David Byrne brought his Who Is The Sky? Tour to the Boch Center in Boston on October 4th for a night full of dancing, stories, and laughs. As someone who’s been a Talking Heads fan since I was seven, this was a dream come true. And there’s really no other way to put it: the man’s still got it.
Byrne took the stage around 8:10 p.m., opening with the Talking Heads classic “Heaven.” Backed by a few of his band members who doubled as dancers on strings, it was a quiet, moving start that immediately drew the crowd in. His voice sounded just as strong and distinct as ever. From there, he moved into “Everybody Laughs,” the first single from his new album Who Is The Sky?. That’s when the energy in the room started to shift. You could see people slowly getting up, swaying, dancing. It was cool to watch the audience respond to something new with that kind of enthusiasm—it said a lot about Byrne’s ability to keep evolving while still holding everyone’s attention.
“It’s good to be back here. This is our… wow… fourth night in Boston! Gotta pinch myself,” Byrne told the crowd, which erupted in applause. That’s right — four nights in a row in the city, and somehow it still felt as fresh as night one. After a brief moment connecting with the audience, he launched into “And She Was” — one of my personal favorite Talking Heads songs. The choreography for each number is absolutely wild, and I love how he’s carried over the same vibe and creative energy from American Utopia on Broadway into this tour.
“This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” was easily one of the night’s highlights. From the moment that first note hit, the crowd absolutely lost it. It’s one of those songs that always takes you back—like hearing it for the first time all over again. Without missing a beat, he followed it with a line borrowed from John Cameron Mitchell: “Love and kindness are the most punk things you can do right now.” It was a fitting prelude to “What Was the Reason For It?”, which arrived with electrifying energy and quickly became another peak of the night.
He played a few deeper cuts from the new record, including the wonderfully weird “Moisturizing Thing” and “My Apartment Is My Friend.” Before the latter, Byrne pulled up a photo of his actual apartment and said, “It’s a nice apartment, but I was alone. I watched a lot of nature documentaries,” which got a good laugh from the crowd. That song has always stuck with me: there’s something about the idea of your home being your safe haven that really hits. It was also so cool seeing the visuals and choreography he had for it; they fit the song perfectly.
As the night started winding down, Byrne and the band ran through a few more songs before the encore, including his cover of Paramore’s “Hard Times,” “Psycho Killer,” and “Once in a Lifetime.” This tour marks the first time in 25 years that Byrne has performed “Psycho Killer,” and it was incredible to see how he reimagined it with new choreography and visuals. He wrapped up the night with the Talking Heads classic “Burning Down the House,” and the room absolutely erupted — everyone was on their feet, shouting every word. It was the perfect kind of ending, one that makes you wish the show could’ve gone on a little longer.
By the end of the night, I was left with one thought: David Byrne still knows how to throw a party. Between the music, the dance, and the moments that made the whole room laugh together, it felt like being invited into something truly special. Walking out of the Boch Center, my head was buzzing, my feet were sore, and I was already wondering when I could do it all over again.
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