According to Pitchfork, Stephen Colbert joined David Byrne for performance of “Burning Down The House” during one of the final episodes of his late-night show. The Late Night Show With Stephen Colbert has been cancelled by CBS and is in the midst of its final week, with the last episode set to air this Thursday. The show’s cancellation has been seemingly attributed to political pressure and negative responses to the content thereof from President Donald Trump, as it has maintained high ratings.
In light of his final days on air, Colbert put together week of special edition programs to bid adieu. Yesterday, the program included a performance from Byrne, lead singer and frontman of the new wave band, Talking Heads, and long-time friend of Colbert’s.
Byrne began his performance of the 1983 Talking Heads song, from their album Speaking in Tongues, on stage alone with an acoustic guitar. As he moved through the piece, he was joined by two drummers, followed soon after by bassist and dancer. Band members continued to flow onto the stage in groups of two at a time, playing a variety of different instruments and dancing behind and around the artist, adding to the lively and animated nature of the performance. Finally, Colbert joined the performance, grinning and dancing onstage as the song wrapped up. He then lined up with the rest of the group, next to Byrne, to resolutely call out a final line, that being the same as the title, “burning down the house.”
The song choice, being one that speaks of liberation and breaking free from restrictive environments, was strikingly relevant given the context of the performance. The metaphoric “burning down” of the house was also further emphasized by the background of the performance, as multiple large screens showcased moving flames and vivid red lighting was shed across the stage.
Photo Credit: Kalyn Oyer
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