David Byrne + St. Vincent // Chicago // The Full Story

"I know, I like, BEHOLD AND LOVE THIS GIANT!"

So for those of you who were not fortunate enough to make your way over to The Chicago Theatre on the night of 9.18, then here's the low down on what went on inside that venue on that magical night. The woman in me needs to give you the back story though, so buckle in for the full review.

The Look:

Me about to board the train for the city.
Sported my Pendleton Coat, spunky shirt, and a pair of
rad Ralph Lauren Pants that I scored at the thrift. Of course
I keep the red going with the shoes-ready for groovin!
This was a good concert outfit for sure.

THE MAIN EVENT!

So it all started when I was old enough to hear music... ha, no but really. Talking Heads have always been on my list of favourite bands. I used to groove and sing along to 'Burning Down The House', 'Psycho Killer', and 'Once In A Lifetime' on a weekly basis in the car (or outside of the car) with my mom as a kid, thanks to XRT and her spankin' collection of cassettes. My mom is definitely the epicenter for my David Byrne adoration. So growing up on the tunes and then really coming around to them later in life was an awesome progression. Then of course, there was the whole thing where my eyes fell upon Stop Making Sense and that sealed the deal for me entirely. I'm 100% shocked I don't have that playing on my TV at all times. The way he moves, his e n e r g y- watching it is so sensational! I almost felt like in a way, that I had found my dancing counterpart, that ball of funk he is! I've been wanting to Dance on stage with David Byrne for way too long now. You see, I never thought I'd ACTUALLY get to see David work out his funky moves on stage or have his voice penetrate every ounce of my soul as I stood adoringly in the same room. This was one of my DREAMS. He's one of those "childhood artists" for me, someone I grew up on, who has made an influence on my life for a great period of time. I just can't believe I had the opportunity to see this artist on stage, which was very much my same feeling when I saw Natalie Merchant a couple years back. It meant that much more having this almost life-long connection to it. It seemed like an honor to just listen to the music David Byrne created; either solo, in collaboration, or with Talking Heads. When I heard that he was putting out an album with St. Vincent, I was sort of, um...OVER. THE. MOON and then when XRT announced that it would be part of their amazing concert series they are hosting right now, I freaked out, especially when The Chicago Theatre was announced as the venue. Here was my chance; my chance to see yet another artist that I love and admire, within the walls of The Chicago Theatre. Tickets were purchased (thanks to Dan!), the date was planned, and off to the city I went to delve into pure funk and love that David Byrne & Annie Clark would bring.

We enjoyed a fine meal at Elephant & Castle and supplemented ourselves just fine before the show started just after 8. So here's the thing, Dan and I were not sitting together, not even close, which was a bummer. I had main floor, he had balcony. Honestly though, I moved around way too much for anyone to keep up with me. So I was in row R...well, that didn't really work out for me. I never even really sat in my seat; as soon as I knew where it was, I just bolted for the front of the stage to snag a few pictures;

Look at all that brass just waiting to be played!

I was over the moon at this point. Absolutely revved.

What I was really stoked about was upon getting the album, Love This Giant, I was really pleased with it. Sometimes, new albums can be so hard for me to dive into, even if I know I'm going to see that artist live and need to gear up. This one was so easy for me to melt into and have a lot of emotion towards. It made me feel so many things at once, but mostly I just wanted to dance. Those horns man, they sound SO good live. It's such a funky collaboration; like it almost seems like...too perfect, but something you would have never conjured up in your head. To have both of these artists lay down vocals and instrumentals on one CD is absolutely awesome.

