![]() ![]() Despite the dark themes of injustice and death prevalent in all these songs, Byrne and company stand hopeful and optimistic for a better world where we can all come together as one. The show ends on a somber yet uplifting note, with a cover of Janelle Monae’s Hell You Talmbout that pays tribute to recent victims of police brutality, an a capella version of Byrne and Brian Eno’s song One Fine Day, and then an encore of Road to Nowhere. The choreography and rhythm from all the backing musicians (lots of percussionists, as well as some guitars and synthesizers) makes every song enjoyable, and the show never at all feel its length of 100 minutes. Not to say this would alienate anyone only familiar with the Heads songs, as many of the songs from Byrne’s solo career and collaborations are just as joyous and funky as his earlier band’s songs. There are 21 songs performed, with 9 of them being Talking Heads songs, including a few classics like Once in a Lifetime and Burning Down the House. A lot of it relates to messages that have always been present in his work, such as social anxiety and understanding human interactions. Plus, it adds to the show’s message and feel of a utopia quite well. It’s very compelling and Byrne is a wonderful speaker. In between some of the song, Byrne speaks about personal experiences, the pandemic, and change – almost like a TED Talk. It features David Byrne and a large, incredible backing band moving freely around the stage with endlessly fun choreography. ![]() Coming into the show, I was excited just to see one of my heroes in person, and I knew I’d be satisfied with any result that occurred.Īnd what I got was completely worth the price of the tickets, amount of time spent traveling by train to NY, and more.įor those who haven’t looked into it much, American Utopia seems like it would only be a concert that happens to be performed on a Broadway stage, but it’s significantly more than that. It’s hard not to be intrigued by the guy when it comes to his work, such as his wild and energetic performance in the legendary concert film Stop Making Sense, his overtly quirky yet all-knowing 1986 satirical comedy film True Stories, and his popular Instagram account known for bizarrely funny and vague images and captions. (It eventually became both my birthday *and* Christmas present due to the amount of expenses for it.) I’ve always been a huge fan of not just Talking Heads, but David Byrne himself in terms of his solo career and him as a person. James Theatre in New York as a present for my 19th birthday. This show is Byrne’s second appearance on Broadway.I went to see David Byrne’s American Utopia at the St. Talking Heads is also named on Rolling Stone’s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". David Byrne and the Talking Headsĭavid Byrne, is a Grammy, Oscar, and Golden Globe winner, and is best known for being the lead singer of Talking Heads and Byrne headlines this theatrical Broadway experience once again.īyrne led the famous “new-wave” American Rock n’ Roll band Talking Heads from 1975 to 1991, where he helped create the four albums which appear on Rolling Stone’s list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The Ambassador Theatre Group appears to have a different approach to shows than other Broadway landlords EG The Shubert Organization. This business move was somewhat unprecedented on the Great White Way, where they are more often focused on what's next. ![]() The show ultimately moved to the St James Theatre, due to contractual obligations, but the positive press if the show endeared it the new landlord at the Jujamcyn owned St. When the theatre’s landlord, the Ambassador Theatre Group, realized how impactful the show really was to Byrne’s fans and how successful the show and box office could be in the future, they asked Byrne and the rest of his team to come back to perform it again in 2021. The first production of American Utopia in 2019 became the #1 grossing show for the Hudson Theatre by a huge margin. That show beat all the Broadway analyst’s ticket sales expectations by over 40%. The 2021 production is the second time around for the show that originally came to Broadway in mid-2019. American Utopia is “Rock and Roll Hall of Famer” David Byrne’s 2018 album and show of the same name. ![]()
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