Was the Raiders Game Fixed? The NCP Answer Your Browns Questions.

The North Coast Posse is a top five Browns twitter follow. @northcoastposse

The season is one quarter of the way in and the Browns sit at 1-2-1. Can this be considered a success?

Punter Supreme: Improvement: yes.  Success: No. Viewing a losing record as success just speaks to how bad the Browns have been.  More than anything, there is hope now. Not just blind faith as in recent seasons. We can see real improvement on both sides of the ball and it is creating some real excitement.  If the Browns win this week against the hated Ravens, I will boof an entire 40 oz. of Bud Light. Dilly Dilly to the B.

Big $: In professional sports, moral victories carry very little weight. Success is measured in wins and losses and the Browns record still reflects a losing culture. True success will come when they can truly start finishing games.

Which loss has been most painful?

Punter Supreme: So far, last week’s Oakland game was hard to swallow.  All the losses hurt, but taking an L after having a very rare two-score lead was difficult to watch.  

Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward are shaping up to be the best first round picks the Browns have had in a long time. How excited should Browns fans be about the future?

Big $: Having the Baker Buzz killed hurt more than the Tyrod losses. However, it may be the dose of common sense us Browns fans needed moving forward.

People drool all over the defense but they don't exactly close games out. How good are they? 

Punter Supreme: The jury is still out on this one.  Only 7 teams give up more yards per game, and only 3 give up more time of possession.  But they are a top-10 defense in terms of 3rd-down conversions allowed, and they average more than 3 takeaways per game.  The defense needs more consistency, but I think that will come as the younger players continue to develop. Even though they gave up 45 points to the lowly Raiders, they get a bit of a pass, because the offense had a few turnovers inside the Browns own 20 yard line that gave the Raiders a short field.

The Browns lost starting CB Terrance Mitchell to a broken his wrist last week, but the team has so much more depth in the secondary this season compared to years past that the unit should be able to fill the void he left.  

Was the Raiders game fixed?

Big $: Do you mean, “Was the game the Browns just played against the franchise that is currently en route to the gambling capital of the universe” fixed? NFL wagering is a billion dollar business and 3 points is thin enough that a call here and there can swing the tide completely. I think it would be naive to think that officials aren’t cognizant of how their actions could move stacks of cash. So in a nutshell, yes I do think there is a reason to believe foul play made an appearance in Oakland.

Looking ahead, what games do the Browns need to win for Hugh to keep his job? 

Punter Supreme: Hue has to win games in the division.  If he goes 0-fer in the AFC North, he is out for sure. If he losses games against other teams at the bottom of their divisions, like Houston and Atlanta, his seat will get hotter.  

Big $. I stated before the season that 2-5 would get Hue fired, and I stand by it, regardless of games won/loss.

What was the mood in Happy Valley after yet another OSU comeback win? - Baver Answers Colin's Questions

Colin: So describe the mood in Happy Valley as the Buckeyes came back again to snatch victory from the Nittany Lions.

Baver: A good number of fans remained in their seats well after the clock hit 0:00. They may have been stunned or just waiting until we (i.e. the obnoxious OSU fans) filed out. I don’t think I heard a word from a Penn St fan as we walked out of Beaver Stadium. Our tailgate was hosted by a PSU professor that we’ve known a long time. I felt sorta bad for the Penn St folks when we made it back to the tailgate. They were pretty down to say the least.

Colin: Did it feel like a victory party up until the big play by Bin Victor? When did panic set in?

Baver: It was the first top-10 matchup in Beaver Stadium in years. I got in the stadium about an hour before kick, and the early arriving Penn St students were already making a ton of noise. When they went up 26-14 with under 9 minutes to go, I think many Penn St fans thought this was going to be a dominating victory over Ohio St. It wasn’t just the score; the stats at that point showed a thorough butt whoopin’ of the 4th ranked team in the country.

I think they still felt they would hang on after the Victor TD, and still felt so when they pinned OSU at their own 4-yard line in front of the PSU student sections. It was probably the screen play on 1stdown, where JK gained 35 yds, when many of the PSU faithful first thought that their nightmare from 11 months prior might be relived.

Colin: How did people in the stands react to the 4th down play call and time out scenario that sealed the deal for the Buckeyes? Where you surprised by the call?

