So late last night my flight from LaGuardia landed a bit late and I ended a holiday diversion to New York City that started with a parade that always thrills me, a great lunch at my daughter’s place, and ended with a show that blew my mind. I grew up watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV and always wanted to go. I went again last week. The balloons and the marching bands evoke emotions in me that usually end up in my eyes tearing up. When I was a young kid I never dreamed I would ever see these things in person and here I am again. Then came Sunday. Fresh off a Times Square subway landing and a short walk over to the St. James Theatre https://www.jujamcyn.com/theatres/st-james/ led me to see a 2021 spectacle called “American Utopia.”
After a few weeks of anticipation I entered the theater after showing my covid triple dose vaccine card and my drivers license. A scan of my phone and I was inside which was better than the cold outside. I passed on the liquid libations and focused on my seat down front for the show. I had intentionally not studied to learn about this show. I wanted a surprise knowing very little about what to expect. I have previously seen David Byrne in concert and even have a signed copy of his book “How Music Works.” Can I just stop and say I love this music and seeing this artist on a stage? I had a tinge of excitement knowing this was going to seriously rock and would be something I would remember for a long time as an experience I would love to tell people about. The best part was my daughter was sitting beside me and she knows the whole gig. She has talked to David Byrne after one of the shows she has seen with St. Vincent. One of those concerts was with me.
The curtain was lit with some very cool art. I don’t want to give away everything as I want you to go see this show. I took very few photos as I was blown away by the show. The incredible talent was only a few feet from me and this was almost like being on stage with them we were so close. The sound was very loud and I had my 20 db ear plugs in to reduce the level a bit for my over-experienced hearing. The percussion was incredible. Everything was awesome. The choreography, the stage that was devoid of anything except the players and a silver chain separating the back of the stage. Very intentional.
The show. Well. I felt like I was immersed in a story just listening to David talk between songs. The show is tied together very well. I was watching every move of the band. They were amazing. I cannot say enough about this band. We gave them a standing ovation. All of them. What talent! The percussion was mid-blowing. Guitar work, bass, keyboards, things were being played that I didn’t even recognize but was rocking to. I had already read this New York Times article so I knew this was coming. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/20/theater/american-utopia-david-byrne.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article
Of course you can read this one too if you are a biking fan like me: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/theater/american-utopia-david-byrne-broadway.html?searchResultPosition=4
So I have to stop and interject a story that relates to this music. In 1985 I had a four day old Volkswagen GTI. I was on the way to work late in the night. It was very dark and in a very rural area. I was enjoying my new-found horsepower and enjoying the curves of a lonely road. I had the music cranked up. Well that was normal but on this night I had the Talking Heads playing “Burning Down the House” pretty loud on the really nice audio system in this car. I rounded a curve and this large automobile was meeting me in the other lane and half of mine with bright lights on. I dropped off the pavement to find a sharp drop of almost eighteen inches to avoid this person who was either intoxicated or lacked the ability to hold a lane. As I returned to the road my back passenger wheel caught the pavement and threw the car sideways. I was probably running 60 miles per hour or so….I started braking and the car started spinning. I was thrown into the safety belt and was at this point 6 inches from the wheel still steering the car. The car spun two and a half times I a managed to stay on the road as I stopped. The radio was blaring “Burning Down the House” and I had just burned four brand new soft compound Goodyear Eagle GT tires to the core. But I was on the road and not in the ditch. All I remember was driving with instinct and the lights going ’round in the darkness. Not a scratch on the car but some really expensive tires now sounded like they were square. I made it to work and back home only to order four new tires for my new car. I was ok but my wallet had suffered some serious weight loss. Life goes on. Even now I look around when I hear that rocking song…
What can I say about this show that has not already been said? It is on HBO on demand if you want to watch a TV version. You can still go see it live which I would highly encourage you to go do as fast as you can.
News got you down? Go read one of David Byrne’s projects: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/
Here are a few random thoughts about what I experienced. The band was almost like a marching band on a stage. It was so cool to see all of the instruments and the layers of percussion that were extremely tight. By that I mean perfect timing. Everything was mobile and moving. Nothing stopped. Everything was minimal. The music was there with only you and no confetti or laser light show. There was one moment of strobe lighting that gave me a flashback to a Talking Heads video but the whole thing was incredible. It was very emotional for me. I had a lot of tears of joy that my mask helped soak up. I will just say I had a blast. This was the best show in a long time and I have seen some great ones. It was amazing to be so close to all this talent. Sometimes I know I am a lucky man but then as someone once told me luck is where opportunity meets preparedness. I have to agree with that.
Net? I loved this show. I would go see it again tonight but life moves on. I hope if you like this music you get a chance to see it on HBO or in person. I give it high marks. Thank you to all involved.
Until next time I’ll see you, down the road.