Predicting the Setlist for David Byrne's Upcoming Tour

David Byrne's new album, Who Is the Sky? is now available, and the tour begins on Tuesday, September 16, in Pittsburgh, PA (following the postponed show in Providence, originally scheduled for September 14 but now taking place on Sunday, October 5). This will be his first tour since 2018's American Utopia world tour, though a large chunk of time between tours was spent performing in a residency (American Utopia on Broadway) that finished in April 2022. In this article, I explore and analyse which songs were played on previous tours, and make some predictions for what could be in store for this tour. You can skip to the Summary to see the overall predictions without the analysis.

What we know so far - spoilers ahead!

After American Utopia, this tour will involve some of the same musicians, such as percussionist Mauro Refosco and dancer Tendayi Kuumba, as well as some of the same features, such as the band wearing matching outfits and being entirely untethered. Instruments that are known to be included in this tour that weren't present in American Utopia include cello and saxophone, both appearing in the band's debut performance.

While the overall setlist is not yet known, some songs are pretty much confirmed. On September 2, David Byrne debuted his new touring band at a performance featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, featuring the live debut of two songs from Who Is the Sky? ("What Is The Reason For It?" and "Everybody Laughs") and a revival of a Talking Heads classic, "Houses in Motion", only previously included on David's 2008-2009 tour for Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. These three songs are very likely to remain in the setlist for the tour. Previous David Byrne tours have all featured slight variations in the setlist as the tour progresses, so it's possible the first shows will have some different songs to shows later on the tour.

Another song known to be included in rehearsals, and therefore likely to be included on the tour, is "(Nothing But) Flowers", a Talking Heads song that has been a staple of most David Byrne tours and one-off events, such as his 2010 performance of the song at a TED conference. His most recent performance of the song was in May 2023, playing an acoustic version at Steve Earle's John Henry's Friends Benefit in New York City. The song was also included in the setlist for American Utopia: Unchained, a brief week of the Broadway residency at the end of 2021 and start of 2022 that involved a reworked setlist and stripped back show as a result of several crew and band members self-isolating due to COVID-19 infection.

Analysis and Speculation: Which songs are likely?

There are many aspects to take into consideration when predicting the setlist; there is usually a balance between Talking Heads songs and solo songs, spread out across David Byrne's many albums, and including both fast and slow songs. A handful of the setlist may be taken from the most widely known and popular songs from his discography, as well as some deep cuts and rarities. When songs have consistently appeared on many of his previous tours, it is likely many of those songs will also be included in this tour. Some songs have also been played at special events in recent years, indicating they might make it onto the tour.

The one major Talking Heads hit that David is likely to avoid is "Psycho Killer", which was a staple of his tours until 2005, and has not appeared since. "Once in a Lifetime", "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)", "Road to Nowhere", "And She Was", and "Burning Down the House" have all appeared regularly on his solo tours and one-off appearances, so most of these songs will probably be included. Out of these songs, only "And She Was" was absent from the American Utopia tour and residency, but still appeared in the setlist for American Utopia: Unchained alongside the rest of the hits named above. As this was his most recently created setlist, it might give a strong indication of what direction his setlist could go for this new tour.

Out of his solo songs, we are likely to see the tour include two of his biggest hits, "Like Humans Do" and "Strange Overtones". While neither was included in American Utopia on Broadway, "Like Humans Do" was on the 2018 tour and both songs were included in Unchained. David Byrne also performed "Strange Overtones" at a private event in May 2025, alongside the live debut of "She Explains Things to Me", the second single from Who Is the Sky?. This song was played a second time at a separate event later that month, so it is very likely to be included on the tour. The only Who Is the Sky? non-single track he has performed so far is "Moisturizing Thing", first in Los Angeles in January 2024, then again at a Reasons to be Cheerful event in October 2024, and the only single that has not been performed yet is The Avant Garde. While it is likely that this song will be included, singles are not always guaranteed to be included on the setlist, as "This Is That" was released as the second single for American Utopia but never performed live.

