A “Once in a Lifetime” Talking Heads tribute band

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Stop Making Sense performs at Dreamland, on Thursday, August 15. — Red Eyed Flies, facebook

The Talking Heads broke up in 1991, and they’re not getting back together. Fans of the new wave rock band, famous for such singles as “Psycho Killer,” “Take Me to the River,” “Once in a Lifetime,” and “Burning Down the House,” simply can’t hear The Talking Heads’ music live anymore — nor experience the downright weird showmanship of frontman David Byrne. Or can they?

Jon Braun and his tribute band Start Making Sense, who play at Dreamland on Thursday, August 15, have found a way to offer an authentic Talking Heads experience. The name of the seven piece band is a play on the Talking Heads lyric, album, and concert-movie “Stop Making Sense.” Members include Mr. Braun on lead vocals and guitar, Jon Fadem on guitar, Steve Brunette on percussion, Jesse Braun on drums, and Devin Calderin on the keyboard. Together, they nail the unique punk/funk/avant-garde instrumentation of the Talking Heads.

But it’s lead man Mr. Braun who steals the show with his spot-on impersonation of David Byrne. “If David Byrne is one of the geniuses of modern times, then Start Making Sense is a tribute to genius,” the band said in a press release. It’s not just the vocals Mr. Braun mimics well, he seems to channel the every whim of a young David Byrne, from the robotic, seizure-esque dance moves to the 1980s hairstyle.

Start Making Sense is more than just a cover band, it’s a theatrical experience. And the lively, upbeat, sometimes bizarre music of the Talking Heads is likely to fill Dreamland’s dance floor.

Doors open at 9:30 pm, and tickets start at $12. For more information, visit dreamlandmv.com or call 508-560-1932.