Good news, music fans: One of Broadway’s most high-profile recent hits is getting the cinematic treatment, at last. (And no, it’s not Hamilton. Keep your pants on, Francis, it’s coming.) Variety reports this week that David Byrne’s critically acclaimed career retrospective American Utopia is set to make the move to the big screens some time in the near future, courtesy of a little help from director Spike Lee. A wide-ranging tour through Byrne’s entire career—from his Talking Heads days up through the 2018 album of the same name—American Utopia has drawn rave reviews for its energetic presentation of some of the best music of the last several decades.
Byrne, of course, is no stranger to working with legendary directors, on account of the whole “co-responsible for one of the most beloved concert films of all time” thing. (It’s not for nothing that he compared American Utopia in interviews to the same energy he and the rest of Talking Heads once brought to the sessions that formed the spine of Stop Making Sense.) The original touring show of American Utopia was marked by, among other things, its minimalist set design, combined with the occasional striking visual or silhouette. It’ll be interesting to see what Lee does with it—although he’s filmed numerous comedy specials, music videos, and music documentaries over the years, including a whole series of docs and short films on Michael Jackson—it’s rare for him to go for a pure concert film. On the one hand, he’s got some pretty big shoes (suits?) to fill; on the other hand, he’s Spike Lee; this feels like something of a natural fit.
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I’m excited for this. I was lucky to have caught him on the “American Utopia” tour and it was one of the most fun live shows I can remember seeing – just an awesome vibe of energy and fun. Kinda like this without Fallon:
https://www.stereogum.com/2065541/david-byrne-fallon-performance-road-to-nowhere-broadway/video/
The choice to close the show with Hell You Talmbout has really stuck with me.
Ditto. He had the entire auditorium up and stamping their feet, chanting names of police shooting victims. And that’s in Canada.
That he got people there didn’t suprise me as much as the choice to leave them there as they walked out stunned.
Come on!! I thought AVClub was geek enough to point out the reason he got this gig was for his phenomenal direction of Passing Strange.
*Spike Lee angrily burns down the house*
That was Devo.Kidding.
*Devo merrily burns down the house*
Born Under Tweets
I saw the tour and the Broadway show and I am maybe a little TOO excited for this. Given how this week went, I daresay I NEED this.
Yes!!! Saw this on tour and it blew my mind. And Stop Making Sense really solidified my love of The Talking Heads. I think it’s amazing that David Byrne keeps going so strong after all these years, seemingly still getting better with every new thing that he does. Can’t wait!
Should the headline not read “Spike Lee making A Joint of David Byrne’s American Utopia”
Spike Lee has a conjoined twin coming out of his back!