David Byrne’s Coachella Performance Is Essential Viewing

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Last autumn, when David Byrne brought his Who Is the Sky? Tour to Radio City Music Hall, I witnessed a performance so powerful that, to phrase it somewhat crudely, I felt as if I’d been struck by a fish for several minutes after experiencing it. Alongside his ensemble of free-moving musicians and dancers, Byrne delivered “Life During Wartime” — a track from Talking Heads’ 1979 album *Fear of Music* that sadly retains its relevance for undeniable reasons — as an artistic, theatrical spectacle. The piece even featured footage of ICE agents stumbling over themselves while failing to apprehend a bicyclist. (When I asked Byrne how he would describe what he achieves onstage each night, he laughed and replied, “Friends attempt to describe it to me, but I wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to describe it myself.”) I’ve been anticipating an official video release ever since, and happily, it has arrived. This particular “Life During Wartime” wasn’t from the Mudd Club or CBGB, but rather Byrne’s Coachella set this past weekend, where you can fully appreciate what this 73-year-old can accomplish in an orange jumpsuit. Byrne also confided in me during our chat, “I honestly don’t know where I go from here.” You’ll understand his sentiment after watching this.

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