It is likely that the setlist will include songs from most of David Byrne's solo albums, particularly the ones released since 2001's Look into the Eyeball. From American Utopia, the most likely song may be "Everybody's Coming to My House", the lead single and only song from the album to be performed since the end of the Broadway residency (David performed it alongside Miley Cyrus at the end of 2022!). From Love This Giant, "I Should Watch TV" is the only song that David has performed without St. Vincent, including it throughout his American Utopia era, so if he is to play any songs from that album, it is quite possible that this one will return. Another possibility is the album's lead single, Who, which could be transformed from a duet with St. Vincent to a duet with his backing vocalists, in the same way that "What Is The Reason For It?" (his duet with Hayley Williams) was played live with his band members performing Hayley's vocals.

There are several songs from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today that are likely to be considered, including "Strange Overtones" (as explained earlier), "One Fine Day" (a staple of his American Utopia era), and two more songs that made their way onto the American Utopia: Unchained setlist: "My Big Nurse" and "Life Is Long". From Grown Backwards, the only song that has been played since the end of the tour is "Glass, Concrete & Stone", which was revived for the Broadway residency of American Utopia but not played on the 2018 tour. Other songs that might return include "Dialog Box", "Un Di Felice, Eterea", and "The Other Side of This Life".

From Look into the Eyeball, the most likely appearance is "Like Humans Do" (as explained earlier). The only other songs from that album to be performed in recent years are "The Revolution" and "Everyone's in Love With You", both appearing in the Unchained setlist. Other songs from the album that may make a return are "The Great Intoxication", "Desconocido Soy", or "U.B. Jesus".

The albums that David Byrne released in the 1990s — Uh-Oh (1992), David Byrne (1994), Feelings (1997) — are typically excluded from his setlists. None of his 21st-century tours including songs from Uh-Oh, and only a small number of shows have included songs from the other two albums. The last songs played from Feelings are "Finite=Alright" in 2006 (following consistent appearances on the 2004-2005 tour) and "A Soft Seduction" in 2003 (following consistent appearances on the 2001 tour). The main single from the album, "Miss America", was last performed in 1998, alongside other notable songs like "Fuzzy Freaky", "Dance on Vaseline", and "Burnt by the Sun". Some of these songs, particularly "Finite=Alright" and "Burnt by the Sun", may be fitting for this tour as they have a similar orchestral approach to songs on Who Is the Sky?. From his self-titled album, the only song performed recently is "Buck Naked", often at special events and in duets with country singer Terry Allen. The only other song from his self-titled album performed this century is "Sad Song", performed on the 2005 tour. Two singles from David Byrne, "Angels" and "Back in the Box", also have potential to return on this tour, alongside three singles from Uh-Oh — "Girls on my Mind", "She's Mad", and "Hanging Upside Down". After the 1992 tour, only four Uh-Oh songs made further appearances in the 1990s: "Tiny Town", "Something Ain't Right", "A Walk in the Dark", and "Hanging Upside Down". The latter may be the most likely Uh-Oh song to finally return, but it's hard to judge after so long.

His 1989 album Rei Momo has seen several songs return on later tours, most recently including "I Know Sometimes A Man is Wrong" (never performed on tour, but part of American Utopia on Broadway) and "Marching Through the Wilderness" (performed consistently in the 2000s then re-appearing in American Utopia: Unchained). Other songs from the album performed in the 21st century include "Dirty Old Town" (a one-off event in 2003) and "The Dream Police" (consistently played in 2001), while "Make Believe Mambo", "Loco de Amor", and "Lie To Me" might also stand a chance of returning after their final performances in the 1990s.

There are a handful of non-album songs that David Byrne has released that may also be played, such as his 1989 cover of Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In", which he played consistently on the 2004-2005 tour, then again at the 2023 Met Gala in his only performance with the American Utopia band after the Broadway residency ended. "Dura Europus", the only song with lyrics from his soundtrack album The Forest (1991), was performed on the 2001-2002 tour, and "God's Child (Baila conmigo)", a duet with Selena, appeared regularly on his setlists between 1993 and 2004. A song David made with Ryuichi Sakamoto, "Psychedelic Afternoon", was also performed on the 2005 tour and received a 2013 rerecording. David's X-Press 2 collaboration, "Lazy", was a successful song that he played consistently from 2002 to 2005 and again throughout the American Utopia era. I consider it quite likely that at least one of these five songs may make an appearance on his new tour. Two more non-album songs that he has performed once (but not on tour) are "Particle Fever", a song played at the April 2024 Universe in Verse event in Texas, and "Fat Man's Comin'", an unorthodox song about Santa that he recorded in 2013 (and played once in January 2014) but didn't release until December 2022. While "Particle Fever" has a small chance of entering the regular setlist, it wouldn't be too surprising if "Fat Man's Comin'" joins the setlist when Christmas approaches.