Here's the thing, I dance. I dance a lot at shows. In places or times where that restricts me when I'm at one, is a definite issue. So I started out standing off to the side off my seat, in the aisle. Yes, that's right, The Chicago Theatre is a seated venue, which has its huge perks and some downfalls. When 'Who' started floating through my surroundings, I got INTO THE GROOVE! I cannot even fathom staying seated for any point in that show. I peeked at the setlist for the St. Louis show that happened before ours, and I freaked out, I literally screamed when I saw that they had incorporated Talking Heads songs into the setlist. I knew what to expect song wise. See, I've done this before. I know you're not supposed to dance in the aisles of The Chicago Theatre, but I cannot abide those rules. I know that I have to stay back for x amount of time before I start really making my way down the aisle dancing. Of course, this could only really be contained until the fourth or fifth song that was rolled out; 'Strange Overtones' & 'I Am An Ape'. This was all going very well by the way, me aisle dancing. I wasn't bumping into anyone, I was rackin' up high fives from awesome audience members, and I was workin' up a sweat until, well, of course I got yelled at by security. That wouldn't be the first time that night. So in the meantime, I slowed my roll (hardly) and took more time to really admire the awesomely cheesy choreography that was being carried out on stage. The overall amount of movement and placements throughout was fantastic. It was all rather divine, along with the best of the brass being projected through the theatre. It was such a neat album to hear carried out live. The lights were fantastic too, the whole layout of the whole concert was something my brain wants to have on repeat forever.    I love it when after a few songs in David chuckled in reaction to something an audience member said and Annie chimed in with "We didn't choreograph laughter..." I love her and her adorable wit.

When 'This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)' came on, I just about lost it. I went real close to the stage this time and tried to soak up every ounce of what was happening (and then of course I got yelled at by security). Was this REALLY being played in front of me?! I mean, yeah, I knew what to expect in terms of song choice, but seeing it on paper and having your eardrums soak up the sound are two different things here. It was delightful. The rest of the setlist was delicious; (some of this I'm a bit fuzzy on)

this was a great sum-up of the show that I found on YouTube.

It's not mine and it's not even from the same show,

but it is on pointe to what happened and is definitely worth the watch!

Setlist: Who, Weekend In The Dust, Save Me From What I Want, Strange Overtones, I Am An Ape, Marrow, This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody), The Forest Awakes, Optimist, Like Humans Do, Lightning, Lazarus, Cheerleader, Lazy, I Should Watch TV ♥, Northern Lights, The One Who Broke Your Heart, Outside of Space & Time.

Encore 1: Cruel, Burning Down The House

Encore 2: The Party, Road To Nowhere

Me under the magical little lights at the magical venue! I love The Chicago Theatre!

David was conducting me in dance...or so I'd like to think.

Of course, I knew that I wouldn't be able to continually dancing around in the same area that I had been, so I was on a hunt for a new spot. Which is so disappointing. IT WAS DAVID BYRNE! LET THE PEOPLE DANCE! I knew there had been a handful of seats closer to the stage, but I wanted to get into the middle of this crowd, I wanted to be in front of Byrne & Clark. So I made sure to wait for the perfect moment to head over and out into the next aisle. Before I knew it I was in row MM, CENTER, on the aisle with a 5 empty seats next to me. Can you say "PERFECT"?! A few people joined in there to dance with me, which is always nice. The song I was most excited for, besides the big Talking Heads hits, was 'I Should Watch TV'. This song rocked me to the core the first time I heard it and continues to do so (no seriously, I have to listen to it, like, 8 times a day). I knew I had to be scampering down the aisle when it was on as well as exhibit some dance moves I had thrown along with it. I love how David went into it with a little story, making the anticipation that much greater. I am so glad they played it so I could expend so much energy into 3 minutes and 09 seconds. I was sort of shocked at the amount of people NOT really moving. A lot of people were standing on the main floor, but no one was really getting down with the tunes. Did they know which concert they were at? Really? It's DB, you should just get up and dance if he's just standing in front of you.

"HEY, WAIT! WAS THAT A THEREMIN?!"  YEAH IT WAS! - AWESOME.

Here was 'Burnin' Down The House', which was just UNREAL.
Again, this is not mine, it's from the show before mine, but same feel!

But seeing 'Road To Nowhere' was exquisite, especially for the last tune. Wow. WOW!

I cannot believe I actually got to see him on stage performing this song or any Talking Heads song for that matter. The energy they exuded was absolutely beyond. Annie and David had such a nice chemistry on stage and he sounds so, so good still. He hit every note so well and just really took command of the stage. He is such an artist and it was an honor to be in his presence and have his eyes catch mine in a groovy tune that night. I can tell you that my shirt was soaked with sweat for a good hour and a half after it was over. And Annie? To see her play that guitar is righteous. She can create sound on that thing, it's not just a guitar for her. She's truly amazing and hard to take your eyes off of, even with someone like David Byrne standing next to her.

