Pop-punk princess Olivia Rodrigo brought out David Byrne, the legendary NYC figure and former Talking Heads auteur, for a take on “Burning Down the House” during her headlining performance at Governors Ball (Gov Ball) on Saturday night.
The lively, colorful rendition of the shout-along anthem came late in Rodrigo’s performance following takes on a baker’s dozen fan-favorites from her two No. 1 hit albums, 2021’s Sour and 2023’s Guts. The 22-year-old Rodrigo, dressed in a dazzling, studded, two-piece leather ensemble, and the 73-year-old Byrne, looking no less fabulous in bright red overalls and his go-to hands-free mic, united the predominantly younger crowd in a multigenerational celebration of music that’s timeless with their joyous chants—and even a bit of unison choreography in Byrne’s characteristically unencumbered, child-like style.
Related: What We Know So Far About The New David Byrne Album [Photos/Videos]
Byrne, a singular creative force whose aesthetic has been synonymous with “reasons to be cheerful” since well before he launched a magazine with that name, was certainly at the top of Rodrigo’s “reasons” list after Governors Ball 2025: The young superstar grinned her way through the collaboration in an endearing mix of elation and disbelief. “gov ball🍎🍎🍎,” Rodrigo wrote on Instagram in a post showcasing the tens of thousands in attendance at her performance. “can’t believe I got to sing with one of the greatest of all time @davidbyrneofficial [David Byrne] will remember this forever!!!! ❤️🎸💋 .”
Scroll down to watch crowd-shot videos and check out professional photos of Olivia Rodrigo and surprise guest David Byrne performing “Burning Down the House” (Talking Heads) at Governors Ball 2025.
Next up for Olivia Rodrigo is a headlining appearance at this coming weekend’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, TN. From there, she’ll head overseas for a June–July 2025 stretch of tour dates and festival plays before returning to the States on July 31st for Lollapalooza in Chicago. Find tickets to upcoming Olivia Rodrigo tour dates here.
Related: Olivia Rodrigo Spills Her ‘Guts’ At Boston’s TD Garden [Photos]
While any updates regarding the long-divorced Talking Heads have remained relegated to the “catalog band” region, David Byrne is ramping up to a big year ahead: Word is he has a new album arriving imminently featuring production by pop hitmaker Kid Harpoon and a 20(ish)-piece avant-garde orchestra as his backing band. For a breakdown of what we know so far about the new David Byrne album and details on the release of new single “Everybody Laugh”, head here.
Olivia Rodrigo w/ David Byrne – “Burning Down the House” – Gov Ball – New York, NY – 6/7/25
[Video: Joe’s Live Concert Juke Box]
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