David Byrne may also perform songs from his other projects, such as the musicals Here Lies Love and Joan of Arc: Into the Fire. The 2018 American Utopia tour included the Here Lies Love track "Dancing Together", and he has performed Joan of Arc songs in other events, including "Body Parts" in October 2024 and "I Was Changed" at events in 2015 and 2016. The setlist could also include songs David has made for films, like "This Is A Life", originally a duet with Mitski from Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022). He has also written songs for the upcoming film The Twits, including a second Hayley Williams duet ("Open The Door") and two songs performed in May 2023, "We're Not Like Ev'ryone Else" and "Lullaby". The latter was played again at an event in May 2025, giving it stronger potential for inclusion on the tour's setlist.

In 1981, David Byrne released his first two albums under his own name: The Catherine Wheel, and the Brian Eno collaboration My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. From The Catherine Wheel, Talking Heads performed four songs in their final tours: "What a Day That Was" and "Big Business" (both featured in Stop Making Sense), "My Big Hands", and "Big Blue Plymouth". David's solo performances have never included "Big Business", but "Big Blue Plymouth" had appearances in the 1990s, "What a Day That Was" was a regular song on the 2001-2005 tours, and "My Big Hands" was a regular song on the 2008-2009 tour. From My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, three songs have been performed live: "Help Me Somebody", consistently appearing on the 1997-1998 and 2008-2009 tours, "Moonlight in Glory", sometimes appearing at shows in 1994 and 2009, and "America Is Waiting", performed at two shows in 2006. Although less common in his setlists, one of these songs could make a return on this tour.

Aside from his first solo tour, David Byrne has always included a mix of Talking Heads songs from across their eight albums. For example, American Utopia included at least one song from every Talking Heads album except More Songs and True Stories.

From the final Talking Heads album Naked, he has performed four tracks in his solo tours: "Blind" (most recently in 2022), "(Nothing But) Flowers" (most recently in 2023, and already known to be on the 2025 setlist), "Mr. Jones" (most recently in 1992), and "Cool Water" (most recently in 1994). The Naked sessions also led to the non-album single "Sax and Violins", which was included on the Uh-Oh and Look into the Eyeball tours. While there is usually only one song from this album on a tour, it is possible that "Blind" or "Sax and Violins" will be included alongside "(Nothing But) Flowers".

True Stories songs have rarely been played live, with "Papa Legba" appearing throughout the Rei Momo tour, "City of Dreams" having rare performances in 1992, 1994, and 2007, and "Wild Wild Life" finally being performed on his 2013 tour with St. Vincent. Despite this late debut for a relatively popular Talking Heads song, it feels like a good match for the upbeat mood teased by the Who Is the Sky? tour.

"Road to Nowhere" from Little Creatures is almost guaranteed, as the only song on every David Byrne tour since 1992. "And She Was" is also likely, as it has appeared on most tours. He has performed two other songs from the album, "Creatures of Love" and "Stay Up Late", with the latter possibly having a fitting lighthearted whimsical tone for this tour.

Speaking in Tongues is the only album that has been played on every David Byrne tour, with "Burning Down the House" and "This Must Be the Place" both included on most. He has also performed "Slippery People" throughout the Feelings and American Utopia tours, as well as at a May 2025 Reasons to be Cheerful event, making it fairly possible on the new tour. The Feelings tour also included "Making Flippy Floppy", which may finally be due for a return.

Aside from "Houses in Motion", it is likely that the setlist will include one or two more Remain in Light songs, particularly "Once in a Lifetime" (present on most David Byrne tours). "Born Under Punches" or "The Great Curve" may return, as both songs were played throughout the American Utopia tour. Considering the inclusion of "Houses in Motion", it is unlikely for the setlist to include "Crosseyed and Painless" as well, with both songs last played in 2009.

