60 Minutes ran a repeat Sunday night, I think because of the Tony Awards, but maybe I’m being too New York-centric. The episode included a story on David Byrne that originally aired in early March, before his tone-deaf (literally, not politically) performance at the Oscars (I’d like to think that Anderson Cooper would have canceled the interview based on that performance alone, but I digress). The re-air is timely for Byrne, though, because he has a show premiering on Broadway this summer. Here Lies Love, a 90 minute dance rave co-written with Fatboy Slim about the infamous former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos, has existed in various incarnations since 2007–with a successful run at the Public Theater in 2013–but it’s taken this long to land on Broadway proper so this counts as the debut. The production has had some bad publicity recently, with its tone-deaf (politically, not literally) decision to have all the music be pre-recorded. Why is that controversial? Because, as the Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians Union reminded Byrne and producers, it violates the show’s contract with the Broadway League to have a minimum number of live musicians based on theater size. An eleventh hour agreement was reached with a week to go until previews. Solidarity forever! Just a little background material for reading these highlights from Byrne’s conversation with Cooper:
Recollections may vary: There was never an official announcement, but eventually Byrne made an off-hand comment to a reporter that Talking Heads had broken up. He neglected, it seems, to tell the band. Anderson Cooper: “Members of the band said that–that you never actually talked to them and said that the band was over. That they read about it in a newspaper.” David Byrne: “I don’t know if that’s the case. But, well, it might be. And I think it is very possible that I did not handle it as best as I could.” Byrne never looked back, and he’s followed his own beat ever since, no matter how off-beat it may be.
He trusts that he doesn’t know what he’s doing: I trust– what I do and what other people do that way, that it’s gonna deliver what it wants to say. But someone else looking at it could go, “What are you talking about? You don’t know what you’re doing? You don’t know why you’re doing it? You don’t know where it’s gonna end up? I just kinda trust it, yeah.”
This sounds like a vanity project: Byrne’s latest theatrical experience may be his most unusual yet. It’s an interactive journey into his past called Theatre of the Mind, produced in collaboration with the Denver Centre for Performing Arts. Audience members get random name tags and are led on a semi-autobiographical tour of Byrne’s memories… like an out of proportion kitchen, that makes anyone in it feel like a child. The show is full of surprises that the audience takes part in… some of them based on neuroscience experiments.
Change the narrative: Theatre of the Mind ends in a replica of his parent’s attic. Like Byrne’s life, the show tells a story about how over time our identities are malleable and how we all have the capacity to change. Cooper: “I like that idea that you can change your story. You can change the narrative.” Byrne: “It would be a horrible world if people never changed for their entire life. Or they were–they were an angry person, or upset person, or depressed person and it’s like, that’s your fate. But that’s not true.”
Well it sounds like Byrne changed HIS narrative by erasing the fact that he dumped his bandmates through the press! For another take, former bandmate Chris Frantz has some blistering anecdotes in his memoir Remain In Love. Look, I wasn’t there, I don’t know how it actually went down. But at Byrne’s age and level of success I do expect a better prepared answer than “I don’t know if that’s the case. But, well, it might be.” I’m not out to hate on Byrne, and I’ll say that his curiosity does seem genuine. There are other qualities, though, that are a little… funny. And by funny I mean potentially problematic. Like being a musician who tries to get out of hiring musicians for his latest show. Any other snark I’ll put down to my still reeling from that Oscars performance.
Photos credit: JPI Studios/Avalon, Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon, screenshot from YouTube and Getty
As I understand it, the show was inspired by, and attempts to honor, karaoke club culture. Karaoke usually uses pre-recorded backing tracks, not live musicians, so that’s how the show was developed. I’m glad they worked something out, because I have preview tickets, and can’t wait to go.
That makes sense, it also sounds very David Byrne to just do what he wants and not think about the rules and regulations.
I’m a die hard Talking Heads fan. I love David Byrne. American Utopia was amazing. But it drives me crazy that he never gives his former band mates the credit they deserve. He wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for Talking Heads. Remain in Love is one of my favorite autobiographies. And Chris Frantz’s Instagram is a treasure. I keep hoping Tina will write a book too!
Tina never gets the credit she is due.
@HausOfCats and @ LightPurple. Truth!
Tina’s bass line in the Tom Tom Club’s song Genius of Love is still one on the best and most memorable R&B bass lines! I love the Talking Heads and it’s so sad and maddening how they ended.
I’m also a die hard Talking Heads fan but I just haven’t warmed up to Byrne’s solo career. Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz added so much to the sound. And Bernie Worrell, Adrian Belew amd others were amazing additions for Stop Making Sense.
Byrne had an interesting take on Jared Kushner’s life being musical material. A son desperate to escape his father’s crimes, yet pulled into the orbit of crime by his wife and then her father. It’s worth looking up Byrne’s take on it.
I love Byrne’s music. He has never seemed like a person I would enjoy being around for more than .05 seconds
David Byrne learned, years later ,that he has Asperger’s Syndrome. There’s been other interviews, where they have a different take on everything.
For those who don’t know, Byrne recently said that he was on the autism spectrum. That may explain some of his questionable behavior.
As for the Talking Heads, I was dragged to a concert in 1983 and became a life long fan. They were truly unique, and I attribute a lot of that uniqueness to Byrne. Tina/Chris’s Tom Tom Club is also great fun, if you havent checked them out.
My older sister went to high school with David and never had anything good to say about him. So, there was no Talking Heads played in my house. 😁
Talking Heads was one of my very favorites BITD. But it’s true that David became a diva and did his bandmates dirty. To see them at their peak, watch the Jonathan Demme movie, Stop Making Sense. So good.
My personal theory is that My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (when he worked with Brian Eno) turned him into a diva, but perhaps he always was and it was just timing. It’s an incredible album that sounds completely modern still. Give it a listen if you haven’t.
He’s an artist genius and probably an a hole to know at the same time.