Feel the Byrne: Part Two

The Twin Lakes brewery tour was saved by our introduction to Rob, the current brewmaster.

Rob was an aging hippie. Rob was a musician. Rob spent eight years living in Wisconsin, and Rob knew how to make great beer from scratch. Rob also told us this story.

Rob and his buddy, Chris, worked for several years as roadies for various bands. Chris had a little more success in this area, or at least he worked for better-known acts. Among these acts was David Byrne. In 2001, Byrne was touring in support of his Look into the Eyeball album and had booked a handful of Philadelphia-area dates. This brought Chris and David Byrne into town for one magical night at The Electric Factory. Rob, as a loyal friend and fellow music lover, got the call from Chris to join him backstage for the post-concert decompression.

We talked of nothing related to the show with Rob. I simply know that afterwards, the three of them decided to make their way downtown for a few drinks at a relatively unassuming establishment. They arrived at a small watering hole on - of all nights - karaoke night. So, just to recap, Brewmaster Rob, Roadie Chris, and David Byrne are sitting in a Philadephia bar on Karaoke night. And nobody recognizes anybody......

Byrne, amused, brilliant, and content from a show he deemed satisfactory, leans towards Chris in the darkened bar. "Have a look at the book. If you see anything of mine, put your name in. If they call on you, I'll get up there and sing it." Chris pages through the book and sees the usual arsenal of Talking Heads classics. Deciding to go big or go home, he puts in for "Once in a Lifetime" and returns to the booth with Byrne.

The time comes, and Byrne, true to his word, slinks up to the modest stage with his head down and face obscured. The familiar salvo of the expectant drums and the thrumming pop-up-now-fall-back-down bassline begins as Byrne keeps his back to the audience.

With the opening verse imminent, Byrne whirls, and suddenly becomes ten feet tall:

"YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF........LIVING IN A SHOTGUN SHACK."



Those in the know gasp, erupt, and appreciate.

POSTSCRIPT: A thrilled patron approaches Byrne once he has finished, looks at him with awe, and says: "DUDE! Do you KNOW who you ARE???"