I tried waiting outside the venue for a good hour to try to snag a shot of the dynamic duo, but no such luck, only good conversations with other people waiting. No such luck even snagging a set list from that show, man! I was one of the last people away from the stage at the end begging [yes, begging] for that musical list. A few people mentioned that they thought it seemed more sided towards St. Vincent, but I thought David had a lot of shining moments that did not include Annie. The album is well divided, too. I think they both bring something different to the table and those things they brought were mucho importante. In the interviews I watch with them summing it up, it seemed like so much back and fourth, and even Annie said that he was really able to turn her ideas into songs and music. I can see how some people might not receive it, but if you even remotely like Talking Heads or St. Vincent, you must check it out. It is a great, distinguishable mix between the both of them, with this otherworldly brass element that makes it ROCK.

The best part is that even after the show, I'm still bumpin' the album like CRAZY. I literally almost feel odd listening to anything else. Some shows are like that for me, where I'm swimming in the album for weeks after the show is over. Sometimes I have a hard time listening to it because I want to keep that memory there, in that venue. I hope my excitement towards this show has got you excited to sample the album, or buy it and love it 'till the end of time. Let me know your thoughts! If there are tickets available for your town- SNAG THEM UP! Try to avoid security if you're dancing in the aisles!

-T

This one is for you, David Byrne.

I wrote a status on facebook yesterday.

"David Byrne, Cream Cheese, & Everything bagels are just a few of the reasons why I'm lovin life today."

So true. On the way to the local Jewel, I popped in the "Once In A Lifetime" Album.

While I was at the store, I snagged Everything bagels and two types of cream cheese.

Garden Veggie and regular (obvious choice, especially if you're me)

I had gotten into 2 in-depth conversations about Everything bagels smothered in cream cheese on Monday and decided that Tuesday needed to include this simple breakfast item.

While I was on the way back I realised how much I LOVED David Byrne.

This was not the first time.

David Byrne is the front man of The Talking Heads-- one of my favourite bands.

I was practically raised on the song "Psycho Killer" & "Once In A Lifetime".

Eric and I watched the "Stop Making Sense" DVD a few weeks ago & I was hooked.

Those cheekbones! That Lankiness (which normally is a turn off)! Those awesome moves!

Sometimes I think that David Byrne would be the only one who appreciates my funky dance moves. He would have TOTALLY let me dance on the stage while he sang awesomeness.

He just seems so fun to work with.

The movie is worth seeing if you love great music & interested in seeing a unique way of making it.

It's odd, normally I am not one to think anyone of pop culture is good looking. Mostly overrated.

(of this era anyways).

I was never a Brad Pitt/Orlando Bloom/Josh Hartnet kind of girl. I just never saw a point.

I never had posters slathered over my walls of the latest "hottie" of the time.

I'm into something different I suppose. But David Byrne is sexy in an odd way. I dig that.

When I refer to David Byrne in this post, I more so am pulling that from 1984. See here;

RIGHT?! So awesome.

Watch the intro to Stop Making Sense HERE

So needless to say;

David Byrne, everything bagels, & cream cheese

rocked my world yesterday.

Skating 5 days a week is taking it's toll on my body. The double loop killed my hips.

It was worth it since they are getting much better. I worked on my spins today.

The one thing I'd love to exude in skating is my love for the sport. I want people to know I love it when they watch me. That emotion is so important to emphasize in skating.

You can truly tell a difference between someone who loves it & someone being forced into it.

I love how each time I step onto the ice I get nervous. Where I say;

"Wow, I have to do things on this ice."

I love that I still get nervous. That's how I know it means a lot to me.

When it literally changes my state of mind and enhances my nerves.

I'm taking a break from skating & hitting the gym tomorrow.

It will be good to strength train when my body isn't at its strongest.

PS: I MISS WALKING WEATHER!

I cannot wait till the days warm up to the 40's and 50's. Then I can take nice long walks in the morning/afternoons. Come summer I want to walk before breakfast and after dinner.

I don't mind the gym, but if I can be outside in the summer, I'm all about it.

But I'll always prefer the ice or the dance studio.

I am so excited to go to work tomorrow :)

Wednesdays are looking fabulous. It's a long day at skating as well a day to catch up and hang out with friends/do anything I please. Today I hung out with Cady for the majority of the day.

