>>> YOU PROBABLY KNOW DAVID BYRNE AS THE LEAD SINGER AND SONGWRITER OF TALKING HEADS, THE HUGELY INFLUENTIAL POST-PUNK
ROCK BAND OF THE LATE 1970s AND '80s. THEY BROKE UP MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO, BUT BYRNE HAS BEEN ON HIS
OWN ECLECTIC JOURNEY EVER SINCE. HIS ARTISTIC INNOVATIONS HAVE BLURRED THE BOUNDARIES OF MUSIC, THEATER AND ART.
HE'S WON AN OSCAR, A GRAMMY AND A TONY, TOURED WITH SALSA SINGERS, COLLABORATED WITH NEUROSCIENTISTS, MADE MOVIES,
AND THIS SUMMER HIS MUSICAL OPENS ON BROADWAY. DAVID BYRNE IS AS CREATIVE, ENERGETIC AND UNUSUAL AS HE WAS
WHEN HE WAS 23, AN ART SCHOOL DROPOUT, JUST STARTING TO PERFORM ONSTAGE WITH HIS FRIENDS AS TALKING HEADS.
>> THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS AND THE NAME OF THIS SONG IS "PSYCHO KILLER." >> SO I WANTED TO BE VERY MATTER
OF FACT. IT'S NOT LIKE, "ARE WE HAVIN' FUN TONIGHT?" >> THERE'S NONE OF THAT, "HOW
ARE Y'ALL DOIN'?" >> HOW ARE YOU ALL DOIN'? >> NEW YORK! ♪ I CAN'T SEEM TO FACE UP TO THE
FACTS ♪ ♪ I'M TENSE AND NERVOUS AND I CAN'T RELAX ♪ >> THIS IS ONE OF DAVID BYRNE'S
FIRST PERFORMANCES. IT WAS 1975 AT CBGBs, THE LEGENDARY MUSIC CLUB WHERE THE RAMONES, PATTI SMITH, AND
BLONDIE WERE ALSO JUST GETTING STARTED. ♪ PSYCHO KILLER QU'EST-CE QUE C'EST? ♪
>> "PSYCHO KILLER" WAS ONLY THE SECOND SONG DAVID BYRNE HAD EVER WRITTEN. AND IT WAS TALKING HEADS' FIRST
HIT. ♪ AY-YA-YA-YA-YA-YA, OOH ♪ >> WHEN YOU HEAR IT NOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I'M GLAD I DID IT. BUT I'M ALSO GLAD THAT I DIDN'T STICK WITH THAT AS MY -- OH, LIKE, "THIS IS WORKING, LET'S DO
MORE LIKE THIS." I'M GLAD THAT I DECIDED, "NO, NOW YOU HAVE TO DO THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE ORIGINAL
MUSICALLY." ♪ AH WATCH OUT, YOU MIGHT GET WHAT YOU'RE AFTER ♪ >> AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE
DID. ALONG WITH TINA WEYMOUTH, CHRIS FRANTZ AND JERRY HARRISON, TALKING HEADS PUT OUT EIGHT
ALBUMS OVER THE NEXT 13 YEARS. ♪ THERE WAS A SHOPPING MALL, NOW IT'S ALL COVERED WITH FLOWERS ♪ >> THEY WERE EDGY,
GROUNDBREAKING, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AND A COMMERCIAL HIT. ♪ HERE WE GO! ♪ >> MELDING ROCK WITH FUNK,
DISCO, AFRO-BEAT AND THE AVANT-GARDE. ♪ THERE'S A CITY IN MY MIND, COME ALONG AND TAKE THAT RIDE
AND IT'S ALL RIGHT ♪ >> THEY'D ALL STUDIED ART IN COLLEGE, AND IT SHOWED IN THEIR MUSIC VIDEOS WHICH WERE IN HEAVY
ROTATION ON MTV. ♪ LETTING THE DAYS GO BY ♪ ♪ LET THE WATER HOLD ME DOWN ♪ ♪ LETTING THE DAYS GO BY ♪
♪ WATER FLOWING UNDERGROUND ♪ >> BYRNE'S QUIRKY MOVEMENTS AND MANNER GOT MOST OF THE ATTENTION...
