![]() 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. Combining a traditional concert with the artistic visions of Byrne and Lee, American Utopia is worthy performance art, cementing itself as a fundamentally enjoyable piece.I’m going to try something new. This Spike Lee piece is carefully crafted brilliance, highlighting a strong stage performance, delivered by one of the best in the business. To compare American Utopia to the perfection of Stop Making Sense would be unfounded and unfair. It has within it such a kinetic energy, fragmented moments of perfection that set the bar for contemporary stage productions. High angles, vivid lighting, and spectacular focus from Lee’s direction make for a unique performance, and craft American Utopia into something that feels like an amalgamation of Byrne’s lyrical strengths and Lee’s abilities behind the camera. It’s a nicely pursued point, one that doesn’t stifle performance or negate the achievements of either director or star. He may be the man we look up to on the stage, but the camerawork from Lee has us looking down upon him often, as if we should feel sorry for the man with bottled up thoughts of where our world is heading. It portrays him as a comfortable, welcoming figure. Any other performer would be laughed at for this behaviour, but Byrne is lauded for it, and rightly so. He speaks a bit of endearing nonsense at us, and then bridges his way into a song that has no connection to what he’s talking about. I still find it impressive that Byrne has been able to keep hold of his vocal strengths for so many decades. American Utopia manages to find the balance between cashing in on the success of the famed new wave band, and finding itself creating a new way of performing music to an audience. There’s not an overreliance on older songs, prominent singles, or 80s material, but there’s certainly a chunk of it lingering around the setlist. Whilst his solo work is clearly weaker than his work with Talking Heads, he does well to adapt them to the fabric of this live show. We should expect nothing less from such a great songwriter. A glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark year, and an underwhelming one for cinema, this Spike Lee and David Byrne collaboration is an unsurprisingly upbeat, but beautifully choreographed piece that brings the work of Byrne to an artistic level not seen in decades.Ī slow start paves the way for some incredibly impressive direction from Lee, and engaging work from Byrne. ![]() I’ve waited two long years for this release, and my astronomically high expectations could do the film no justice. He brings his Broadway performance, American Utopia, to the screen for all to see, and it’s about time. It’s coming to the end of its lifespan, but has made for an enjoyable change of pace, a welcome one at that. David Byrne has coasted on the surprising success of his latest album for two years now.
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