American Utopia on Broadway Original Cast Recording Live CD

Release Date November 29, 2019
David Byrnes American Utopia, with music and lyrics by David Byrne. American Utopia began as an album, also released by Nonesuch, which received a Grammy nomination and was the first by Byrne to reach #1 on the Album Chart; it was also his first to reach the Top Five on the Billboard 200 chart. The concert tour in support of American Utopia, which inspired the Broadway show, included songs from the new album along with music from Talking Heads and Byrnes solo career. Byrne and the ensemble performed more than 150 dates in twenty-seven countries over nine months. The NME said it may just be the best live show of all time.
 
David Byrnes American Utopia features David Byrne with Jacquelene Acevedo, Gustavo Di Dalva, Daniel Freedman, Chris Giarmo, Tim Keiper, Tendayi Kuumba, Karl Mansfield, Mauro Refosco, Stéphane San Juan, Angie Swan, and Bobby Wooten III; Davi Viera also performs on the album. The shows design team includes Rob Sinclair (lighting) and Pete Keppler (sound). Karl Mansfield and Mauro Refosco are Musical Directors. Choreography and Musical Staging is by Annie-B Parson. Alex Timbers serves as Production Consultant.
 
Fresh off a pre-Broadway engagement at Bostons Emerson Colonial Theatre, David Byrnes American Utopia began performances on October 4 at the intimate Hudson Theatre on Broadway and celebrated opening night on October 20. Byrne and company perform six times a week through January 19, 2020. More information and tickets are available here. David Byrnes American Utopia is the once-in-a-lifetime Broadway event that delivers an experience unlike anything else (Billboard) and marks a major cultural milestone in the worlds of music and theatre. Innovative pop/rock icon David Byrne (Talking Heads, Here Lies Love) shares the spotlight with a diverse ensemble of eleven musical artists from around the globe to deliver a marvel of staging and motion (Chicago Tribune) thats a thought-provoking example of the power of live music (Forbes).
 
David Byrnes recent works include the launch of Reasons to be Cheerful, an online magazine focused on solutions-oriented stories about problems being solved all over the world (2019); Joan of Arc: Into the Fire, a theatrical exploration of the historical heroine that premiered at the Public Theater in New York (2017); The Institute Presents: NEUROSOCIETY, a series of interactive environments created in conjunction with PACE Arts + Technology that question human perception and bias (2016); Contemporary Color, an event inspired by the American folk tradition of color guard and performed at Brooklyns Barclays Center and Torontos Air Canada Centre (2015); Here Lies Love, a twenty-two-song theatrical production about the life of Imelda Marcos, authored in collaboration with Fatboy Slim that premiered at The Public Theater in New York (2013), travelled to Londons National Theater for a sold-out run (201415), and was remounted at the Seattle Repertory Theater (2017); Love This Giant, a studio album and worldwide tour created with St. Vincent (2012); and How Music Works, a book about the history, experience, and social aspects of music (2012).
 
Byrne curated Southbank Centres annual Meltdown festival in London in 2015. A co-founder of the group Talking Heads (197688), he has released eight studio albums as a solo artist and worked on multiple other projects, including collaborations with Brian Eno, Twyla Tharp, Robert Wilson, and Jonathan Demme, among others. He also founded the highly respected record label Luaka Bop. Recognition of Byrnes various works include Obies, Drama Desk, Lortel, and Evening Standard awards for Here Lies Love; an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe for the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertoluccis The Last Emperor; and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Talking Heads. Byrnes work as a visual artist has been published and exhibited since his college days, including photography, filmmaking, and writing. He lives in New York City. In addition to American Utopia on Broadway, Nonesuch has released eight other David Byrne records since 2003, including last years American Utopia studio album and two versions of his musical Here Lies Love.

Tracklist
Disc 1:
Here
I Know Sometimes a Man Is Wrong / Don't Worry About the Government
Lazy
This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)
I Zimbra
Slippery People
I Should Watch TV
Everybody's Coming to My House
Once in a Lifetime
Glass, Concrete & Stone
 
Disc 2:
Toe Jam
Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
I Dance like This
Bullet
Every Day Is a Miracle
Blind
Burning Down the House
Hell You Talmbout
One Fine Day
Road to Nowhere
The Great Curve [CD bonus track]