It’s back “into the blue again” for David Byrne.
Just days after releasing a Saorise Ronan-starring “Psycho Killer” music video and surprising the Governors Ball crowd in red overalls midway through Olivia Rodrigo’s scorching cover of “Burning Down The House,” the former Talking Heads frontman announced his first album and solo tour in seven years.
Starting in September, the 73-year-old Rock Hall of Famer will hit venues all over North America on his ‘Who Is The Sky? Tour,’ which is named after his new album due out Sept. 5 and features contributions from St. Vincent, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, The Smile’s drummer Tom Skinner, Ghost Train Orchestra and producer Kid Harpoon.
While out and about, Byrne has six (!) stops in New York planned.
Up first, he’ll bring his latest record — his ninth solo studio offering — to Schenectady’s Proctors Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 21. After that, the man who made oversized suits cool drops into Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre on Tuesday, Sept. 23 and Buffalo’s Shea’s Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Finally, the Grammy winner closes his NY run with three shows at Manhattan’s Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 30, Wednesday, Oct. 1 and Friday, Oct. 10.
At all shows, he’ll be joined by a 13-member backing band made up of musicians, singers and dancers, some of whom were part of his ‘American Utopia’ ensemble. Per usual, all “will be mobile throughout the set.”
“I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs [from the forthcoming album],” Byrne said. “It’s something that folks don’t always hear in my work, but this time for sure I thought it was there.”
Fans Byrners can purchase tickets for all upcoming North American David Byrne shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale for the ‘Who Is The Sky? Tour’ is Friday, June 13.
Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.
They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.
A complete calendar including all North American dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.
While the wily vocalist will likely lean into his new album on this run of shows, we wanted to give you an idea of what Byrne took to the stage on his 2018 ‘American Utopia Tour.’ According to Set List FM, here’s what he played at a gig in Australia (ahead of the long-standing Broadway stint that ran on and off from 2019-22):
01.) “Here”
02.) “Lazy” (X‐Press 2 cover)
03.) “I Zimbra” (Talking Heads song)
04.) “Slippery People” (Talking Heads song)
05.) “I Should Watch TV” (David Byrne & St. Vincent song)
06.) “Dog’s Mind”
07.) “Everybody’s Coming to My House”
08.) “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” (Talking Heads song)
09.) “Once in a Lifetime” (Talking Heads song)
10.) “Doing the Right Thing”
11.) “Toe Jam” (Brighton Port Authority cover)
12.) “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)” (Talking Heads song)
13.) “I Dance Like This”
14.) “Bullet”
15.) “Every Day Is a Miracle”
16.) “Like Humans Do”
17.) “Blind” (Talking Heads song)
18.) “Burning Down the House” (Talking Heads song)
Encore
19.) “Road to Nowhere” (Talking Heads song)
20.) “The Great Curve” (Talking Heads song)
Encore II
21.) “Hell You Talmbout” (Janelle Monáe cover)
On Sept. 5, Byrne is scheduled to drop his ninth solo album “Who Is The Sky?”
Ahead of the record’s release, he unveiled the lead single “Everybody Laughs.” Clocking in at almost four minutes, the track is a joyous, almost tropical tune. Complete with Byrne’s trademark staccato vocals and Ghost Train Orchestra’s jaunty strings that are a bit reminiscent of George Michael’s “Freedom,” the song fits squarely in Byrne’s canon.
To hear for yourself, you can find “Everybody Laughs” here.
For an even closer look, here’s the track list for “Who Is The Sky.”
01.) “Everybody Laughs”
02.) “When We Are Singing”
03.) “My Apartment Is My Friend”
04.) “A Door Called No”
05.) “What Is the Reason for It?” (feat. Hayley Williams)
06.) “I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party”
07.) “Don’t Be Like That”
08.) “The Avant Garde”
09.) “Moisturizing Thing”
10.) “I’m an Outsider”
11.) “She Explains Things to Me”
12.) “The Truth”
Missed Byrne’s Gov Ball drop in with O-Rod? Click here to see their lively duet complete with off-kilter “Stop Making Sense”-esque dance moves.
And, of course, we recommend checking out the new, cinematic, unsettling “Psycho Killer” music video featuring Saorise Ronan.
While Byrne is about as singular an artist as there is, there are many fellow gifted superstars from yesteryear with similiar sensibilities who have tours mapped out this year.
Here are just five of our favorites that you won’t want to miss live.
• Sparks
Who else is out and about these next few months? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2025 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change