♪ SAME AS IT EVER WAS ♪ >> WHICH WAS NOT ALWAYS EASY FOR THE INTROVERTED SINGER. DICK CLARK TRIED TO ASK HIM
ABOUT IT ON "AMERICAN BANDSTAND" IN 1979. >> ARE YOU A SHY PERSON? >> I'D SAY SO...
[ LAUGHTER ] >> IT SEEMS CONTRADICTORY TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, THE INTROVERT WHO WINDS UP ON A STAGE IN FRONT OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PERFORMING AND REACHING GREAT HEIGHTS. >> IT DOES SEEM CONTRADICTORY, BUT IN RETROSPECT, IT MAKES
PERFECT SENSE. YOUR WAY OF ANNOUNCING YOUR EXISTENCE AND COMMUNICATING YOUR THOUGHTS TO PEOPLE IS THROUGH
PERFORMANCE, AND THEN I COULD RETREAT INTO MY SHELL AFTER THAT. BUT I'D MADE MYSELF KNOWN TO
THESE PEOPLE, WHAT I WAS THINKING, WHAT I WAS FEELING. SO WHEN THAT'S YOUR ONLY OPTION, IT'S A LIFE SAVER.
>> DAVID BYRNE'S SHYNESS GOES WAY BACK. HE WAS BORN IN SCOTLAND, BUT HIS FAMILY MOVED TO BALTIMORE WHEN
HE WAS 8. HIS ACCENT WAS SO THICK, CLASSMATES COULD BARELY UNDERSTAND HIM.
HE WAS AN OUTSIDER, HAPPIER MAKING MUSIC AT HOME IN HIS BASEMENT WITH A REEL-TO-REEL TAPE RECORDER THAN HANGING OUT
WITH OTHER KIDS. >> MY DISCOMFORT WITH KIND OF SOCIAL SITUATIONS MEANT AS OFTEN HAPPENS I WOULD FOCUS INTENTLY
ON MY DRAWINGS, OR LEARNING TO PLAY OTHER PEOPLE'S SONGS, OR THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THAT CONTINUED FOR AGES.
AND YOU'D KIND OF ULTRA-FOCUSED. SO THAT BECOMES -- WELL, KIND OF A SUPERPOWER. ♪ WHAT ABOUT THE TIME YOU WERE
FALLING OVER ♪ ♪ FALL ON YOUR FACE YOU MUST BE HAVING FUN ♪ >> ULTRA-FOCUSED MAY BE A
SUPERPOWER, BUT IT CAUSED PROBLEMS BETWEEN BYRNE AND THE BAND THAT FLARED UP ON TOUR IN 1983.
♪ YOU MAY ASK YOURSELF HOW DO I WORK THIS? ♪ >> I BECAME, I THINK, KIND OF OBSESSIVE ABOUT GETTING THAT
SHOW UP AND RUNNING. I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN THE MOST PLEASANT PERSON TO DEAL WITH AT THAT POINT.
>> DEMANDING. >> YES, YES. ♪ I GOT A GIRLFRIEND THAT'S BETTER THAN THAT ♪
♪ AND SHE GOES WHEREVER SHE LIKES ♪ >> BYRNE COMMANDED CENTER STAGE, FAMOUSLY WEARING THIS
OUTRAGEOUSLY OVERSIZED SUIT. ♪ AS WE GET OLDER AND STOP MAKING SENSE ♪ >> THE SHOW WAS MADE INTO A FILM
BY DIRECTOR JONATHAN DEMME CALLED "STOP MAKING SENSE." IT'S CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST CONCERT MOVIES EVER.
