On Jan. 8, David Byrne announced his forthcoming solo record, American Utopia, during a presentation of “Reasons to Be Cheerful,” an ongoing series curated by Byrne of hopeful writings, photos, music and lectures. The presentation was given at New York’s New School to a live audience, as well as live-streamed via his Facebook page.
On Jan. 16, Byrne announced dozens of concert dates and he has continued to expand the tour, with 10 new dates added on March 14. The tour, which began March 3, now numbers well over 100 performances, spanning seven months. (See itinerary below.)
American Utopia was released March 9, via Todomundo/Nonesuch Records, accompanied by a world tour that will bring a choreographed concert that Byrne has called “the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense.”
Watch Byrne perform “Burning Down the House” on the new tour
The album track “Everybody’s Coming to My House,” co-written with Brian Eno, featuring contributions from TTY, Happa Isaiah Barr (Onyx Collective), Mercury Prize winner Sampha, and others, also was released and the visual companion piece can be seen below.
American Utopia, according to a press release, fits hand-in-hand with Byrne’s vision for his series “Reasons to be Cheerful,” named for the song by the late Ian Dury. Over the last year, Byrne has been collecting stories, news, ideas and other items that all either embody or identify examples of things that inspire optimism, such as a tech breakthrough, a musical act, a new idea in urban planning or transportation—something seen, heard or tasted. Just as the album questions the current state of society while offering solace through song, the content of the series recognizes the darkness and complexity of today while showcasing alternatives to the despair that threatens us.
Watch him perform “Once in a Lifetime” during the tour
While Byrne has collaborated on joint releases with Eno, Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim), and most recently St. Vincent over the past decade, American Utopia is Byrne’s first solo album since, 2004’s Grown Backwards, also on Nonesuch. American Utopia, according to the press release, morphed during the writing and recording process, beginning with longtime collaborator Eno, and eventually growing to include collaboration with producer Rodaidh McDonald.
The album packaging features the work of “outsider artist” Purvis Young, whose work was often a blend of painting/drawing and collaged elements comprised of everyday found objects. A painting depicting a head with a face of indeterminate race or possibly gender—dreaming, meditating, contemplating—is on the album’s cover.
Related: A year ago we wondered if there’d be a Talking Heads reunion. There wasn’t.
American Utopia 2018 Tour Dates (Tickets for many of the dates are available on Ticketmaster and StubHub)
3/24 – Sao Paulo, BRA – Lollapalooza
3/28 – Rio de Janeiro, BRA – Km de Vantagens Hall
3/29 – Belo Horizonte, BRA – Km de Vantagens Hall
4/3 – Mexico City, MEX – Metropolitan Theater
4/5 – Monterrey, MEX – Auditorio Pabellon
4/7 – Guadalajara, MEX – Sonico Festival
4/12 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Civic Center
4/14 – Indio, CA – Coachella
4/15 – Tucson, AZ – Centennial Hall
4/17 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Civic Theater
4/18 – Las Vegas, NV – Smith Center for the Arts
4/19 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center
4/21 – Indio, CA – Coachella
4/24 – Dallas, TX – Winspear Opera House
4/25 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
4/27 – San Antonio, TX – Tobin Center for the Perf. Arts
4/28 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall Outside Lawn
4/29 – New Orleans, LA – Jazz Fest
5/4 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees
5/5 – Memphis, TN – Beale Street Music Festival
5/6 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
5/8 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Civic Auditorium
5/9 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
5/10 – Durham, NC – Durham PAC
5/12 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
5/13 – Pittsburgh, PA – Benedum Center for the Arts
5/15 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater
5/16 – Madison, WI – Orpheum Theater
5/17 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theater
5/18 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theater
5/19 – Saskatoon, SASK – TCU Place
5/20 – Edmonton, ALB – Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
5/21 – Calgary, ALB – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
5/23 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theater
5/24 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theater
5/25 – George, WA – Sasquatch Festival
5/27 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium
5/28 – Eugene, OR – Hult Center*
5/30 – Salt Lake City, UT – Capitol Theatre
6/1 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theater
6/2 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theater
6/3 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium theater
6/5 – Des Moines, IA – Des Moines Civic Center
6/7 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Center for the Arts
6/8 – St. Louis, MO – Peabody Opera House
6/9 – Indianapolis, IN – Farmers Bureau Lawn Amphitheater
6/14 – Oxford, England – New Theatre*
6/15 – Glasgow, Scotland – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
6/17 – Birmingham, England – Birmingham Symphony Hall
6/18 – Manchester, England – Manchester Apollo*
6/19 – London, England – Eventim Apollo
6/20 – London, England – Eventim Apollo
6/23 – Prague, Czech Republic – Metronome Festival
6/25 – Zagreb, Croatia – INmusic Festival
6/26 – Wien, Austria – Museumsquartier
6/27 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom
6/30 – Ewijk, Netherlands – Down The Rabbit Hole
7/3 – Paris, France – Days Off Festival
7/5 – Gdynia, Poland – Open’er Festival
7/6 – Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival
7/8 – Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter
7/11 – Oeiras, Portugal – Cool Jazz Festival
7/13 – Bilbao, Spain – Bilbao BBK Live Festival
7/14 – Barcelona, Spain – Cruilla Barcelona
7/17 – Zurich, Switzerland – Theater 11
7/19 – Ravenna, Italy – Ravenna Festival
7/20 – Perugia, Italy – Umbria Jazz Festival
7/21 – Trieste, Italy – Piazza UNita
7/27 – Camden, NJ – XPoNential Music Festival
7/29 – New York, NY – Panorama NYC, Randall’s Island Park
7/31 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
8/01 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
8/03 – Toronto, ONT – Sony Center for the Performing Arts
8/04 – Toronto, ONT – Sony Center for the Performing Arts
8/05 – Canandaigua, NY – Marvin Sands PAC
8/07 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion
8/08 – Grand Rapids, MI – Devos Performance Hall
8/10 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theater
8/11 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center
8/12 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavilion at Riverbend
8/16 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
8/17 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
8/18 – San Jose, CA – City National Civic Auditorium
8/21 – Sacramento, CA – Community Theater
8/22 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Center
8/24 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
8/25 – Los Angeles, CA – Shrine Auditorium
8/27 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater
8/28 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater
9/07 – West Long Branch, NJ – OceanFirst Bank Center at Monmouth Univ.*
9/08 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre*
9/09 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre*
9/11 – Portland, ME – Merrill Auditorium*
9/15 – Queens, NY – Forest Hills Stadium
9/17 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
9/23 – North Charleston, SC – N. Charleston PAC*
9/26 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theater*
9/28 – Orlando, FL – Dr. Phillips Center for the Perf. Arts*
9/29 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore*
9/30 – Tampa, FL – Mahaffey Theater*
10/6 – Dallas, TX – Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie*
*New dates announced March 14
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