Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent, is one of my all-time favorite modern musicians. Her three full-length albums Marry Me, Actor and Strange Mercy are haunting journeys through a multi-instrumental, multi-dimensional voiced world. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Talking Heads are unarguably one of the raddest bands of their generation thanks to Byrne's avant-garde lead. When I first heard Clark and Byrne's single "Who" off their collaboration album Love This Giant, I immediately fell in head over heels. Their heavy use of horn instruments throughout this album is refreshing and highly appealing to the ear. Despite harsh criticism of the ever-pretentious Pitchfork (they rated it a 5.9), this album brought two progressive artists from two different generations together to create something exciting and different.
Pitchfork Love This Giant Album Review
It was my first time to Bass Concert Hall which was an experience in itself. It is a nearly 3,000 capacity theater-style venue on University of Texas campus; I had a bird's-eye-view from one of the balcony wings. It didn't seem like there was a bad seat and the house and the sound was impeccable. Byrne and St. Vincent opened with their single "Who," then progressed through several more of their shared tracks including my personal favorite, "I Am An Ape," which toe-tappingly tells the story of evolution.
While the roughly two hour show covered Love This Giant in its entirety, songs from the two artists' own musical endeavors were also showcased. Most notable were Talking Heads "This Must Be The Place" and St. Vincent's "Marrow".
Although Clark and Byrne were entertaining in their own right, their family of horn and woodwind instruments backing them put on a performance all their own. Boasting a saxophone, French horn, tenor sax, sousaphone, in addition to two trumpets and two trombones, the band itself stole part of the show. They and the two vocalists shared synchronized dances that were both witty and impressive.
New York Times Recap of Love This Giant's Horn Arrangers/Performers
The show truly ended on a high note, surprising the audience with not one but two encores. First wrapping up with St. Vincent's single "Cheerleader" off Strange Mercy then going out with a bang by Talking Heads "Burning Down the House." All attendees were in full swing dance mode for the closing number; it truly was an amazing musical moment. If only they'd added, "Once In A Lifetime" to that set list....
David Byrne & St. Vincent - "Burning Down the House"
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