David Byrne landed at Sofienbergparken with his bright, colourful, frenetic, and highly theatrical Who Is the Sky? tour, marking his first Norwegian appearance in more than 15 years. Undeniably the most anticipated headliner of this year’s Piknik i Parken, a charming festival well located in central Oslo, and the crowd was ready for him. After the slight delay due to the rain, Byrne took the empty stage alongside three musicians, all dressed in prison-style orange suits, for a beautiful and stripped-down rendition of Heaven. It was a simple yet powerful opening, and proof that the 74-year-old artist remains in full control of his voice.
Then, the rest of the 13 musicians and dancers then joined him for the joyful Everybody Laughs, the lead single from his latest album, followed by And She Was. Byrne continued with several Talking Heads classics, including Houses in Motion, (Nothing but) Flowers, and This Must Be the Place, alongside selections from his solo catalogue.
This tour borrows heavily from the genius of Byrne’s previous American Utopia tour. The minimalist stage design, portable instruments, and seamless integration of dancers, singers, and musicians bring remarkable fluidity and freedom to the performance. The production is further enhanced by multimedia screens surrounding the stage on three sides, replacing the cold but shiny chain-curtain backdrop of the previous tour.
Byrne is a gifted songwriter, but what sets him apart from many artists is his ability to make intellectual ideas and dark themes feel joyful. Lyrics from songs such as Life During Wartime and Psycho Killer are hardly cheerful, yet the audience sings, dances, and celebrates every moment of it. Ironically disturbing isn’t it?
Byrne concluded the evening with crowd favourites Once in a Lifetime, Everybody’s Coming to My House, and the explosive Burning Down the House. Another masterclass in live performance similar to the ingenuity of Stop Making Sense 40 odd years ago.
David Byrne remains one of popular music’s most inventive live performers and we were fortunate to witness his brilliance in a small Oslo park. While I wished the show could have been presented indoor to fully appreciate the scale of the production, this was nevertheless a night to remember. 5/6
Text: Olivier Fillion Boutin
Photography: Anne-Marie Forker