Baver: There wasn’t a lot I heard in the stands. Every OSU fan I talked with was baffled by the call. Personally, I don’t think it was a good call, but I think too much is being made of it. Franklin is of course a genius if the play goes for a big gainer. And many people still don’t know that it was a zone read call, where McSorley had the option to keep. A combination of things went wrong which led to about the worst result you could have on the play. And had McSorley kept it, he would have been smothered. Urban says Schiano told him that Penn St would run the zone read, and that they had called a play to defend it. And defend it Chase, Dre’mont, and company did. 

Colin: The defense really kept us in the game but again gave up a huge play. How do you grade their performance?

Baver: They played their best game of the year. No, this D is still not on par with most defenses that Urban has had, and many things again went wrong….but holding PSU to 26 pts is a pretty good effort. Yes, McSorley ran wild, but the PSU WRs and Miles Sanders did little to nothing. And the OSU D made the last 2 stops when they absolutely had to.

Colin: How about the offense?

Baver: 9 punts….that says a lot. It’s not like this is a dominating Penn St defense. Haskins struggled more than I thought he would and simply could not get in a rhythm. Still, he was pretty calm in leading a 75-yard drive followed by a 96-yard drive in the final 8 minutes when Ohio State had to have 2 TDs. Malcolm Pridgeon struggled at LG and the WR/TE drops hurt big time. But that atmosphere in a night, white-out in Beaver Stadium is ridiculous, and there are too many OSU fans hammering Dwayne. I think he’ll be fine and will learn a lot from this.

Colin: Penn State really should have won the last two meetings which would give James Franklin three straight wins over Urban. How would this change perceptions of the programs?

Baver: “Woulda, coulda, shoulda….it ain’t gonna get the rent paid.” © Watershed, 1997. 

PSU did get the better of Ohio State Saturday with the exception of the final score. But last year, Ohio State dominated in my eyes, having 529 total yds to Penn St’s 283. But PSU did indeed come within a whisker of winning both games. If they had, perception wise, Penn St would be the new kings of the B10, and Chris Fowler would be doing cartwheels.

Colin: Indiana at home this week. Should we fear an Iowa style melt down?

Baver: Indiana always gives OSU trouble and probably will again, at least for a while on Saturday, maybe longer. The Buckeyes are beaten up and really need to rest some guys. And Ohio St is making so many mistakes week in and week out, and committing so many penalties…this could be another one of “those” OSU-Indiana games. I don’t feel great about this one, but with Urban likely hammering his guys about last year’s follow-up game after Penn St, the Bucks should be okay. I’ve got OSU winning 37-17, pulling away in the 2ndhalf. I think the Hoosiers cover the 26.

Colin: Any other games and lines you will be keeping an eye on this weekend?

Baver: I like Florida getting 2 pts at home against LSU. Dan Mullen has Florida playing better and Ed Orgeron is destroying his reputation with LSU’s 5-0 start. With the ND-Va Tech spread now up to 7, I think the Hokies getting a full TD at home, at night is a solid play. I loved the Irish last week, but they pick their spots, and I think Justin Fuente and Va Tech hangs around here.

Jorma Kaukonen At Lost Weekend Records Sunday October 7th - by Scott Carr

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient Jorma Kaukonen will be making a very special appearance at Lost Weekend Records this coming Sunday, October 7th. Jorma will be promoting his autobiography Been So Long : My Life and Music, released by St. Martins Press on August 28th, 2018.

Jorma is a founding member and lead guitarist of the pioneering San Francisco based psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane. Jorma was a member of Jefferson Airplane during the bands entire existence from 1965 until their breakup 1972. In 1969 Jorma formed Hot Tuna with fellow Airplane member bassist Jack Casady, while Jefferson Airplane was on a hiatus. For awhile both bands co-existed and Hot Tuna even opened shows for Jefferson Airplane. After the 1972 Airplane breakup, Jorma turned his focus to Hot Tuna. Initially Hot Tuna was an acoustic-based unit that showcased Jorma's finger-picking guitar style. Eventually Hot Tuna would go "electric" with the release of their 1974 album The Phosphorescent Rat. Various members of Jefferson Airplane performed with Hot Tuna over the years but Jorma and Jack have been the core of the group and they still perform several shows each year as Hot Tuna. Jorma has also released several solo albums over the years, beginning with 1974's Quah.

In 1998 Jorma - along with wife Vanessa - opened Fur Peace Ranch located in the village of Pomeroy, the county seat of Meigs County Ohio. Fur Peace Ranch is a music and guitar camp that has allowed Jorma to get back to his roots of teaching guitar, which is a passion he had been pursuing prior to his days with the Airplane. The guitar camp gives players of varied skill sets a chance to spend a weekend together and immerse themselves in music and learn from each other. It's not a Rock N Roll Fantasy camp, but more of a creative adventure that sparks inspiration.

