Start Making Sense is heading to the State Theatre in Ithaca — and they’re bringing The Ocean Avenue Horns along for the ride. If you’ve ever wanted to hear “Life During Wartime” or “Psycho Killer” with a full brass section punching through a room with real acoustics, this is your night.
For the uninitiated, Start Making Sense is widely considered the best Talking Heads tribute act working today. They don’t just cover the songs — they capture the nervous energy, the angular grooves, and the sheer weirdness that made David Byrne’s band one of the most original acts in rock history. Adding The Ocean Avenue Horns to the mix elevates the entire experience, bringing out the layers that defined albums like Remain in Light and Speaking in Tongues.
Why This Show Works
The Talking Heads never really toured the way fans wanted them to. The original band hasn’t played together since the early ’90s, and Byrne’s solo tours — brilliant as they are — only scratch the surface of the catalog. That’s exactly why Start Making Sense has built such a devoted following. They fill a void that’s been open for over three decades, and they do it with musicianship that earns the comparison.
The horn section is what separates this particular show from a standard tribute night. Tracks like “Burning Down the House” and “Once in a Lifetime” take on a different dimension with live brass — fuller, funkier, and closer to the expanded arrangements the Heads explored on Stop Making Sense, the concert film that remains one of the greatest ever made. If you want to dig into the originals before the show, the remastered Stop Making Sense soundtrack is essential listening.
Venue Info
The State Theatre is one of the Finger Lakes region’s best rooms for live music. The 1,600-seat historic theater sits right in downtown Ithaca, walkable from dozens of restaurants and bars on The Commons. The sight lines are strong from nearly every seat, and the room has the kind of warm, enveloping sound that makes you forget you’re in a theater and not a concert hall. Parking is available in nearby municipal garages, and if you’re making a night of it, grab dinner at Moosewood or a drink at The Watershed before the show.
Tickets
The date for this show has not yet been announced. Check the State Theatre events page for updates on the on-sale date and pricing. Shows at the State Theatre tend to move quickly once they go live, especially for acts with this kind of built-in audience — don’t sleep on it once tickets drop.