A Virtual David Byrne Experience - by CyberYukon

Look Through This Eyeball

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David introduces the strings section and thanks them graciously for their help. There seems to be a glitch getting the strings levels into the mix. David laughs about it--he's having too much fun.

Bassist Paul F, provides a great beat and great backing vocals. He does some impressive fingering on the fretboard...

At one point David admits that he's tripped up on the next song's tempo. I yell out over the crowd "One!..two!...Three!..Four!". He shrugs and says "Okay..." and then continues with counting out my tempo. I live for moments like that!

David announces "for our last song...". Up comes "U.B. Jesus". Wait a minute! This can't be the end...

The song ends. That's it. The show's over. David again thanks the string section...

Can it be over this quickly? Have two hours gone by that fast?? David and the band take a collective bow and race off stage left. The stage lights go down but already the crowd has started to clap and stomp for an encore.The stomping gets louder...everyone near me begins to emit this baritone drone...louder...and louder. The clapping and stomping get louder...they must be hearing this all the way in St. Paul!!

Then, the stage lights flash back on as David suddenly appears, darting back onto the stage. grinning from ear to ear. He seems quite amazed and pleased at the thunderous approval that's now going on. He picks up his guitar, turns and nods to the other band mates... and then JAMS into---Surprise! A fantastic version of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". This catches everyone around me off-guard!

The crowd continues to clap!! David shrugs and pleads that there is only one more song that he can do--it's the only one left that the band has rehearsed. Like a great and furious storm that ends with a beautiful rainbow, David, standing proud and tall, begins the quiet sound of "The Accident". The descending notes of the chorus slowly bring the crowd back down to a final resting end.

And then it's over. The band rejoins for one more bow. They wave...and then they're gone. The house lights come up...David has left the building.

After the show I caught Paul talking with some girls who had followed the show from Chicago (and who Mike and I met and talked with briefly during Joe Henry's set). I asked Paul for a picture together. He graciously complied. Mike took the picture. The problem was, the flash somehow clicked off. My most eagerly anticipated picture...and here's how it came out. Sigh.I guess that's how life works sometimes.If you can make it out, I'm on the left and Paul's on the right (you can see his "Luaka Bop" shirt label).

Mike and I leave First Avenue. It's 12:30 AM and still cold and wet. Because it's so late the streets are empty. We have no problem finding our way out of the downtown and away. Mike and I return to our daily lives, the cold storm system continues to churn away overhead for the next few days...and David and the band head out to the great American West for the next few tourdates.

What a day that was. Thanks, Mr. B....hope to do it again sometime...

E-mail me at cyberyukon@yahoo.com