Huge Shark – LIVE MUSIC UPDATE –
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Happy New Year! It’s been a big-wave time out here on the West Coast — perfect for a Huge Shark (https://hugeshark.bandcamp.com). I saw in the new year with friends, champagne and cheese. Hope 2024 holds some joyous excitement for you!

As you may have heard, Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads and Adrian Belew of … well, King Crimson, among others, have been heading around the U.S. and Canada, with the band Cool Cool Cool as their stage band, on the Remain in Light tour, where they play (mostly) Talking Heads standards (mostly) from the album Remain in Light alongside a few other favorites. They’ve now extended that tour to some 2024 dates (catch them if you can!), but before they did so, they did a quick California tour around New Year’s with the beloved 1980’s Los Angeles cowpunk band X as their opener. I caught them at the storied Balboa Theatre in downtown San Diego, which celebrates its 100th birthday in a couple of months.
The original members of X cranked out the tunes with an energy that belied their ages (rocker John Doe turned 70 in 2023). The signature sound of Doe’s vocals paired with Exene Cervenka’s slightly off-kilter sung-spoken harmonies, alongside Billy Zoom’s deft guitar and D.J. Bonebrake’s driving drums, was undiminished — and the tracks they played off their upcoming album may be their best yet. They’ll start recording this month, and from the sound of things, this will be a release to look forward to.
Jerry Harrison, Adrian Belew and Cool Cool Cool put on a grand main act. Harrison took center stage but left the audience interaction to Belew, whose good cheer and evident enjoyment is always contagious. With the impressive Cool Cool Cool backing them up (including a plausible David Byrne-style vocalist who can also play a mean sax!), no one seemed upstaged — there was topnotch talent across the stage, and the vibe in the theatre was enthusiastic. Most of the (generally 50+) audience stood and danced in place, and those hoping for the feel of a Talking Heads live show were not disappointed. Keep an eye out if they make it through your city this year!
Until next time,
Huge Shark
*Jerry Harrison * * Adrian Belew * * Cool Cool Cool ** – Balboa Theatre – December 28th
Set Times: Show: 9:20 pm – 10:55 pm
Set List:
Psycho Killer
Crosseyed and Painless
Houses in Motion
I Zimbra
Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
Cities
Rev It Up
Slippery People
Thela Hun Ginjeet
Once in a Lifetime
Life During Wartime
Take Me to the River
Encore:
Drugs
The Perfect Curve