“It’s not an accident that we’re on stage together,” David Byrne declared near the beginning of a concert Thursday with St. Vincent at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, Wash. Good thing he said that considering how little the two performers genuinely meshed during the show.
That said, the concert proved to be an enjoyable exposure to two generations of the rock avant-garde, complemented by an enthusiastic, eight-piece brass section, lrequently bopping around the stage as they played. Byrne, in a white button-down shirt and white slacks that almost emphasized he is 62, delivered new solo works and Talking Heads anthems with gusto. St. Vincent (New York guitar maven and singer Annie Clark) tested the audience with more rhythm-heavy, experimental songs.
Byrne and Clark are touring in support of last year’s collaboration, “Love This Giant.” The album is decent, though the two distinctive artists don’t really seem to forge a new, united form of expression on it. They didn’t really share the stage Thursday either, just kind of waving at each other as they took turns on lead vocals. Neither has a beautiful voice, and their harmonizing sounded strained and off-key.
Despite the lack of cohesion, the partnership worked in a weird way. I’ve seen Byrne solo before, and I felt a lot more energy from the stage Thursday. He joked with Clark between songs, wryly jigged during one number and sang anthems “Burning Down the House,” “Like Humans Do” and “Road to Nowhere” with great feeling.
St. Vincent, a pixie in a post-punk slit skirt with hair dyed pink and blond, was compelling in her own way, evoking Laurie Anderson and Bjork with her own brand of cosmic musings over propulsive beats. She revels in robotic movements, so was a good counterpoint for Byrne’s stage presence, which has mellowed considerably over the years. She could have showcased her magic with an electric guitar more, but found nex textures in “Cruel,” “Cheerleader” with the brass band.
Byrne and St. Vincent packed the amphitheater. Pockets of people on the lawn danced. During the encores, for the Talking Heads’ hits, everyone finally got up and got down with it.
– Claude Iosso