Jorma performing at Fur Peace Ranch with Steve Earle. Photo taken by Kyle Siegrist.

Jorma calls it “a ranch that grows guitar players.”

Lost Weekend Records owner Kyle Siegrist attended his first guitar camp at Fur Peace in September of 1998 and has returned several times over the past two decades.

In 2007 Jorma did an in-store performance at Lost Weekend Records to promote his then recently released Stars In My Crown CD. The store was standing room only for this performance and even the parking lot was full of Jorma fans hoping to hear a bit of the performance.

This Sunday, October 7th, Jorma is returning to Lost Weekend Records for a very special and intimate event focusing on his new book Been So Long: My Life and Music.

Jorma will be conducting two readings from the book which will include song performances, a Q&A session and a chance for attendees to get copies of Been So Long signed. The first reading will take place at 11AM, followed by another at 1PM . With limited space for the book readings, both sold out quickly. The good news is, Jorma will be hanging around the store for an extra 2 hours to sign books and meet fans that weren't able to get into the book readings.

Lost Weekend Records will have plenty of books on hand to purchase and get signed. The General Public book signing will begin at 2PM and go until 4PM. No tickets are needed for this portion of the event.

Lost Weekend Records is located at 2960 North High Street Columbus, OH 43202

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the recent passing of Jefferson Airplane member Marty Balin. Marty passed away September 27, 2018 at the age of 76.

Jorma posted a touching tribute to his fallen band mate and friend. Here is just a piece of that tribute..

"Marty and I were young together in a time that defined our lives. Had it not been for him, my life would have taken an alternate path I cannot imagine. He and Paul Kantner came together and like plutonium halves in a reactor started a chain reaction that still affects many of us today. It was a moment of powerful synchronicity. I was part of it to be sure, but I was not a prime mover. Marty always reached for the stars and he took us along with him." - Jorma Kaukonen

I will leave you with a few YouTube clips featuring some of Jorma's work over the years, including a song Jorma co-wrote with Marty Balin called "She Has Funny Cars" from Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow album.

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps and Returning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Tom Petty TV Party Tribute - by James Baumann

Bad news breaks differently now. Before, when a musician died, you heard about it over a conversation at a bar or a day or two later in the newspaper. Some artists would warrant a radio DJ dropping in to share the bad news. They had to be Elvis of John Lennon to get the breaking-news treatment on television.

Now, however, the five stages of musical grief are pretty-well established. 1. Social media rumblings begin. 2. A frantic search for details. 3. Confirmation from a “real” news source. 4. Heartfelt tweet or Facebook post about how gutted one is. 5. Collective remembrance of artist through posts from other fans.

One year ago we tumbled through these steps for Tom Petty. The memories of Prince and David Bowie were all still fresh in our minds, but this one hit a little differently. With them it was a shock because; through their aura and mystery, one could be forgiven for thinking they were immortal. For Petty the shock came because his everyman compartment made him so relatable it was more like losing a relative; the uncle who you always could count on at family gatherings to deliver stories and smiles. This may have been even more the case because of the recent release of Warren Zanes’ definitive biography of the man.

The overall relatability of Tom Petty and his songwriting genius was on full display in the days following his death. The final step expanded beyond the usual as artists quickly amended their setlist to include covers of Petty’s songs. This, in and of itself, was not a surprise. What was remarkable was the wide range of bands that paid their tributes through song: classic acts, country and Americana bands, punks, rock stars, and on and on. Thanks to the ubiquitous cell phones at shows, most of these were captured for YouTube posterity. A sampling.

---

Bob Dylan – “Learning To Fly”

There are few truths in this world. One of them is if Dylan chooses to pay tribute to you and your music, you’ve left your mark.

John Fogerty - “I Won’t Back Down”

There are many parallels between Fogerty and Petty from tone to attitude, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. Adding to the poignancy of this performance is his story of how he uses this song as his personal pump-up anthem and the fact he performed it at a show in the wake of the Vegas mass shooting.

Little Steven – Even the Losers

It’s not much of a surprise that a rock and roll historian like Little Steven would pay tribute.

Foo Fighers – “Breakdown”

Dave Grohl, obvious by now, knows just about anyone who has ever picked up a guitar. I’m going to assume, though, that his friendship with Petty ran a bit deeper than others and there is, indeed, an alternate universe where he joined the Heartbreakers instead of forming the Foo Fighters.

