There David Byrne was, in all his 73-year-old glory on Tuesday night in Toronto, burning — or should we say Byrning? — down the house at Massey Hall.
The Talking Heads frontman, who just released his latest solo album, Who is The Sky?, was joined by a delightfully talented marching band of a dozen musicians, dancers and singers all dressed in the same blue jackets, pants and shoes as him as if to make the ensemble and not the man the star of the joyful, wonderfully inventive show.
Certainly, they were a sight to behold as they all performed choregraphed dance moves in front of an ever-changing, dazzling wall of video panels all night long.
With their instruments attached to them, there was constant movement over the course of the magnificent two-hour show, the first of three at Toronto’s most hallowed music venue.
Let’s just say I want to quit my day (night) job and become one of Byrne’s backup dancers-singers because they seemed to be having so much fun.
Get up and swing
The Scottish-born, New York-based musician, who has never shied away from hip-wiggling moves, opened the evening with verbal encouragement to stay in the moment — some stills and video were taken anyway given the visuals were stunning — and get up and dance and after a while that’s exactly what everyone was doing.
Gently opening the evening with Talking Heads song Heaven — that group’s material made up about half of the 21-song set list — Byrne easily moved into the new solo song Everybody Laughs before introducing the first real crowdpleaser, the Talking Heads classic And She Was.
And she was - and i was too! - at#davidbyrne@masseyhallfor 1st of three shows in#torontopic.twitter.com/ssND681HZi
— Jane Stevenson (@JaneCStevenson)October 22, 2025
Byrne explained that song was about some time he spent in Baltimore as a high schooler and asked a perennially joyous girl her secret to happiness.
Turned out she did LSD and laid down in a field outside of town.
And viola, a great song that has stood the test of time was born.
Also keeping the proceedings wonderfully up tempo was the Brian Eno collaboration Strange Overtones and the Talking Heads’ Houses in Motion — plus Byrne’s own T-shirt featuring a backdrop of various slogans including “Toronto Kicks Ass” and “I’m With Stupid.”
Probably my favourite#davidbyrnesong of the night @masseyhall - nothing but flowers.#torontopic.twitter.com/KenM0m3mkF
— Jane Stevenson (@JaneCStevenson)October 22, 2025
Dance tunes prevailed
Then it was back to more fancy footwork with the Talking Heads Nothing But Flowers and This Must Be The Place (Naive Song), his new solo song What is the Reason For It?, followed by his own Like Humans Do.
After the slightest of lulls during another new solo song Don’t Be Like That and Independence Day, Byrne and company found a major groove again with the Talking Heads’ Slippery People.
Beware of#slipperypeoplesings#davidbyrne@masseyhallin#torontopic.twitter.com/QTWUCj9G7T
— Jane Stevenson (@JaneCStevenson)October 22, 2025
There was some general fun and goofiness during new solo songs Moisturizing Thing and My Apartment Is My Friend — with the video backdrop showing off Byrne’s real-life New York apartment where he spent the entire pandemic alone — followed by a cover of Paramore’s Hard Times (band frontwoman Hayley Williams is featured on Who Is The Sky?).
However, nothing could beat the thrilling trio of Talking Heads chestnuts Psycho Killer, which Byrne hasn’t performed live in about two decades, Life During Wartime, and Once in a Lifetime that wound up the set.
The encore started beautifully with the band gathered around Byrne while a single lightbulb hovered above them for Everybody’s Coming to My House followed by the explosive show-closing Burning Down The House.
I played a lot of this song in 1983-84; Burning down the house#davidbyrne#toronto@masseyhallpic.twitter.com/tS2yqqkBe9
— Jane Stevenson (@JaneCStevenson)October 22, 2025
“Love and kindness are the new punk rock,” said Byrne, quoting Broadway performer and actor John Cameron Mitchell earlier in the show.
Certainly, there’s something to that given all the smiling, happy people exiting Massey Hall after Byrne had wrapped up.
He returns to the venue on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
SET LIST:
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
Moisturizing Thing
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
RATING: **** (four out of four)
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