The talents of David Byrne and Spike Lee combine to exuberant effect in this new concert movie featuring music from across the career of the former ‘Talking Heads’ frontman.
In 1984, the late great Jonathan Demme teamed together with Talking Heads to create one of the most celebrated concert movies of all time with Stop Making Sense. It stands as a testament to the unpredictable nature of Talking Heads in their prime, and is often considered the gold standard when it comes to films of its kind. The shadow of Stop Making Sense and its oversized suit does indeed loom large over Byrne’s latest concert film, but it is a fact that cannot be avoided and one that is embraced in this new performance piece, put together by Spike Lee. Echoing Demme’s previous film, American Utopia emerges as a more modern and urgent celebration of Byrne’s music.
American Utopia features performances of songs from both the Talking Heads catalogue and Byrne’s own career, with some surprise covers along the way. On a sparse square stage, Byrne and his merry band all dressed in grey suits with bare feet, strut, dance and groove their way across a selection of joyful tracks that bring to light Byrne and Lee’s outlooks on modern day America. Together, they create something that is as much a call to action is it is a celebration of musical expression.
The show’s joyful celebration of music and community, is wrapped around the very idea that the world (not just America) can and indeed should do better. The lyrics and compositions of Byrne’s songs ring with a timeliness that allows them to form a conversation around his desire to shine a light on injustice in society, as well as providing a decent dollop of optimism for a better tomorrow along the way. Through Lee’s filmmaking energy and Byrne’s persona, and the talents of everyone involved on stage and behind the scenes, American Utopia comes to be a captivating expression of how music creates the spaces for all kinds of feeling, as well as acting as a beacon for its usefulness as a tool for change.
Silver haired and silver suited, Byrne remains as engrossing a presence as always. His voice, now with the slight weariness of age draped over it, brings with it a soulful energy that couples well with his avant garde sensibilities. The band he has formed around him is also full of energy, smiles and exuberation, making every performance infectiously lively. Being around such a degree of talent is a very fun means to pass a 100 minutes, becoming an enriching experience full of wonder, style and low key spectacle.
That American Utopia manages to come through as something that feels very much the perfect partner to Stop Making Sense is a marvel, but perhaps no surprise once you see how in tune the sensibilities of Byrne and Lee are. There’s a reverence for Byrne’s musical history, as well as a strong sense of collaboration that has brought everyone together to forge something very special.
The film ends with Byrne quoting James Baldwin; “I still believe we can do with this country something that has not been done before.” It is a quote that very much surmises the message at the heart of this experience, a call for an imperfect America to start making sense of the chaos it finds itself in. The passion of the performance, the energy of the filmmaking, and the sense of celebration amongst the audience make sure that David Byrne’s American Utopia stands as its own masterpiece of collaboration, one that you’ll want to experience again and again.
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Summary
David Byrne’s American Utopia stands as its own masterpiece of collaboration, one that you’ll want to experience again and again.
