Gov Ball Day 2: Olivia Rodrigo Byrnes Down the House

Just past an hour into her electrifying, punky, weather-delayed set, Olivia Rodrigo slowed down to perform an intimate deep-cut ballad, Favorite Crime. As the heartsick song came to a gentle end, Rodrigo put down her guitar and put on a wide smile. “I'm so honored to share the stage tonight with a special guest. Would you give it up for the legendary David Byrne!” There was no time to process this revelatory news; David Byrne strolled out in cartoonish red overalls, an acoustic guitar strapped across his torso as he launched straight into the red-hot, rousing Talking Heads hit Burning Down the House. For the many young audience members who were clueless about this funky, white-haired man, this song was an excellent choice, being the best chance they may have at a spark of recognition—it is by far Talking Heads’ most popular song and their only Top 10 hit. With its rebellious edge and frenzied energy, it was also an excellent choice to fold into Rodrigo’s setlist of punk-inspired pop hits from Guts and Sour. The singers signaled their creative unity with their outfits; Byrne’s tomato-red overalls matched Rodrigo’s two-piece studded ensemble. 

Two generations of rock legends captured by Dusana Risovic.

As Rodrigo pranced back to meet him, Byrne sang the first verse in his robust tones. Rodrigo emulated Byrne’s notorious, quirky dance moves, moving her shoulders up and down on beat and bringing her knees outward and to center. The two cried out “burning down the house” in unison before Rodrigo picked up the next verse. The musicians faced each other, sustaining eye contact as Byrne nodded the young popstar along, a supportive passing of the baton. Olivia grinned throughout the performance, an expression of awed and elated disbelief, the same expression I wore just for being in the vicinity of the brilliant, idiosyncratic mind behind Stop Making Sense. As Byrne picked up the following verse (“here’s your ticket, pack your bags…”), the pair walked backward in unison to opposite sides of the stage, marching back together at the midpoint of the verse like two magnets that had been forcibly separated. As Byrne energetically strummed his guitar, the musicians rocked in unison, until Rodrigo’s cry of “gonna burst into flames,” sent her careening across the stage with her arms held wide, and Byrne’s signature hands-free mic left him available to put down his guitar and join in the unencumbered, freewheeling dance moves he’s known for. 

Olivia Rodrigo and David Byrne by Dusana Risovic.

The pair synchronized squats, jogged in place, and hurtled around the stage as though they had been set loose in space as the driving, funky baseline, syncopated guitar riffs, and layered texture of the song rang across the Gov Ball field. They danced down the stage runway, punctuating their rhythmic journey with the occasional “burning down the house.” As they reached the front, Rodrigo cheered and shouted, “Give it up for David Byrne!” The two shared one last vigorous jog-in-place before firmly planting their feet and performing one final joyous chant of the song’s title. Byrne bowed to the crowd and then to Rodrigo, their mutual admiration shining through the entire performance. They shared a hug as Rodrigo again encouraged the audience’s cheers for this rock legend, and the pair ran offstage with their arms around each other. It was a lively and colorful performance of a classic, which introduced a whole new generation to the eccentric genius of Talking Heads. As one teenager I talked to on the way out told me, “I’m gonna go listen to their album now.” 

Brandi Martin

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