The next two weeks are going to be interesting. Even though I normally eschew attendance at live concerts, I find myself with tickets to three in the same week.
First up is NASA artist in residence Laurie Anderson. I love her work, in no doubt due to its largely unclassifiable nature. She blends avant garde music, electronic techniques, and multimedia presentations with her storytelling gifts to create something unique and moving. I saw her a couple of years ago, and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever attended. The fact that the performance is at the Gusman Center—an intimate and beautiful 1920s theater a few blocks from my office—is a nice bonus.
Next is David Byrne. For those of you old enough to remember, Byrne was one of the members of the successful and influential group Talking Heads. His music since that time has been directed toward South American styles and forms, sometimes creating fusions, but often just performing the music as written. (Through his Luaka Bop label I’ve discovered a lot of terrific artists I’m unlikely to have ever heard.) He’s at Gusman a few days after Laurie Anderson, as part of his My Backwards Life tour (his first US stop after extensive engagements in South America, actually).
Incidentally, Byrne is also an artist and designer of some note. He’s currently participating in The Voting Booth Project, an exhibition wherein a number of designers and artists “re-imagine actual Florida voting booths from the 2000 Presidential election, commenting on design, democracy, and related themes.”
And then that third concert, to wrap things up? Barry. Which of these is not like the others?
