Photo by MEREDITH KLEIBER
David Byrne and St. Vincent (née Annie Clark) took the stage in Upper Darby last night looking and sounding like one part New Orleans brass band, one part modern dance ensemble, and one part polished art-rock duo. They paired kinetic, meticulously choreographed stage movement with an impeccably rendered selection of songs spanning both Byrne’s and Clark’s solo careers, as well as Love This Giant, their new joint album. A roaring, brass-filled rendition of the Talking Heads “This Must Be the Place” towards the beginning of the set brought the crowd to their feet and dancing along in their seats. Keeping up the pace through “Save Me From What I Want,” St. Vincent jittered across the stage with her guitar, looking every bit a modern-day female Buddy Holly. As the brass band wove in and out behind, Byrne and St. Vincent propelled the show towards a high-energy double Talking Heads encore. Reworking the Talking Heads favorite “Burning Down the House” into a brass-soaked, dueling-guitar rocker, they again brought the entire house to its feet. Forming a full-band conga line, they circled the drummer and keyboard player before slowing down for a soulful “Road to Nowhere” closer. Last night’s Tower Theater performance was an auspicious coming-out party for the new odd couple of modern rock.— MEREDITH KLEIBER