![]() Byrne slotted in new additions to the American Utopia setlist, including some from his collaborations with Brian Eno, and, of course, a variety of cuts from Talking Heads‘ catalog. Byrne announced the temporary American Utopia: Unchainedperformances on Monday after several members of the company, band, and crew tested positive for COVID-19.ĭespite the stripped-down format and skeleton crew, Byrne and his company delivered a full, 17-song set and encore. James Theatre in New York City on Tuesday night for the first of six showings. But these six clips should give you an adequate taste of what I’ve attempted to describe.David Byrne brought his modified, “Unchained” version of the American Utopia Broadway show to St. Like I said, you really had to be there to absorb the full impact of what transpired. I’ll just leave it at that, and let you check out some of footage below. Thankfully, Byrne was aware of that, performing a fair selection of those hits, including “Once in a Lifetime,” “Burning Down the House,” and “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody).” He’s also hip enough to not make this a retro-nostalgia show, interweaving his solo work seamlessly throughout. And like most, I was there to hear those Talking Heads oldies, as well as his recent solo offerings. ![]() So this is most definitely a bucket list show. Yet that proved to be the show’s strength, the music completely unhindered, purified by the open space, freeing the performance to move and groove at will, spontaneous in choreography and execution.Īdmittedly, I’ve never seen Byrne, or Talking Heads, live before. At times, I couldn’t believe all that music was coming from these dozen players, completely unconstrained by the empty, unplugged stage design. But the energy and vitality was a sight to behold. It’s about as non-traditional as concerts get. I have to admit it took some getting used to. And for the next two hours, that’s how it went, the entire performance spent on their feet, mobility as the defining factor, as they filled the stage with athletic craft, never once losing momentum, completely in sync, totally drenched in sweat by the end. As the music progressed, building in momentum, various band members emerged from the curtain, barefoot, all dressed in matching suits, instruments strapped to their bodies marching-band style. It began with Byrne, sitting at a lone table, singing to what looked to be a brain held in his hand. The stage was completely empty, save for a floor-to-ceiling curtain. But this is definitely a case of “you had to be there” to fully appreciate the wonder of what he’s attempting. The rest, I’ll leave for you to discover, as there’s no shortage of online info.īyrne’s “American Utopia” show is more an experience than a concert. And really, the only thing you need to know is that he’s still at it, embodying and expanding on all the contributions he’s made to music history. There’s plenty to say about Byrne’s solo career, as well as his history with Talking Heads. If you’re interested, you can click here for a YouTube bootleg of it. I’d include an embed of the film here, but I’m sure there’s all types of copyright issues. Some might recall Jonathan Demme’s 1984 landmark concert film “Stop Making Sense,” which introduced the world to Byrne’s big suit, a brand that stuck with Talking Heads, as well as an entirely original concept-based live performance, which even the likes of Trent Reznor used as inspiration for his 2013 NIN “Tension” tour. For their time, it was unusual in that they could dabble on these fringes, yet also touch the mainstream. The results were an eclectic, experimental collage of artsy beguilement, rhythmically cultured, slightly on-edge, yet sampled from international flavors, as well as homegrown grooves. New wave might be a bit of a generalization, though.įrom the mid-’70s to the early ’90s, Talking Heads were an amalgamation of many inclinations – ’70s punk and funk, uncharted world music, and traditional rock, to name a few, all neatly bundled into an avant-garde pop sensibility. But if you’re memory has slipped, or you’ve managed to bypass his extensive career, he’s formerly the voice and guitarist for the groundbreaking New York City new wave act Talking Heads. So for starters, I’m going to travel back to last summer at the Shrine Auditorium, where David Byrne showcased his “American Utopia” tour.īyrne really needs no introduction. And seeing that January is traditionally a slower month for live music, I thought it would be kind of cool to fill the empty spaces with some of these past experiences. ![]() You see, I have all this footage from all these great shows that happened prior to this blog’s inception way back in September.
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