Can somebody get Spike Lee on the phone and a bunch of spare Kenzo suits from storage? Maybe a lamp? Owing to the Omicron variant lingering in New York and ravaging the city’s Broadway community, national treasure David Byrne has announced that American Utopia is not canceling its upcoming performance dates but will rather adapt to a different creative format after several of his band and crew members contracted COVID over the holidays. “We’re gonna do a show. Well, we’re gonna come up with a show. This is our opportunity to make lemonade from COVID lemons,†he explained in an Instagram video. “You can call it ‘unplugged.’ You can call it ‘unchained’ if you like. It’ll be something unlike anything we’ve done before. It’s not quite the show, but it’s gonna be something special.†Byrne promises the new set list will be a mix of Talking Heads hits, solo tracks, and previous American Utopia numbers, and an additional video revealed that “And She Was†will be among the updated songs. (Can we also suggest “Wild Wild Life,†just because?) This iteration of American Utopia will run until January 2, and if you’ve seen all four versions at that point, please contact this writer for a date.
