tour, but In the Red Records just posted some at their store—go wild. – Michael Harkin

Listen: The Hunches, Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

Tags:David Byrne, Talking Heads, The Hunches

King Sunny Adé and Papercuts at the Independent and Starfucker at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco

Phish: June 20th and 21st at Alpine Valley, WI and Elvis Costello: June 22nd at Amoeba Music, SF

Bonnaroo: June 11-14, Manchester, TN