Sophia Michaels
Towards the back half of Maggie Rogers’ set at Radio City Music Hall, the singer put on a blazer and made an announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen,” announced the singer, “For one night only, please welcome David Byrne!”
Byrne then joined Rogers on stage for a thrilling, light-hearted performance of “Strange Overtones,” a highlight from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, Byrne’s 2008 album with Brian Eno. The duo traded off verses and teamed up for a lightly choreographed dance.
Last night’s performance of “Strange Overtones” was one of several full-circle moments on stage for Rogers, who first reached out to Byrne after becoming a massive fan of the song a few years ago: “I cold emailed him,” Rogers told NME last year. “We’d never met. And I’m a massive fan. And ‘Strange Overtones’ was a song in the pandemic that I just deeply connected to and played over and over again.” Byrne immediately agreed to appear in the singer’s video for “That’s Where I Am,” the lead single from her 2022 album Surrender.
“In so many ways, every goal I’ve ever dreamed of — Radio City, the Sydney Opera House, a Grammy nomination, getting to meet John Prine — they’ve all happened,” Rogers told Rolling Stone last year. “When I think about what I want right now, or what success looks like… I got to wake up in this beautiful home, listen to Nick Drake, drink coffee. Those are the most perfect quiet moments to me.”
