In “I Should Watch TV,” Byrne sang to himself in front of a mirror. This was also true for his other solo material. ![]() Each seemed to tell a story, both lyrically and through the choreography, similar to how the motions of ballet dancers tell wordless stories on the stage. I have a much better appreciation for these American Utopia songs after having seen them performed live. Other American Utopia songs have a more divergent style, such as the grinding electro chorus in “We Dance Like This.” But the lyrics are pure Byrne, with topics ranging from declarations of uninhibited weirdness to abstract social commentary. It got the crowd swaying as much as any of the old classics. Perhaps the catchiest song from American Utopia is “Every Day is a Miracle.” With its bright and expansive chorus, it could have appeared on a later Talking Heads album like True Stories, although its dissimilar music clearly represents a different age and attitude. The Heads songs included big hits, of course, but also many songs the casual radio listener might not know, like “I Zimbra,” “Slippery People,” and “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On),” both well-suited to the peculiarities of this band. But even though the guitarist was obviously exceptional, she usually only played sparse rhythm parts, saving the big solos for certain moments.īyrne introduced the bassist as Bobby Wooten-is he a member of the Wooten clan that includes Flecktones Victor Wooten and Future Man? He was the glue, the solid connection between the two melody instruments and the frantic polyrhythmic chorus of drums.Ībout half of the show were Talking Heads songs, and the other half were a mix of songs from Byrne’s new album American Utopia and a few outliers from his solo career. Elements of Talking Heads songs were sometimes faithfully rendered, like the unmistakable keyboard solo in “Naive Melody (This Must Be the Place),” and sometimes given a fresh interpretation, like the incredible guitar solo during “The Great Curve,” which as the last song of the first encore seemed the climax of the show. The musicians were at once virtuosic and tasteful. Therefore these three musicians handled parts originally played by up to six people: two keyboardists, sometimes two bassists, and two or three guitarists. Six Talking Heads songs were from their big-band funk era, with three each from Remain in Light and Speaking In Tongues. With these three taking care of everything besides percussion, the music had an almost stripped-down feel, despite all the drums. The other three players were a guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist with the keyboard hung from his neck. I learned that the weird sound after the chorus in “Blind” is actually Byrne doing a high bend on the guitar. When he did play guitar, it was usually for a solo. Byrne played guitar a few times but spent most of the show without an instrument. At times they played a small drum or shaker, but were mostly free to dance. Three of the remaining six were singers, Byrne and two more, one male and the other female. As they moved around the stage, usually in formation, you could watch specific drummers and hear exactly what they were playing and how it fit into the larger sound, even if it were something as simple as a shaker. With so many drummers, every song was a masterclass in rhythm. They carried big bass drums, single snares, bongos, talking drums, smaller hand drums like djembes, thin sideways drums that looked like the Irish bodhrán, shakers, and the array of toms used by marching bands. Between songs they disappeared behind the curtain of glowing strings and reemerged with different drums, often the ones in the drumline of a marching band. At times the lights made the suits change color, from a silvery blue to a light brown.Ī full half were drummers, so it didn’t matter that their bare feet were unavailable for the music, since all the drums you’d find on a typical drum kit were divided among the six of them. They had bare feet and wore matching grey suits. The 12 musicians and singers-I’ll call them “players” because they were more than musicians and singers, but cogs in a cohesive musical machine-were in constant motion, carrying their instruments as they walked, ran, and danced around the stage. ![]() It was bordered by hanging strings of light that looked like sparkling curtains, which the players passed through as they left and reentered the stage. The box-like stage was totally empty-no amps, cables, or drums kits. But this was more than a concert, it was a show. ![]() I don’t review every concert I attend, not even all the great ones. Trust me, go see David Byrne, even if you only have a vague appreciation for Talking Heads. It’s still early in the tour and he’ll head back to the U.S. David Byrne played Mexico City on Tuesday, April 4.
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