American Utopia
In case you missed it…
Like a small miracle, David Byrne has a show playing on Broadway at the St James Theatre that will delight those who dare to to come out in New York City. Yes, you must be vaccinated and the audience is masked but coming together at this time feels positively brand new and this is the show to see. American Utopia is part theatre, part concert, part conversation and a wholly David Byrne enterprise. He begins the evening holding a brain in his hand describing what each part does and then takes us along various neurological pathways to the communal finale - the dancing moment.
You want to dance early in the evening but the most you can do is tap your foot and sway. Then the release happens. Byrne invites everyone to dance as they play a magnificent rendition of Burning Down the House.
As a reminder of a life well lived, here is some footage of a young David Byrne and Talking Heads performing Psycho Killer live at the Mudd Club in 1979. Watching this early performance, it reminds us that sometimes, the best moments are yet to come. I would argue that American Utopia is one of them. It is full of soul and heart and that is just what the world needs.
David Byrne, Talking Heads, 1980 © Lynn Goldsmith, 1980
Press on images to watch then & now
David Byrne's American Utopia. Credit: Matthew Murphy
Interrupted by COVID (like so many good things) and in it’s final stretch in New York (ending in April) we recommend you get tickets if you are lucky enough to live in NYC or can visit.
For those unable to experience this very human moment live we are lucky that Mike Leigh directed the film for HBO so the joy is available to all.
Another reason to love David Byrne is his activism for humanity. He brings us good news reminding us that in this world there are many REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL It is an antidote to the endless stream of bad news. We advise signing up. This newsletter/blog/podcast might just be even more important than anything he’s ever done before. Imagine what he’ll do next… we can’t wait to find out.