Live from Austin TX [CD/DVD]

Personnel: David Byrne (vocals, guitar); Stephanie Ames Asbell (vocals, viola); Paul Frazier (vocals); Leigh Mahoney, Lara Hicks, Jamie Desautels (violin); Ben Westney, Sara Nelson (cello); David Hilliard (drums); Mauro Refosco (percussion, programming).
Audio Mixers: Chet Himes; Gary Briggs .
Liner Note Author: Terry Lickona.
Recording information: 11/28/2001.
Director: Gary Menotti.
Editor: Justin Barclay.
Photographer: Scott Newton.
While the AUSTIN CITY LIMITS television program and its offshoot "Live from Austin" albums feature mostly rootsy artists, the occasional left-of-center surprise adds flavor. Case in point, this excellent 2007 release, which captures a sizzling David Byrne show that draws from both his solo career (a terrific rendition of "Desconocido Soy" from LOOK INTO THE EYEBALL) and his more recognizable hits with the Talking Heads ("Life During Wartime," "Once In A Lifetime"). He caps off the set with an infectious version of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Though possibly a tongue-in-cheek song selection, his plea for a dance partner who loves him sounds as vulnerable and sincere as anything he's recorded.