Eddie Vedder - “Room at the Top”

Eddie Vedder, like Grohl, is always happy to join someone on stage or invite someone else up. And, like Grohl, had a genuine friendship with Petty and the Heartbreakers. Just last week he and Scott Thurston performed Petty songs at the Ohana Festival. Probably his most public tribute, though, was when he performed the underrated “A Room at the Top” during the Oscars’ in memoriam segment.

The Killers – “American Girl”

The Killers, with their flash and neon, would seem to be anthesis to Petty’s back-to-basics style, but they more than do justice to “American Girl” kicking off their ACL Festival set.

Miley Cyrus – “Wildflowers”

Also from the I-did-not-see-that-coming category was Miley Cyrus and her dad using her Tonight Show slot to pay tribute. She also did an even more stripped-down version for Howard Stern’s show.

Aaron Lee Tasjan with Patty Griffin – “Insider”

Guitarist Mike Campbell has said he could imagine a tribute show where multiple singers join the Heartbreakers to perform the Wildflowers album. If it comes to fruition, Aaron Lee Tasjan deserves consideration for one of those slots. Consider his solo version of “The Waiting” and “American Girl” performed the next night, as well as his duet with Lilly Hiatt of “Walls,” Finally, he teams up with Griffin in the Stevie Nicks role for this duet.

Wilco – “The Waiting”

The Petty influence on Wilco was much more evident on their first two or three records, but they still made a point of adding this song for a handful of shows last October.

Against Me! – “Running Down a Dream”

This may seem to be the most surprising act to pay tribute, but Laura Jane Grace’s story of pretend-playing along to Full Moon Fever on a tennis racquet makes the connection obvious.

University of Florida Football Fans.- “I Won’t Back Down”

Finally, there’s this tribute from the crowd at a University of Florida football game.. It’s not exactly an impromptu gesture – the song was played over the loudspeakers and they may have even put the lyrics on the scoreboard like it’s the Star-Spangled Banner – but when the crowd belts out the “heeeeeeey baby” you’d have to be pretty heartless to not get lost in the moment. Petty may have been all-too ready to get out of Gainsville as a hot-headed rebel, but as he would show later — particularly on the Southern Accent and Highway Companionalbums — part of him never really left. And, in this clip, his hometown remembered and appreciated that fact.

Others to check out:

• Rhett Miller, Gordon Keith and Ben Kweller – "Walls"

• Chris Stapleton – “Learning to Fly”

• Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Dave Matthews, Patty Griffin – “Refugee”

• Goo Goo Dolls – “American Girl”

• Father John Misty – “To Find A Friend”

• Dawes – “Free Fallin’”

• Avett Brothers – “You Don’t Know How If Feels”

What is Ohio State Walking into Saturday Night? Baver Answers Colin's Questions

Colin: Some potent Ohio State offenses have struggled in the hostile Happy Valley environment. You have been there before and are headed there again this weekend. What makes it such a tough place to score points?

Baver:The noise level is insane….parts of the stadium will vibrate at times when the Nits have it goin’. It’s been complete mayhem for the three games I’ve attended there, 2005, 2014 and 2016 - all white-outs. Their fans can be taken out of the game, as any crowd can if their team is getting hammered. But if they are in the game, the PSU fans sustain their loudness for long periods of time. It’s just so hard to stay in rhythm on offense in that environment. I know Ohio St wasn’t prepared for it in ’05, scoring only 10 pts when they had a high-powered offense.

Colin: On Saturday, If Haskins Jr plays as well against Penn State as JT Barrett did last year, will he become the Heisman front runner? 

Baver: Tua’s got a big lead right now and is going to be tough to pass unless Bama gets upset, and that may not even matter. I see he’s favored against the field right now by some sportsbooks, but Dwayne has the 2nd best odds. Haskins has by far the best skillset I have seen in terms of a passer that has played here. But we’ve seen so many good QBs fade here (Schlichter after his sophomore year, Troy’s infamous last game against Florida, & JT’s passing in late ’16 and ’17), so I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself with Dwayne.

Colin: Can Penn State hope to hold the Buckeyes to under the 39 points they scored last year in Columbus? 

Baver: 39 sounds about right to me for an over/under on Ohio St’s pts scored. But I worry that OSU might not be able to spell Dobbins. I know Urban said Weber will play, but I’m not so sure. With the pace this Buckeye offense is running at, they need both Weber and Dobbins Saturday night in Beaver Stadium. Still, Ohio State has a lot of weapons, and a gunslinger at QB. And I would argue that TCU has a better defense than Penn State’s.