Fear of Music has several songs frequently played by David Byrne, such as "Life During Wartime", last appearing in American Utopia: Unchained. He has performed solo acoustic renditions of "Heaven" regularly on tours and at special events, including his daughter's wedding in May 2025. While that song is likely if David is on stage alone or with a small number of people, "I Zimbra" has appeared regularly with more complex arrangements played by many musicians. Outside of those commonly played songs, his 2008-2009 tour also included "Drugs" and "Air", and his 1998 Balanescu Quartet shows included "Memories Can't Wait".

Despite its presence across Talking Heads concerts, More Songs About Buildings And Food has not been widely represented on David Byrne's solo tours, with "Take Me To the River" appearing on some of his tours, and "The Big Country" and "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel" only having occasional acoustic performances at special events. If any song is to be expected from this album, it's "Take Me to the River".

Finally, the debut Talking Heads album has mainly been represented by the song "Psycho Killer". While this song seems to have been intentionally excluded from his shows for two decades now, we may be more likely to see a different song, like "Don't Worry About the Government" (played throughout American Utopia) or a revival of another song from the album, such as "The Book I Read" or "Pulled Up".

Aside from the mix of songs from David Byrne's extensive discography, it's also very common for him to include covers on his tours, such as Janelle Monáe's "Hell You Talmbout" (American Utopia), Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" (Look into the Eyeball), Missy Elliot's "Sock It 2 Me" (Feelings), Crystal Waters' "She's Homeless" (David Byrne), and Captain Beefheart's "Well" (Uh-Oh). The songs he covers are often by contemporary female artists, so some possibilities are Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Lorde, or Mitski. One particular song that seems likely is Paramore's "Hard Times", which he covered with a studio recording released in April 2024.

Deep cuts and unexpected rarities

There are many deep cuts in David Byrne's discography, many of which he might not even remember recording. However, sometimes these songs can be among his best, and have a handful of dedicated fans who would love to see him surprisingly revive them after decades untouched. These tracks aren't likely to show up, but would be a cool left-field choice for inclusion, with at least some fans out there being thrilled to see them.

Some examples of older David Byrne songs without many known performances are: "Twistin' in the Wind", "A Million Miles Away", "It Goes Back", "Burnt by the Sun", "Everyone's in Love With You", "Princess", All Over Me", "Civilization", "Glad", and "Empire". While some of these are non-album deep cuts, some are fairly popular among fans. "Everyone's in Love With You" seems to be the track most likely to appear on this tour, as it was played in American Utopia: Unchained. Talking Heads songs he has only occasionally played in solo performances include "The Book I Read", "Tentative Decisions", "Girlfriend Is Better", "The Big Country", "Memories Can't Wait", "Stay Up Late", and "City of Dreams". None of these songs are very likely, but it's still possible for the setlist to include one or two!

While unlikely, it's also possible that this tour will include a live debut for one of the rare songs that he has never performed live before, both solo and Talking Heads. The most recent instance of David Byrne playing a Talking Heads song for the first time was "Wild Wild Life" in 2013. Some Talking Heads songs that remain unplayed are "The Overload", "I Get Wild / Wild Gravity", "Moon Rocks", "The Lady Don't Mind", "Television Man", "Love For Sale", "Radio Head", "People Like Us", "Totally Nude", "Ruby Dear", and "Lifetime Piling Up". From his solo career, most albums have been played in their entirety, with some unplayed songs including "Neighborhood", "Walk on Water", "Poison", "Pirates", "It's Not Dark Up Here", and "Wicked Little Doll". Some of these songs may be fitting for the tour, and would certainly be very exciting to some fans. There isn't much reason why they would be considered when choosing the setlist, but we can always dream!

Summary and predictions

With everything in consideration, here are the songs that I predict to be most likely for inclusion in this tour's setlist.

