An Evening with David Byrne at SPAC on September 17, 2026
Talking Head David Byrne brought his Who Is The Sky? Tour to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s Albany Med Health System stage on Thursday, September 17, 2026. Although the inclement weather was overcast, drizzly, and damp, it did not dampen the mood, vibe, or energy of the night. On the contrary, Byrne and his incredibly talented ensemble put on a dynamic musical spectacle extravaganza that had the jubilant audience clapping, tapping, dancing, moving, grooving, and cheering, as well as present and listening, throughout their nearly two-hour set.
Prior to the start of the show, a pre-recorded announcement from Byrne invited patrons to turn off cell phones and tune in, and informed them that dancing was permitted. The lively laughter, crowd chatter, and excited anticipation could be felt, and a moonscape on large wrapping LED backdrops encircled the stage and heralded an otherworldly performance was coming. Bird sounds could be heard over the PA as the lights dimmed, and Byrne entered the stage, flanked by three members of his 12-piece duodecet (who all wear matching monochromatic blue uniforms) to rousing applause. The quartet – consisting of violin, cello, and drums – opened the show with an intimate version of Talking Heads’ “Heaven,” while the Earth slowly rose in the background, Bryne marveling at the end of the song, “There she is! Our Heaven. The only one we have.”
David Byrne has been a visionary music artist since his days with Talking Heads, often blending art, music, and movement, and this new project is a totally immersive sensory art-music-movement experience of vibrant colors (green, red, blue, orange), dazzling spectacles on the massive projection screens (landscapes, locales, animation, and visuals that augment and enhance each song), choreographed and free movement, and remarkably talented music and tech production. The members of this troupe are constantly in motion, playing their wireless instruments without any pesky cords attached, and singing their parts with headset/ear-mount style actor’s mics while traversing the stage. Each player got their own chance to shine with some magnificent solos during the night. It was both visually stunning, impressively executed, and at times equally poignant and joyful.
Bryne and his assembled group performed a mix of Talking Heads songs (faithful renditions, yet with modernized arrangements and instrumentation) and his own solo material, including a number of songs from his recent 2025 release Who Is The Sky?, and the sheer gravity of their enthusiasm and energy seemed to pull everyone in attendance into the show. With his congenial, conversational, and sometimes whimsical banter, Bryne further created an intimacy by sharing anecdotes, song-stories, personal photos, and togetherness affirmations (“Love and kindness are a form of resistance, they are the most punk thing you can do,” “People love being with other people,” “When we all sing together, everything is true”). During the song “T Shirts,” various t-shirt slogans and phrases appeared on the screens – some humorous, some political, and some blatantly pandering (“I <heart> Saratoga Springs”). It was one of those happenings where you had to pay close attention and did not want to blink or you’d miss something special.
Bryne made sure to emphasize that this was a team effort, and that he was part of a distinct cast. Besides Byrne on lead vocals and various guitars (a red telecaster, a mint-green Gretsch Penguin Parlor acoustic-electric guitar, and a Godin Multiac Nylon SA), the ensemble consists of Mauro Refosco (Music director and percussion), Ray Suen (Music director), Daniel Mintseris on keyboards, Kely Cristina Pinheiro on bass guitar, percussionists Timothy Keiper, Stéphane San Juan, and Yuri Yamashita, and singers/dancers: Sasha Rivero, Jordan Dobson, Sean Donovan, Tendayi Kuumba, and Hannah Straney. During “Independence Day,” a star-filled night sky backdrop contained illuminated first names of each member and followed their movements in accordance to where they were on stage.
Toward the end, after a stellar triad of Talking Heads classics (“Psycho Killer,” “Life During Wartime,” and “Once in a Lifetime”), the performers lined the edge of the stage for a collective group bow and exited, but Byrne had a few more encore moments to curate – first a captivating vocally-powerful rendition of “Everybody’s Coming to My House” with the entire cast gathered around a single shining light bulb overhead, and then an extended tour-de-force version of “Burning Down the House,” that had nearly every patron in the venue robustly shouting out the refrain. At the end, Bryne called out the entire production crew for a final bow, while credits rolled on the background screen of all those responsible for the show. This was a singular production – part music concert, part theatrical performance, part visual-audio art – that was thoroughly entertaining, a wonder to witness, and a joy of experience. Do yourself a favor: See. This. Show. https://davidbyrne.com/
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: Show Review: David Byrne at the Fox Theatre
SETLIST:
Heaven (Talking Heads song)
Everybody Laughs
And She Was (Talking Heads song)
Strange Overtones (Brian Eno & David Byrne cover)
Houses in Motion (Talking Heads song)
T Shirt
(Nothing but) Flowers (Talking Heads song)
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads song)
What Is the Reason for It?
Like Humans Do
When We Are Singing
Independence Day
Slippery People (Talking Heads song)
Moisturizing Thing
My Apartment Is My Friend
Air (Talking Heads song)
Psycho Killer (Talking Heads song)
Life During Wartime (Talking Heads song)
Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads song)
ENCORES:
Everybody’s Coming to My House
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads song)