David Byrne shares playlist of his walkout music
In recent years when we’ve performed in theaters, I played recordings of bird songs as pre-show music. There’s a nice dislocation that happens as folks hear birds but suspect those birds are not inside the theater - and the sounds maybe take them to another place, not the place they are in.
Whatever the walk in music is – it’s a statement.
Some folks play contemporary instrumental music that creates a vibe but doesn’t draw too much attention with lyrics (ex, Khruangbin or Soulive). But, of course it depends on what kind of concert it is... Lady Gaga played opera arias, which set the vibe for her last show.
Walk-in music definitely sets a mood… but folks don’t let it compete with their own music they’re about to play. And of course never play your own music!
So for the time being at least I’m going to try this playlist of vaguely classical pieces that have a pulse. Some might get a little funky but mostly it’s a steady pulse, which is fun.
-David Byrne