This included lunch at Jason's Deli, setting up and using my GLOW DOME!, and seeing NINE.

All very good. I'm glad we ended up seeing Nine. It was interesting but fun to watch.

Anywho tomorrow will be a morning where I devour an everything bagel smeared with cream cheese. It will be a very good morning.

Don't forget to eat a delicious breakfast tomorrow morning!

A mug of warm water and a slice of lemon will do the body good (a tip from the sis-in-law).

Have a great day tomorrow :)

remember the game "Memory?"

Why HELLO! Don't forget tomorrow is TUESDAY. Don't worry, we will all make the mistake.

So, I was stumbling around on the internet, facebook chatting, and of course jammin to Pandora when I realized I should definately be blogging. Lately I have been writing when I have been 2/3 asleep. No bueno. Last night my biggest frustration came from not being able to transfer my pictures from my phone to the computer through a cord I received through Matthew (this alleviates the problem of having to take the chip in and out constantly). It took me awhile to figure it out. It caused me to get even more tired. Yikes.

Today was a good day overall. I woke up at nine (everyone seemed to be texting me) and Danielle came over at 10:30 and she and I went on an hour and a half walk through the perserve. It was fun times for sure. I came home, showered, and met up with my brother to go pick out a gift for my dad. I will keep it hush hush for now (even though I'm pretty positive he doesn't read this) ha ha. I feel pretty good about our gift. My parents came back today. I went to Matthew's house for dinner at six for ribs, potato salad, homemade hummus/pita chips, and fruit and cake. Loved it. Smoked hookah while Matthew and Eric attended to a shitty game of cards where Eric barely understood the rules. It was enjoyable. We watched a show of "Always Sunny In Philidephia". Pretty funny; glad I saw an episode.

Even though the weather wasn't the greatest, I enjoyed the true laziness of the day. Yesterday was where it was at for your socialization outdoors. Today was a day to watch marathons of your favorite TV shows, get crafty, or spend time with some family. I have always welcomed rainy weather with open arms. However, this morning I believe everyone was dragging. The rain is a great change of pace and it give you a break from watering your plants. You cannot complain about the latter! ;)

So I anticipate what is to come for my summer. I cannot have any hopes. I cannot look forward to anything too much; you tend to really let yourself down when you hype things up. No expectations is the way to go with summers, I've learned. Hopefully some awesome things will come into the works. I've really been diggin the Talking Heads lately. I've always been a fan, but I hear more and more and I like them. David Byrne sounds so much like Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root... well, vice versa, I suppose and I LOVE rusted root so it all makes sense in the end.

Tomorrow = cookies! Woohoo! I think I might sneak in a lil skate time. I miss it so much. I cannot believe my little skater friend Julie quit! It saddens me. Matthew and I watched her compete a few weeks ago and it's crazy to end something so big in your life that you devote all your time to. It is hard to want to reach the top while they just keep making it harder to do so. It is such a stressful and intense sport. I loved quitting and having all that free time, that was back when I was in 5th grade. I had already been doing the sport for 7 years and I was only 10! Now I wish I could have just showed a little god damn dedication. In the end it was the right thing to do to meddle in theater, cheerleading, chess club, friends, boyfriends, soccer, and work. Sometimes we have to pursuit other interests in hopes to find out what truly suits us. You can't just keep doing the same thing over and over if you're not confident it's what you want to continue doing. I'm excited to see where she goes.

I will leave you with videos and pictures of the weekend.

I love love love having flowers in my room. Anything to add a little life. I keep a lot of flowers. Normally I keep one flower from an important/meaningful bouquet. So I have vases of dead flowers all over. So having some flowers that are full of life and add so much great smell to my room are really quite the bonus. These are beautiful too! I cannot remember the name though! :(

Finally you get to see these barrettes I'm making. 

They are coming along. Each one gets better!

This is p 1 of the video walk with Danielle. Ha Ha. man oh man.

What a fuzzy morning. I wanted to sleep! Oh well, this made it worth it.

 and this would be p2 of the video walk. The infamous TREE!!

Sorry it's sideways; but you can work with it!

Jeepers! Time for me to skedattle into bed! Muy tired. Time to turn off the weather channel, turn off the speakers, but the computer to sleep, and scurry into bed. Have a delightful night! Drink a lot of water tomorrow!

-tessaroobopalop