David Byrne
September 11, 1992
Greek Theatre
Berkeley, California
Walt K. Master Series, Vol. VIII
via JEMS and slipkid68

Recording Equipment: Sony ECM-150 mics > Sony D-6 > master cassettes

2022 transfer: master cassettes > Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1 azimuth-adjusted playback > Sound Devices USBPre 2 > Audacity 3.1.3 (24/96 capture) + resample to 16/44.1 > FLAC > iZotope RX > Audacity 3.1.3 (tracking and finishing)

Known Faults:

Well (joined in progress)
Women vs. Men (missing a few seconds due to tape flip)

01_Well
02_Buck Naked
03_(Nothing But) Flowers
04_Sax and Violins
05_Tiny Town
06_Road to Nowhere
07_Girls on My Mind
08_Mr. Jones
09_Loco de Amor
10_Something Ain’t Right
11_Life During Wartime
12_Women vs. Men
13_Independence Day
14_Hanging Upside Down
15_Take Me to the River
16_The Cowboy Mambo (Hey Lookit Me Now)
17_Lie to Me
18_Now I’m Your Mom
19_She’s Mad
20_Blind
21_Burning Down the House
22_Make Believe Mambo
23_And She Was
24_Psycho Killer
25_Dead Presidents
26_Heaven

Thirty years have passed but how sweet the sound, transferred for the first time from Walt K's master cassette tapes: David Byrne backed by a nine-piece band, performing on the 1992 tour behind the LP Uh-oh.

Listening reminded me of a 2016 comment from fellow fan sturnerbig, applauding torrents with origins in the San Francisco Bay Area. Why? “The Grateful Dead tapers that like other bands and tape them, too, always turn out the best recordings,” he wrote. Here's another one, friend.

Walt made amazing captures at the Greek Theatre — his 1984 Pretenders gig tape remains one of my all-time favorites. Now the eighth entry in the series, David Byrne, September 11, 1992, continues the standard of excellence: its rich, clear sound makes for delightful listening. Moreover, it doesn’t appear that this recording ever circulated.

And what a performance: a month before, Byrne told New York Times writer Peter Watrous his focus was on music rather than staging or spectacle. Relentlessly upbeat, the music showcases newer work and honors that which came before — namely, Talking Heads.

In the Times article, Byrne spoke of his readiness to re-engage with those songs, that it “felt like meeting old friends.” Smart covers (like Captain Beefheart’s “Well,” the blues of “Dead Presidents,” and “Take Me to the River,” of course), make for an eclectic 26-song set that plays back seamlessly.

My dear friend Walt passed away in 2006. He was always enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and generous, especially when it came to the music he loved, whether the Grateful Dead, Max Roach, or Pearl Jam (Walt turned me on to the first two, and we shared a deep appreciation for Ed Ved. & Co.).

In 2018, I retrieved Walt’s master tapes, which Helen graciously gifted, ensuring that the music will sound loud and clear long after dark. To that end, I’ve got help from my friends at JEMS. BK helped evaluate, and in this instance, mjk5510 went above and beyond to get the sound exactly where it needed to be. Thank you, all.

As Walt would say, share this freely, and for free!

- slipkid68