12/10/2023 0 Comments David byrne american utopia songsI figured, hey, if they like those versions, wait until they hear the originals! But no, they actively dislike the Talking Heads versions of the songs. They have wanted to listen to the songs every day since. I can understand that reaction.Īnyway, we showed some excerpts of the movie to the kids, and they were immediately hooked. Another observed that she had seen some Black audience members walking out. One of them said, maybe he should have just let his Black band members sing it. I talked about this with my NYU students. That reduced the cringe factor somewhat, but did not eliminate it. Toward the end of the show, the band covered “Hell You Talmbout” by Janelle Monáe.ĭavid explained that he had asked Janelle Monáe’s permission to do the song, and she had given her blessing. ![]() David Byrne has apparently gotten woke! Mostly I’m glad about this, but it sometimes manifests awkwardly. I love David Byrne unreservedly, but I was in a bit of a mood the night we went to see the show, and at one point I was thinking, okay, this is fun, but what does it have to do with anything? Like, what about climate change? Five minutes later, as if he read my mind, David said from the stage, “Climate change – you kids are fucked.” You could read a certain amount of social satire into some Talking Heads songs, but overt political speech during a set is a new thing. I can only hope to have similar energy at that age. It is so inspiring to see a 68 year old guy singing and dancing like this. With nothing else to look at, you focus on the faces and the bodies, which, as David explains at one point, is the whole idea. The lighting is all flat colors, simple geometric shapes, and the performers’ shadows. The stage is surrounded by chain-link curtains but is otherwise empty. All the mics and instruments are wireless. The enormous band is dressed in matching grey suits, but their feet are bare. Like everything David Byrne does, the visuals are striking. You can see the fantastic filmed version directed by Spike Lee on HBO. My wife, who is awesome, recently took me on a date to see American Utopia on Broadway. The first band I was ever in did “ And She Was” as an acoustic folk number. Plus, he gets into American Utopia, his weirdly cool dance moves, and the power behind his art.I go way, way back with Talking Heads. On Bullseye, we talk with Byrne about his time with the Talking Heads. A24 is set to rerelease the film in September. The Talking Heads' groundbreaking concert film was directed by Jonathan Demme - the director of Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia. Since then, another live masterpiece is brewing in Byrne world: it's the 40th anniversary of Stop Making Sense. When we talked to David Byrne back in 2021, he'd just brought American Utopia back to Broadway. ![]() Then, American Utopia's live show became a movie directed by the one and only Spike Lee. In 2019, he parlayed the tour into a full on Broadway production. Only, he's David Byrne, so he went the extra mile and then some: 12 musicians, all dressed alike in gray suits, carrying their instruments like a marching band and dancing with them. It started as an album in 2018 then he toured on it with a handful of dates across the US. At the same time, he takes high art - the kind of stuff you see in Manhattan galleries or in repertory theaters in Brooklyn - and makes it more familiar.Īmerican Utopia is his latest project. If you wanted to find a common theme in his work, it might be that David Byrne has always worked to push the boundaries of what pop music can be. He even wrote and directed his own movie back in 1986: True Stories. He's written books and scored soundtracks. Vincent, Philip Glass, Selena and so many more. The Scottish singer recorded instrumental electronic albums, pop records and even spoken word. ![]() The band behind iconic songs like "Psycho Killer" and "Burning Down the House."īut Byrne is also a solo artist in his own right. ![]() He's the lead singer and frontman of the Talking Heads. David Byrne performs onstage during the 2018 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field on Apin Indio, California.ĭavid Byrne's career is nothing less than extraordinary.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |