ACL Fest: David Byrne Declares "This Ain't No Fooling Around!"

Briana Purser

The reflection of the setting sun on the first day of ACL was clearly visible in David Byrne’s dark sunglasses as he broke into one of the Talking Heads’ most memorable songs, “Once in a Lifetime.” Heavy percussion, bass and a bright, 3-person backing chorus supported Byrne’s high-pitched vocals and the clean, aquatic keys. The crowd sang and danced along as he shuffled his feet and moved in that distinctive David Byrne sort of way. Along with other Talking Heads numbers like “Life During Wartime,” which can be easily recognized by the lines, “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no fooling around,” Byrne and company also played “Life is Long” from his most recent album, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. But alas, Brian Eno, who collaborated on the record with Byrne, wasn’t present. There were, however, plenty of shakers and bells, popping percussion, powerful harmonies and dancers in white doing choreographed leaps and bounds.