David Byrne & St. Vincent Played The Count Basie Theatre, 6/28/13 PHOTOS

Love This Giant

I hadn't read anything about an opening act so I wolfed down my sushi deluxe and bolted from the restaurant, telling CoolMom and our friends I'd see them at the theater. I hate to be late. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. David Byrne and St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) wouldn't actually take the stage until about 8:30.

Prior to the show, Byrne's voice came over the PA to tell us that he and Clark encouraged picture-taking, video-recording, whatever means anyone felt they needed to remember the evening. He asked that we please just be considerate of our neighbors and, maybe, not view the entire show through the screen of our portable electronic device. It was excellent advice, because viewing the entire stage and each of the carefully choreographed movements of every person up there is really the only way to truly appreciate the work that's gone into producing the Love This Giant show.

The pair took the stage with their 8-piece brass band, Clark sporting a new, brass blonde hairdo to complement Byrne's white hair and to complete the overall feel, maybe. They opened with Love This Giant singles "Who" and "Weekend in the dust," and then each performed one of their solo songs: St. Vincent's "Save Me from What I Want" and Byrne's "Overtones."

Throughout the show, every person on stage appeared to have bits of choreography for each song. Byrne danced as only he can. Clark shuffle-stepped around the stage like a windup doll or made boxes with her hands when she wasn't playing guitar. The rest of the band marched, high-stepped, twirled, or bobbed their instruments up and down in time with the music. During St. Vincent's "Marrow," the band, including Byrne, lay on the stage, leaving only Clark standing at the mic with her guitar.

Talking Heads classics like "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" and "Wild Wild Life" got the biggest ovations during the main set. During the latter every person on stage marched in a circle, taking turns at the mic.

The first time I heard Love This Giant, I'd expected Byrne's influence to predominate given his stature as a performer. But the more I listened, the more obvious it became that the record is a true collaboration. The arrangements, and especially all the brass, really do say "St. Vincent" at various points on the album. When Clark performed her own "Cheerleader" last night with the band, it fit in naturally with the the Love This Giant material like "I should watch t.v." and "Outside of space and time."

The crowd stood throughout both encores. The first started with St. Vincent's "Cruel" and ended with "Burning Down the House." The second saw Clark surrounded by the carefully placed horns for "The Party" and closed with "Road to Nowhere."

Following the final encore, the theater erupted in an ovation the likes of which I, personally, haven't seen there before (well, maybe Morrissey). Clark looked truly amazed (I don't think she was "Swifting.") and Byrne -- who'd been fun and down-to-earth all night, executing every wild dance move and playing theremin with his foot -- simply laughed and bowed.

I probably had plenty of time to enjoy my dinner like a normal person, but I would've kicked myself if I'd missed anything.

Here are some pics.