From the new album, it is likely that all four singles will be played: "Everybody Laughs", "She Explains Things To Me", "The Avant Garde", and "What Is The Reason For It?". "Moisturizing Thing" seems like a very likely choice out of the other album cuts. Another song I expect is "I Met The Buddha at a Downtown Party", as David Byrne frequently mentions it in interviews. Some other songs from the album that feel more likely are "My Apartment Is My Friend", "Don't Be Like That", and "The Truth". There will probably be around six Who Is the Sky? songs at each show, and around nine out of the twelve songs on the album played throughout the tour, comparable to eight out of ten American Utopia songs performed live throughout 2018.

I expect either one or two American Utopia songs to be included on this tour, most likely including "Everybody's Coming To My House". From Love This Giant, it would not be very surprising if "I Should Watch TV" remains, but I predict the tour will either have no tracks from this album, or will replace it with "Who". I consider "Strange Overtones" almost certain, and I predict one or two other songs from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today in addition, most likely "One Fine Day" or "Life Is Long". I am confident that at least one Grown Backwards song will be present, such as "Glass, Concrete & Stone" or "The Other Side of This Life". "Lazy" also feels quite likely. I am especially confident that this tour will include "Like Humans Do" and potentially another Look into the Eyeball song, such as "The Great Intoxication" or "Everyone's In Love With You".

I think that this will finally be the tour that reaches back into the 1990s. reviving a Feelings song ("Miss America", "Dance on Vaseline", "A Soft Seduction", "Finite=Alright", or "Burnt by the Sun") and potentially even a song from David Byrne or Uh-Oh (probably "Hanging Upside Down"). I am confident that a Rei Momo song will be included, such as "Make Believe Mambo", "Marching Through the Wilderness", "Loco de Amor", or "Lie To Me". There may even be room on the setlist for two Rei Momo songs if we're lucky! I also consider some other songs, such as "Don't Fence Me In" and "What a Day That Was", fairly likely.

Talking Heads songs I am certain of are "Houses in Motion", "(Nothing But) Flowers", "This Must Be The Place", "Once in a Lifetime", and "Road to Nowhere". Other Talking Heads songs I expect are "Slippery People", "Burning Down the House", and "Life During Wartime". I predict that there will be a song from Talking Heads: 77 ("The Book I Read"?) or True Stories ("Wild Wild Life"?). There will likely be two or three songs from Fear of Music, possibly including "I Zimbra", "Heaven", or another surprising revival. There may be a second song from Little Creatures or Naked, including "And She Was" or "Sax and Violins".

As explained earlier, I am also confident that there will be a cover on this tour, such as Paramore's "Hard Times" or another modern pop song by a female artist.

Here are two example setlists using my predictions. The order is not an important aspect, with more focus on the mix of songs:

1. "Everybody Laughs"
2. "(Nothing But) Flowers"
3. "Who"
4. "This Must Be The Place"
5. "Don't Fence Me In"
6. "Slippery People"
7. "What Is The Reason For It?"
8. "My Apartment Is My Friend"
9. "Houses in Motion"
10. "Sax and Violins"
11. "She Explains Things To Me"
12. "The Avant Garde"
13. "Make Believe Mambo"
14. "Strange Overtones"
15. "Like Humans Do"
16. "Once in a Lifetime"
17. "Finite=Alright"
18. "Hard Times"
19. "The Truth"
20. "Burning Down the House"
21. "The Great Curve"
22. "Road to Nowhere"

And alternatively, here is another setlist I consider possible:

1. "And She Was"
2. "(Nothing But) Flowers"
3. "Everybody Laughs"
4. "Life Is Long"
5. "This Must Be The Place"
6. "What a Day That Was"
7. "Making Flippy Floppy"
8. "What Is The Reason For It?"
9. "I Met The Buddha at a Downtown Party"
10. "Houses in Motion"
11. "She Explains Things To Me"
12. "Don't Be Like That"
13. "Loco de amor"
14. "Strange Overtones"
15. "Like Humans Do"
16. "Once in a Lifetime"
17. "Miss America"
18. "Wild Wild Life"
19. "Burning Down the House"
20. "Life During Wartime"
21. "The Truth"
22. "Road to Nowhere"

Whatever the setlist ends up being, it's likely to be very fun and include some surprises that I didn't even take into consideration! Soon after the first show takes place, you can check how accurate these predictions were by seeing which songs were played at the first show on setlist.fm.

Click here for tour dates and ticket information: whoisthesky.davidbyrne.com/tour