Colin: Conversely, can this Bosa-less defense hold the Lions to under the 38 they scored against the Bucks in 2017?  

Baver: Do you know how many tackles the three starting Buckeye LBs had against Tulane? Zero. Unreal. I have no confidence in this LB crew, so the OSU D-line and DBs have to get it done. Chase Young needs to come up big. And the so-called 50/50 balls that McSorley throws up? Those passes are completed every time I’m watching…which is why anyone calling them 50/50 balls is selling McSorely and his WRs short. 38 pts by the Nits Saturday? That’s another number that again sounds about right to me. 

Colin: Nationally, where do you think the OSU v PSU game fits among much watch college rivalries? 

Baver: It’s not there yet, but as long as Urban and James Franklin hang around, this game is going to huge, and the rivalry is going grow big time.

Colin: Final thoughts and prediction? 

Baver: I’ll give the slightest advantage to Ohio State here, as they have fewer personnel questions and better depth. But many of OSU advantages are somewhat offset by the edge Penn State gains in playing Ohio State at night in Beaver Stadium in a white-out. Dwayne hasn’t showed any signs of getting in a funk on the big stage, but this will be unlike anything he has played in. I tend to think he will again hold up well as long as the pass protection is at least adequate. I do worry about Miles Sanders and KJ Hamler possibly both coming up big Saturday night for the Penn State offense (and Hamler as on returns). Hamler is 170 pounds soaking wet, but the kid is electric.

The last two gms have decided by a total of 4 pts and the ’14 gm there went double-OT. I tend to think it will be another one of those games. 

Prediction: Ohio State 42 Penn State 40.

Colin: Know you are traveling but any other games you will be checking in on this weekend? 

Baver: The spread is higher than I thought it would be with Notre Dame currently a 5½ pt favorite over Stanford. But the timing of this game really gives the Irish a big advantage. I think Notre Dame has been waiting on Stanford, while the Cardinal had that emotional comeback win in Eugene last Saturday night. I don’t think they will have much left in the tank, and really like Notre Dame at home in this spot. And I really like the move to Ian Book at QB.

I’ll leave it at that, other than picking OSU to win, but not covering in a very tight game. And we’re going to see a lot of fireworks Saturday night. Can’t wait.

Well, How Did I Get Here? Tracing My Love for the Talking Heads by Anne Marie

So Colin wants to know about the David Byrne show and why I like the Talking Heads in the first place. He feels like he “missed the bus” on the whole Talking Heads thing. And I feel so freaking happy that I’ve been on the bus for as many crazy decades as I have. My only regret is that I wasn’t standing in CBGB‘s back in the mid-1970s when it all began. But I wasn’t. Back then I was still a kid in Rochester, New York. Hometown of Foreigner’s Lou Gramm and home to really one radio station of any note, 96.5 WCMF “Long Live Rock” FM.

Luckily, MTV launched in 1981 and one of my favorite videos ever, the Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” was in heavy rotation to expand my musical universe. Byrne, all nerded out in a skinny suit, bowtie and big Buddy Holly glasses, sweating profusely and hyperventilating, breaks out some spectacularly spasmodic, epileptic dance moves choreographed by Mickey’s Toni Basil (“Oh Mickey, you’re so fine, You’re so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey, hey Mickey!”) while he appearing to undergo some sort of religious conversion.  Afro-funk beat and global-inspired dance moves. It was so very different than anything else I had seen/heard, even by MTV standards, and I was instantly hooked.

There was an amazing art theater on BU’s campus in the 1980s, Nickelodeon Cinemas, wedged between classroom buildings on Cunningham Street, and of course it showed Jonathan Demme’s concert film Stop Making Sense? when it premiered in 1984. If you have seen this, Byrne first appears on an empty stage, armed with only an acoustic guitar, and eventually is joined by bassist Tina Weymouth, drummer Chris Frantz and keyboardist Jerry Harrison. They then play hit after Talking Heads hit, ending with a wild performance in which Byrne propels himself about the stage grooving and jerking to the music in now iconic enormous white suit.

