Skip to main content

Maverick Ad

Home

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Cover Stories
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Legacy Awards
  • Past Covers
  • Weekly Archive
David Byrne: American Utopia Sony Centre For The Performing Arts Toronto ON

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • David Byrne: American Utopia Sony Centre For The Performing Arts Toronto ON
David Byrne: American Utopia Sony Centre For The Performing Arts Toronto ON
Fri Aug 10, 2018
Lenny Stoute

Just about the time, David Byrne was stagger dancing around a grey stage to "Blind", bulldozers were leveling the Beijing studio of dissident artist Ai Wei Wei, as arts programs across North America were getting the shiv in the ribs and Riot Pussy are again doing time. Once again, subversive art is under attack everywhere. So layered with the joyous and uplifting, especially as in bodies out of seats. David was a laying out a to-do list for the resistance. Ah, but we were there for the music and that never flagged nor disappointed. The set covered material from Talking Heads, Byrne solo albums from all periods, some collabs, a Love The Giant and some from the newbie, most given redos to fit a fun and funky vibe.

Keeping it grounded, between "Dog’s Mind" and "Everybody’s Coming to My House," Byrne encouraged everyone to vote “in every election they possibly can”. He acknowledged that things up here were quite different from in the US, which was loudly applauded but cautioned us not to get smug, quipping "Two words. Ford Brothers." When doing "Burning Down The House," he delivered lines like "we're in for nasty weather," with a touch of vehemence.

This unique and engrossing, show has an 11 member band which never seems to stop moving in intricate patterns. The stage is minimalist bare, not a single piece of equipment and walled with curtains of metallic beads through which band members and equipment appeared and disappeared. All instruments are hanging from their players whose harness so subtly designed that the keyboard player’s instrument at times appeared to hover in front of him. 'Course, pop and choreography have a long history together but I've not seen working musicians moving this perfectly, rearranging themselves in mini-groups, diagonals, posing as for a portrait. rolling backward in circles, all the while delivering this engrossing, otherworldly funky music. While wearing identical grey Kenzo suits and barefoot. The auditions for this crew must have been quite the show in itself.

The here-for-the-Hitters were well taken care of via the Talking Heads songs seeding the setlist: a stepped down, groove riding "Burning Down the House," the steamy funk of "I Zimbra" into a pop classic "Slippery People." "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)," turned into a hard rocking dance party and "Born Under Punches" reminded us how smartly it blended genre elements, adding South American percussion to that list.

The dancing stopped with the last song of the first encore "The Great Curve." The second had only one song, a percussive rendering of Janelle Monae's protest anthem "Hell You Talmbout". Byrne explaining that the song remained regrettably relevant today. For the next five minutes, Byrne, musicians Simi Stone, Angie Swan, and Charles Wooten yelled out the names of black individuals killed by police, joined by swirling percussion and chants of "Say His Name," "Say Her Name."

The rendition was affecting and a rustle of discomfort could be felt as it unfolded, with Byrne's sympathies showing some of the teeth that are just below the surface of American Utopia. A somber ending to a strange and engrossing show.

A joy to see David Byrne still shit disturbing in his own subversive way. Big props to an amazing live band currently without peer.

David Byrne at the Sony Centre
David Byrne at the Sony Centre
Features
Music
David Byrne
Month: Jul 2020
Frank Zappa Celebrates 50th Anniversary with New Unreleased 70-Song… Jul 03
Newly Remastered Releases Johnny Cash Mercury Recordings of… Jul 03
Month: Jun 2020
KIM MITCHELL Returns With “The Big Fantasize”, His First Album In… Jun 30
BTW -Micah Barnes, Midnight Shine, Sam Spiegel aka Sam I, JJ Wilde… Jun 26
Why One Manager Thinks Artists Are The Scumbags Of The Music Industry Jun 26
Corey Hart Offers a New Updated Version “Never Surrender”as an… Jun 26
BTW - Cocktails, Bombay Bicycle Club, Mayflower Madame, The All… Jun 19
Judy Collins & The Global Virtual Choir Re-Release Her… Jun 19
Artie Pasquale of The Sopranos “Try the Impossible” Jun 19
The Technical Shortcuts You Should Avoid! Jun 19
DOWNCHILD Live Streaming Fundraiser Concert with Dan Aykroyd, Colin… Jun 16
BTW - This Week-NeroArgento, Paradas, Linda Carone, Julian Taylor,… Jun 12
Why The Industry is Not Answering Jun 12
The Magnettes American! Jun 12
BTW This Week-Band Ladies, St. Mars, Mike Janzen, Martha and the… Jun 05
You Must Love the Fools Jun 05
Micah Barnes Invites Us to Experience Vegas Breeze Jun 05
Month: May 2020
BTW This Week-Liza Anne, Oxen, Mele Fleming, Gord Sinclair,… May 29
Rick Springfield & Vance Degeneres “THE WALL WILL FALL” Raises… May 29
Lynx of Legendary Band Random Order Creates Re-release of “Things Fall… May 29

Pagination

  • First page « First
  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • …
  • Page 41
  • Page 42
  • Page 43
  • Page 44
  • Current page 45
  • Page 46
  • Page 47
  • Page 48
  • Page 49
  • …
  • Next page Next ›
  • Last page Last »

CEO/PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF
SANDY GRAHAM

email:sandygrahamemg@gmail.com 

Canadian Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Don Graham
email: dongrahamwriter@gmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Lisa Hartt
email: lisahartt87@hotmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada 
Michael Williams
email: greydread@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

International Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Malin Osth
email: malin@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Jonas Tancred
email: jonas@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - USA
Rob Durkee 
email: rockster2746@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Web Developer/Technical Support
Chris Wardman

email: info@chriswardman.com
website: chriswardman.com

Cashbox Cover Design and Graphic Artist
Jain McMillan

email: jainmcmillan@gmail.com

Contributing Photographer 
Tracey Savein - South Paw Productions
southpawproductions@rogers.com

 

 

 

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Archive
  • Issue Archive
  • Past Covers