David Byrne First Artist To Curate Stage at Bonnaroo

David Byrne First Artist to Curate Stage at Bonnaroo
Byrne also to perform “Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno”

David Byrne

David Byrne has assembled a number of performers for the first artist-curated stage in the eight-year history of the Bonnaroo Music Festival. On the evening of Friday, June 12 Byrne, who is performing the “Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno,” will host his recent collaborators Santigold and Dirty Projectors, singer/songwriter and founder of Righteous Babe Records Ani DiFranco, former Polyphonic Spree member and Beggar’s Banquet recording artist St. Vincent and up-and-coming multi-instrumental all-female Norwegian alt/folk band Katzenjammer.

“We’ve been interested in inviting artists to play a curatorial role in Bonnaroo for some time now,” according to Bonnaroo co-founder and producer Ashley Capps. “David was the logical choice for us and we were thrilled that he agreed. His love for music of all kinds and his passion for sharing that music make him the ultimate musical guide.”

Byrne adds “this was an easy one. I basically reeled off a list of what I was listening too recently or who I had seen live recently and Ashley and Co did the rest. It’s not like these folks need me to introduce them to a wider audience, at least I don’t think they do… I’m just thrilled they’ll be added to the festival lineup.

In addition to his Bonnaroo appearance, Byrne will be performing at theaters and festivals across the U.S. and Europe throughout the summer of 2009 on his year-long “Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno” tour in support of his and Eno’s critically lauded new record, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. The set list includes songs from his numerous collaborations with Eno including tracks from several Talking Heads albums produced by Eno, the pair’s 1981 collaboration My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and their newest collaborative effort Everything That Happens…, Byrne has already played to sold-out concert halls across the world including two nights at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. His show has been lauded by reviewers as “gorgeous, melodic and spiritually uplifting” (Chicago Sun-Times) and features “the most open-hearted singing of [Byrne’s] career” (Washington Post). Check JamBase’s review of Byrne in S.F. on his last tour here.

And just in case you need a reason to get excited for David Byrne playing music from his days with Eno (as if), dig on this legendary slab of sound that was only about 20 years ahead of its time:

David Byrne is on tour now in Italy. He begins his U.S. dates on May 3 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Complete David Byrne tour dates available here.