• Conversations
  • Concert Review
  • New Music Showcase
  • Blues Fix
  • Inside the Cover
  • My Favorite
  • About
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
MisplacedStraws
Subscribe
  • Conversations
  • Concert Review
  • New Music Showcase
  • Blues Fix
  • Inside the Cover
  • My Favorite
  • About
MisplacedStraws
Home » Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew, College Street Music Hall, New Haven, CT, 3/11/23
Concert Review

Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew, College Street Music Hall, New Haven, CT, 3/11/23

By Jeff GaudiosiMarch 12, 20231 Comment4 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Very few bands actually mean it when they break up. Usually, it’s only a matter of time before old wounds heal enough to take the stage again for the inevitable, profitable reunion tour. Talking Heads are the exception. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band last toured behind their 1983 release Speaking In Tongues and finally disbanded in 1991. Their lone reunion was a brief 3-song set at their 2002 Hall of Fame Induction. While David Byrne resurrected the classic song for his American Utopia Broadway show in 2018, fellow Heads Jerry Harrison, Chris Frantz, and Tina Weymouth remained relatively quiet when it came to the music of their legendary band. Harrison had not been on the road in decades but has now teamed up with former Talking Heads associate and guitar virtuoso Adrian Belew for a tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of Remain in Light and the entire Talking Heads catalog.

The night opened with a nearly one-hour set by Cool Cool Cool, a seven-piece, horn-drenched funk band formed from the ashes of Turkuaz. The band put on a high-energy set, highlighted by 3 vocalists and a collection of fun songs that got the general admission audience dancing in their spots. The seven-member band was joined by bassist Julie Slick, best known for playing with Belew’s power trio. As their set came to an end, the band announced that they would return as the backing band for Harrison and Belew.

After a short break, Harrison & Belew took the stage, accompanied by Cool Cool Cool, Julie Slick, and percussionist Yahuba Garcia-Torres. The band started big with the iconic “Psycho Killer” with Belew on vocals. It certainly set the tone for the night with a fun, upbeat, uplifting version that got the capacity crowd moving (yes, dancing is certainly a theme of the night).

While the tour was a celebration of Remain In Light, only 5 of the album’s 8 tracks were featured (“Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)”, “Crosseyed and Painless”, “The Great Curve”, “Once In A Lifetime”, and “Houses In Motion”). The rest of the 14-song set saw a mix of deep cuts (“Drugs”, “Cities”, “I Zimbra”) and massive hits (“Life During Wartime” and “Take Me To The River”). Vocals were mainly shared by Harrison and Belew, but members of Cool Cool Cool also took lead on some tracks.

The Harrison and Belew vocals felt natural and were perfect for the song. While female vocalists Shira Elias and Sammi Garett fit seamlessly into their songs, Josh Schwartz felt forced on his. David Byrne has such a quirky, distinctive style so it’s a tall order to perform his songs without coming off like someone trying to do a Byrne impression. While Harrison and Belew merged their personal styles with Byrne’s, Schwartz came off more like he was impersonating Byrne, not a bad impersonation by any means, but it seemed sort of like a tribute band.

There wasn’t a lot of interaction with the crowd, but it was clear that the musicians were having a great time on stage. Belew rarely stopped smiling, and while Harrison usually had a more serious look, his body language and playing (switching between guitar and keyboards) left no doubt about how much it meant to him to be back on stage with his friend playing these songs. At one point, Belew left the stage and Harrison launched into a triumphant version of his solo hit “Rev It Up” from 1988’s Casual Gods. The band also did a great version of the Speaking In Tounges track “Slippery People” during Belew’s absence. Harrison then took a break himself while Belew led the band into King Crimson’s “Thela Hun Ginjeet” from 1981’s Discipline, a record Belew recorded on the heels of Remain In Light so the song fits perfectly into the set.

The lower level of the theater was general admission standing. At first, I thought that was a little odd as I was expecting an older audience. As I walked through the venue I noticed that there were as many people in their 20s and 30s as over 50, and every one of them was dancing to every song. When you look at the tremendous success of American Utopia and the unqualified success of this tour, it’s clear that the demand is there to hear these classic songs. Former Talking Heads bandmates and Connecticut residents, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth were in attendance but, alas, didn’t join Harrison and Belew on stage. One can only hope the three former bandmates and Belew felt the love from the crowd for their work and would consider a tour together.

Share. Facebook Twitter Tumblr Email
Jeff Gaudiosi

Related Posts

Tesla, Indian Ranch, Webster, MA 6/1/25

June 4, 2025

Tab Benoit, Academy of Music, Northampton, MA, 5/29/25

May 30, 2025

Dream Theater, Toyota Oakdale Theater, Wallingford, CT 3/14/25

March 15, 2025

Joe Bonamassa, Premier Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, CT, 3/1/25

March 2, 2025
View 1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Ralph Beauchamp on March 17, 2023 11:38 am

    great review and awesome pics

    Reply

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Archive
  • June 2025 (5)
  • May 2025 (15)
  • April 2025 (10)
  • March 2025 (7)
  • February 2025 (9)
  • January 2025 (8)
  • December 2024 (8)
  • November 2024 (6)
  • October 2024 (7)
  • September 2024 (6)
  • August 2024 (10)
  • July 2024 (10)
  • June 2024 (7)
  • May 2024 (10)
  • April 2024 (10)
  • March 2024 (12)
  • February 2024 (9)
  • January 2024 (13)
  • December 2023 (9)
  • November 2023 (10)
  • October 2023 (8)
  • September 2023 (18)
  • August 2023 (15)
  • July 2023 (14)
  • June 2023 (7)
  • May 2023 (17)
  • April 2023 (15)
  • March 2023 (17)
  • February 2023 (19)
  • January 2023 (13)
  • December 2022 (11)
  • November 2022 (13)
  • October 2022 (19)
  • September 2022 (19)
  • August 2022 (19)
  • July 2022 (22)
  • June 2022 (22)
  • May 2022 (27)
  • April 2022 (49)
  • March 2022 (11)
  • February 2022 (9)
  • January 2022 (7)
  • December 2021 (5)
  • November 2021 (8)
  • October 2021 (10)
  • September 2021 (7)
  • August 2021 (7)
  • July 2021 (7)
  • June 2021 (7)
  • May 2021 (5)
  • April 2021 (6)
  • March 2021 (8)
  • February 2021 (7)
  • January 2021 (6)
  • December 2020 (8)
  • November 2020 (9)
  • October 2020 (6)
  • September 2020 (4)
  • August 2020 (5)
  • July 2020 (6)
  • June 2020 (5)
  • May 2020 (3)
  • April 2020 (4)
  • March 2020 (5)
  • February 2020 (7)
  • January 2020 (3)
  • December 2019 (6)
  • November 2019 (2)
  • October 2019 (9)
  • September 2019 (3)
  • August 2019 (9)
  • July 2019 (6)
  • June 2019 (6)
  • May 2019 (5)
  • April 2019 (8)
  • March 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (3)
  • January 2019 (4)
  • December 2018 (4)
  • November 2018 (4)
  • October 2018 (4)
  • September 2018 (4)
  • August 2018 (4)
  • July 2018 (8)
  • June 2018 (6)
  • May 2018 (6)
  • April 2018 (3)

Subscribe to Misplaced Straws

* indicates required

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Vimeo YouTube
© 2025 Misplaced Straws.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.