Monday ticket ticker: David Byrne in Seattle
You know, it’s quite timely that the Seattle Theatre Group (STG) just sent me an announcement about David Byrne tickets going on sale this week. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been on a huge Talking Heads binge. It’s really nice when the universe makes an effort to align with your life, rather than demanding your life align with it.
Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of the Talking Heads, Byrne perfected new wave in the ’80s. Hits from the band include “Psycho Killer,” “Burning Down the House,” “And She Was” and “Wild Wild Life.” My first experience with the band was when “Once in a Lifetime,” co-written by Byrne and Brian Eno, was featured in the 1986 comedy, “Down and Out in Beverly Hills.” (Oddly enough, since then I’ve always associated any Talking Heads song with Nick Nolte.) Byrne has kept up a formidable solo career, and even put out an album this year with Eno, but for me, nothing beats the Heads, my favorite part of his career.
Anyhow, the show goes on at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Tickets are $45 through Ticketmaster; sales begin at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“This Must Be the Place” by the Talking Heads
My wife and I do merchandising for a living. One of the stores we work in (a major grocery chain) recently updated it’s backround music to include such songs as “White Wedding” and “Another Brick In The Wall”. I realised they had made the change when I found myself walking down the frozen isle singing “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no fooling around…” as the “muzak” played “Life During Wartime” from 1979’s “Fear of Music” LP.
I don’t really think there’s a point to this missive except that when what was cutting edge becomes acceptable enough to be played in grocery stores, it’s time to make sure you go see these guys every time they’re available. “Life” is almost 30 years old, Byrne is 56, and people like David Gilmore and Jimmy Page are in their mid 60’s. Like it or not, they’re (like me) are getting old. At least physically…..
But Doug, haven’t you heard? Sixty is the new 40!
Seriously, yes, concerts like these don’t happen near as often as they used to. It’s become more a pertinent pursuit than a leisure activity, especially for people of my generation who have only recently had the opportunity to see these people perform. And these days, $45 is a bargain for tickets to see someone of Byrne’s caliber. Byrne fans, get while the gettin’s good.