Olivia Rodrigo is still going strong on her Guts World Tour, and her latest stop saw her headline the Governors Ball Music Festival in NYC on Saturday. Thankfully, there have been no reports of Olivia falling through a hole in the stage. Instead it was the audience who was treated to an unexpected moment, when she brought out 80s punk rocker and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne to the stage for the pair to perform his classic hit, “Burning Down the House.” Surprise! I mean, he’s no Pesto. But I guess a guest appearance by David Byrne is pretty cool, lol. (To be clear: yes, I’m joking!) Clad in complementary red outfits, both artists looked like they were having a whole lotta fun singing and doing their choreography in sync. And the audience sure seemed into it too:
Pop star Olivia Rodrigo, 22, has excellent taste in music.
The Bad Idea singer, a former Disney Channel star and current Taylor Swift bestie, recently bridged the generational gap between modern pop and ‘90s legends by bringing Talking Heads frontman David Byrne on stage. The duo not only danced in sync—they twinned in matching red outfits, sending the audience into what fans called a “fever dream.” Fans couldn’t get enough of the “unexpected duo,” with Byrne fans giving respect to the young Driver’s License signer for sharing the stage with the iconic rocker.
Rodrigo was headlining Saturday’s Governors Ball Music Festival when she surprised the crowd by bringing Byrne onstage. Much to the audience’s delight, the 73-year-old music legend arrived wearing bright red overalls that matched Rodrigo’s all-red bra and shorts set. The energetic pair danced (and ran) in unison while belting out Burning Down the House.
Fans loved seeing two generations of music stars unite onstage. In a video shared on social media, one fan wrote, “I love how she gives props to all my music idols!! David Byrne is the coolest,” while another added, “I love it,” in reaction to the unexpected collaboration.
Burning Down the House was originally released in 1983 and peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Olivia Rodrigo was born in 2003.
Oh, bless Parade. This excerpt was actually the entire article, but they packed a lot into those 221 words! Starting with the last line: the no-fuss reporting of “Burning Down the House” being released 20 years before Olivia’s birth was hilarious. Next, I would not call David and Olivia’s outfits “twinning,” and even “matched” is a little strong. They were the same color, that’s the end of the similarities! David sported red overalls with a white tee underneath, looking like Super Mario’s Scottish cousin. Olivia, meanwhile, was wearing hot pants (or briefs, really) and a bra top. If David had actually twinned with her tour costume, the headlines coming out of the concert would’ve taken on a whole new tone, is all I’m saying! But the best, most quietly juicy nugget, is the line at the top describing Olivia as a “current Taylor Swift bestie.” Never has the word “current” carried so much weight!
Anyway, this was a charming move on Olivia’s part, to extend the invitation to David. Reminded me of when she joined Billy Joel onstage at his Madison Square Garden concert in 2022 to sing “Uptown Girl.” Not all the youngin’s are as well versed in music history, so it’s nice that she welcomes it into her performances so graciously. And I can’t help it, David Byrne working so earnestly to hit all the dance steps was just plain adorkable. You can see it written all over his face!
Olivia Rodrigo burned down Governors Ball with the help of David Byrne.
During her Saturday night headlining set at the New York City music festival, the pop star brought out the legendary Talking Heads frontman to perform “Burning Down the House.” pic.twitter.com/yV1IFnsTN7
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) June 8, 2025
Olivia Rodrigo brings out David Byrne for “Burning Down the House” at @GovBallNYC pic.twitter.com/SOSo9LR5qb
— BrooklynVegan (@brooklynvegan) June 8, 2025
Photos credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com