David Byrne Delivers An Electrifying Performance in N.Y.C.

David Byrne performing at Radio City Music Hall on Sept. 30, 2025.

credit: Rich Fury/MSG Entertainment

David Byrne’s recent appearance at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on Wednesday was more than just a rock show—it was also a multimedia presentation, an experimental theater piece, and a dance performance all rolled up into one entertaining and joyful experience.

Accompanied by a cast of 12 instrumentalists and dancing singers, all dressed in bright blue outfits, the former Talking Heads frontman played a two-hour balanced set of favorites from his erstwhile band and cuts from his most recent solo album Who Is the Sky? What made this show (the second of four scheduled nights at the famed venue) so interesting and unusual was that Byrne and his players roamed the stage in choreographed moves without being encumbered by gear, wires, standing microphones and speakers. Surrounded by a mirror-like backdrop that showed elaborate video footage and 360-degree photography, the experience was a feast for the senses.

But even without the razzle-dazzle, the musical performances by Byrne and company were no short of electric, drawing from the musician’s 50-year career that spanned such styles as New Wave, post-punk, avant-garde and world music, featuring his quirky musings on society. The new songs from Who Is the Sky?, such as “Everybody Laughs,” “I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party” and “My Apartment Is My Friend.” fit in well with the Talking Heads material like “And She Was,” “Life During Wartime” and “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody).” He also threw in an unlikely cover of Paramore’s “Hard Times” (a nod to that band’s singer Hayley Williams, who guested on “What Is the Reason for It?” from the new album).

Byrne was in top form at this particular show (his distinct tenor sounds ageless), and so did his young and energetic ensemble for their musicianship and adroit choreography. By the end of the set, everybody in the orchestra section stood up for the trifecta of Heads’ classics: “Psycho Killer,” “Life During Wartime” and “Once in a Lifetime.” The encore consisted of “Everybody’s Coming to My House,” from Byrne’s 2018 album American Utopia, and the iconic Heads funk rocker “Burning Down the House.”

There were also sobering moments during the show, such as onscreen footage of contemporary New York City street scenes and news clips of ongoing protests throughout the country. During the performance of “T-Shirt,” slogans appeared that said such things as “Make America Gay Again,” “No Kings” and “Remove the Bars That Keep Us Apart.” At one point, speaking to the audience, Byrne paraphrased a quote from actor-playwright John Cameron Mitchell — “Love and kindness are the most punk thing you can do right now” — which generated cheers and applause.

A person would have to possess a heart of stone not to find something deeply resonant or moving from Byrne’s show, which might arguably be one of the most outstanding concert productions in recent memory.

David Byrne will return to Radio City Music Hall on Oct. 10 and 11 for the ‘Who Is the Sky?’ tour, which runs through Dec. 6 in the U.S.

Setlist:

Heaven

Everybody Laughs

And She Was

Strange Overtones

Houses in Motion

T-Shirt

(Nothing but) Flowers

This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

What Is the Reason for It?

Like Humans Do

Don’t Be Like That

Independence Day

Slippery People

I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party

My Apartment Is My Friend

Hard Times

Psycho Killer

Life During Wartime

Once in a Lifetime

Encore:

Everybody’s Coming to My House

Burning Down the House