At that point, it felt like all Boston was consumed by Talking Heads fever.  We would party hop from school to school and every party, from BU to MIT, Harvard, BC and all the little colleges in the brownstones in the city would be blasting "Burning Down the House". I remember scavenging the record stores for used cassettes of Speaking in Tongues and other selections I was missing from the Talking Heads catalog. I splurged and bought Little Creatures new when it came out in 1985 and Naked when it came out in 1988 (somehow I missed 1986’s True Stories). Naked contains my favorite song, (Nothing But) Flowers”, which I love for Byrne’s lyrics.  After seeming to rhapsodize about the return to an agrarian society,

There was a shopping mall

Now it's all covered with flowers

You've got it, you've got it

Byrne flatly rejects that hippy 60s utopian vision and pleads not to leave him stranded there.  

“Flowers” has my one of my favorite song lines ever (“I dream of cherry pies, candy bars, and chocolate chip cookies”) which I like only slightly less than Ben Folds’ “I grew up on sugar cereal and TV/I'm starting to wonder what you see in me” from “Not a Fan”).

Later in 1988, I was studying abroad in Madrid and Stop Making Sense? made its way to the screen there.  The theater was packed and the audience went crazy for it.  I remember being so proud to be an American. I know that’s weird but absolutely true.

So, not much happened with the Talking Heads after that. They dissolved shortly after the release of Naked but officially disbanded in 1991. That’s the year I finished law school so I’m not sure I even noticed. In 2002, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of the band's albums appeared on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and three of their songs ("Psycho Killer", "Life During Wartime", and "Once in a Lifetime") were included among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Did I know this until I did a quick Wikipedia search? No, not specifically. Because besides keeping their music in regular rotation, I really had stopped actively following the disbanded band’s goings ons.

Then, early this year, I came across Bryne signing Bowie’s Heroes in a Choir! Choir! Choir! video. Oh, that voice and that presence! I knew right that moment that if I had the chance to see him in concert singing Talking Heads stuff, I would be there.  

And so it seemed serendipitous when I learned that Byrne was touring and while he would not be coming to Columbus, he would be coming very close.  In between catching the Heroes video and hearing about the tour, Byrnes had released his American Utopia solo album and I had received a live stream of it from one of my NPR music subscriptions and instantly felt at home with a few of the songs on the album. Little did I then know that I would be working and living in Boston in time to catch one of his two shows here in early August.

Ah yes, the show, I was supposed to write about the show.  Remember Stop Making Sense? and how first it was just Byrne on the stage with a guitar and then one band member joined him at a time?  Well, American Utopia started with Byrne sitting alone on a stage holding a big brain. The stage was boxed in by floor to ceiling curtains of silver-colored beads and in that sense it resembled the stage of a musical rather than a rock show. There was no drum kit, no microphone stands, no guitar racks, no amps, no roadies scurrying around busy with last minute setup and tunings. Byrne was in a business suit, this time grey and not oversized, but this reference back to Stop Making Sense? invoked in me the clearly intended sense of deja vu.  Through these beaded curtains various groupings of Byrnes’ nearly dozen (11? - hard to count when they all were dressed identically and in constant, choreographed singing, music-making motion) musicians and dancers would pop in and out, appearing and disappearing as primarily white and blue lights bathed and flashed about the stage. At times, the effect was mesmerizing, like watching a giant fish tank of sparkly silver tropical fish dart and swim about.

The musicians all wore their instruments strapped to them so they could move about the the stage and, together with the two uber-cheerful dancers, execute Byrne’s classic freaky awkward but oh so fun to watch choreographed dance moves to songs including the new album’s opening track, “I Dance Like This.”

I dance like this

Because it feels so damn good

If I could dance better

Well, you know that I would

This freedom from standing instruments also allowed the stage to be re-set instantly between songs without needing to move any equipment.  

My favorite “scene change” of the concert was the transition into “Burning Down the House”. Out through the beaded curtain comes Byrne with this red guitar playing one of the most memorable intros to any song - ever - and, as the musicians pop out onto stage and join in, the previously all blue set starts occasionally pulsing red as they (and the entire audience) sing/chant/yell “BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE!”

The final encore was a cover of Janelle Monae's "Hell You Talmbout" ("Say His Name) from the Women's March. So powerful with that many musicians in a line shouting all the names of those like Trayvon Martin killed in racist violence. I do think it was intended to be more interactive, yet those around me were content to pretty much watch rather than participate in the call and response. Hopefully, as with his music, where he was on the cutting edge of creating what Seymour Stein would christen “New Wave music”, Byrne is an early indicator, a barometer of sorts, of where society is headed in terms of unwillingness to tolerate this bigotry and ongoing needless violence.  - Anne Marie