DAVID BYRNE'S AMERICAN UTOPIA

Directing: A
Writing: A-
Cinematography: B+
Editing: A

It’s one of the many sad tragedies of 2020 that Broadway has been shut down for the vast majority of the year. But considering the often insane expense of ticket prices, not to mention limitations of geography, for the vast majority of Americans, it literally makes no difference whatsoever. What does make a difference is skilled filming of these live performances for in-home viewing, from the Independence Day Weekend release of Hamilton on Disney+ to, now, American Utopia on HBO Max. There is no doubt that seeing these shows live is a far better experience, but for the millions for whom that was always impossible, this is far, far better than nothing. I truly hope these recordings of Broadway productions continues even after Broadway can actually open again, helping to bring live theater away from its status as the most elitist of all art forms.

And while I did spend a fair amount of time watching American Utopia thinking about how spectacular it would have been to see live, I sure was grateful to have the chance to see it at home. This show is a pure delight, from beginning to end—and I say that as someone who never much paid attention to The Talking Heads or David Byrne’s music. I can only imagine how delighted true, longtime fans would be, because this presentation is nearly flawless.

As it happens, Byrne hails from a time when it was not nearly as important as it is now, to sound good singing live. In his heyday, musicians made their fortunes on album sales, and often phoned it in for live performances. A noticeable trait of this era was when live performances were broadcast on television, often making them sound even worse. The music industry flipped in the 21st century, with aritsts making virtually no money on album sales and making their fortunes on their touring—so long as they were able to bring it.

David Byrne, clearly, has been the best of both worlds. This man is an exceptional live vocalist, even at the age of 68. I suppose some people back in the day might have written him off for how often he sort of shout-sings his lyrics, but he’s also a skilled lyricist, creating rhymes and melodies like no one else. This is a unique individual, and his singing here is consistently impressive. And even as he pointedly includes a couple of songs with a political message—including one borrowed from Janelle Monáe in which the names of Black victims of police killings are repeated several times (“Say her name!”)—this show, on the whole, is one of electric joy. I had a grin on my face for a majority of its run time.

Lest this film look too much like too many other “concert films,” Spike Lee was brought in to direct this filmed version, and Lee’s hand is always evident. It’s not often easy to make great cinematography for live performance, but cinematographer Ellen Kuras manages surprisingly memorable visuals. And this is all for a very simple stage, the space on which never changes. In the opening sequence. Byrne is seen sitting alone at a table, and steamers slowly raise around him as the three sides of a square (excepting the “fourth wall”—there is an audience there, after all), looking remarkably like waterfalls. Once they reach their full height, they stay put for the duration of the show, serving as de facto exits to backstage, like hanging beads.

And so, there is always just that large square of space, Byrne commanding attention at all times, but also surrounded by a bevy of clearly very talented musicians. He also has just two backup dancers, and it’s almost a miracle how well this works. I once saw the Pet Shop Boys live and they had only two backup dancers, and they were shit, superfluous and pointless. Not these two, a Black woman and what looks like a thirty-something redheaded white man, his face heavy with eye makeup, lipstick and a mustache. Visually, the two could hardly be more different, and yet their dancing is meticulously well rehearsed and perfectly timed, always in sync until the choreography calls for minor variations. Byrne, for his part, also participates in the choreography, and when he does he doesn’t miss a beat

Probably most important of all, the instrumentation is spectacular. The crowd is consistently seen on its feet dancing, and there is never any reason to wonder why. David Byrne remains pretty avant garde, yet there is nothing pretentious or inaccessible about him, or this show. His vocals are the cherry on the cake, and I really can’t recommend it enough.

True to himself and with a universal message: David Byrne & Co.

Overall: A-