American Utopia

David Byrne's joyful 2019 Broadway show is artfully captured by director Spike Lee in this concert documentary. Shot on a bare set devoid of props, the performance relies on the singer and his walking, jogging, dancing band of players to fill the space and create colour. Each musician exudes personality and warmth as they follow Byrne's tightly choreographed lead through a set of Talking Heads classics and newer compositions. Typical of Byrne, this is less a random pop setlist than an organised piece of musical theatre, and he frequently puts the show on pause to discuss some of the ideas behind the songs in pleasingly relaxed style. American Utopia may lack the heightened dramatic tension that made the Byrne/Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense a classic, but it remains charming viewing all the way up to the climactic cover of Janelle Monáe's protest song Hell You Talmbout. Ultimately, the big draw here is less the music and the message than Byrne himself; he may be older and stiffer, but he still goes for it like nobody else.