♪ THIS AIN'T NO PARTY, THIS AIN'T NO DISCO ♪ ♪ THIS AIN'T NO FOOLING AROUND ♪ >> TALKING HEADS MADE THREE MORE
ALBUMS, BUT BYRNE WAS INCREASINGLY BRANCHING OUT ON HIS OWN. >> AS I BECAME MORE RELAXED AS A
PERSON, STARTED WRITING DIFFERENT KINDS OF SONGS, SONGS THAT MAYBE WEREN'T QUITE AS ANGST-RIDDEN AND PECULIAR, SOME
FANS WERE PROBABLY DISAPPOINTED, YOU KNOW? "WE LIKED THE -- THE REALLY QUIRKY GUY."
OR, "WE LIKED THE GUY WHO WAS REALLY STRUGGLING WITH HIMSELF AND REALLY HAVING A HARD TIME." AND I THOUGHT, "WHY WOULD YOU
WISH THAT ON ME? FOR YOUR OWN AMUSEMENT, RIGHT?" ♪ I CAN BE YOU AND YOU CAN BE ME ♪
>> IN 1988 HE FOUNDED A WORLD MUSIC LABEL. ♪ EVERYONE'S HAPPY AND EVERYONE'S FREE ♪
>> THEN RELEASED AN ALBUM OF LATIN SONGS AND WROTE MUSIC FOR FILMS, DANCE COMPANIES, AND EXPERIMENTAL THEATER.
>> I GENUINELY STARTED HAVING OTHER KIND OF MUSICAL INTERESTS. >> YOU'D STARTED TO COLLABORATE WITH A LOT OF ARTISTS FROM
DIFFERENT GENRES. >> YES. AND I THOUGHT, I WANT TO DO MORE OF THAT.
AND BY THEN IT WAS PRETTY MUCH OVER. >> 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. >> MEMBERS OF THE BAND SAID THAT YOU NEVER ACTUALLY TALKED TO THEM AND SAID THAT THE BAND WAS
OVER. THAT THEY READ ABOUT IT IN A NEWSPAPER. >> 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. ♪ JUST SAY HERE LIES LOVE ♪ >> BYRNE NEVER LOOKED BACK, AND HE'S FOLLOWED HIS OWN BEAT EVER
SINCE...NO MATTER HOW OFF-BEAT IT MAY BE. ♪ PLEASE DON'T ♪ >> TEN YEARS AGO, BYRNE STAGED A
POP OPERA IN COLLABORATION WITH FATBOY SLIM CALLED "HERE LIES LOVE." IT'S ABOUT, OF ALL PEOPLE,
IMELDA MARCOS, THE WIFE OF THE FORMER DICTATOR OF THE PHILIPPINES. IT'S NOW SCHEDULED TO OPEN ON
BROADWAY THIS SUMMER. >> GIVE IT UP FOR CONTEMPORARY COLOR! >> WHEN HE BECAME FASCINATED
WITH HIGH SCHOOL COLOR GUARD TEAMS IN 2015, HE WOUND UP STAGING ARENA SHOWS COMBINING THE TEAMS' FLAG SPINNING, WEAPON
TOSSING, AND DANCE TO THE POP MUSIC OF NELLY FURTADO AND ST. VINCENT. >> I THOUGHT, OH, THIS IS JUST
GONNA BE HIGHLIGHTING THEIR TALENT AND PUTTING PEOPLE TOGETHER WHO WOULD NEVER NORMALLY BE TOGETHER.
AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I SAW THE SHOW AND I REALIZED, THIS IS -- THIS IS NOT ABOUT THAT AT ALL. WHAT IT'S REALLY DELIVERING IS
THIS MESSAGE ABOUT INCLUSION. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. THEY KIND OF REVEALED IT. >> BUT ISN'T THAT EXTRAORDINARY
THAT YOU CAN START DOING SOMETHING WITH ONE THING IN MIND, AND YET IT HAS A LIFE OF ITS OWN?
>> I TRUST WHAT I DO AND WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DO THAT WAY THAT IT'S GOING TO 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 GOING
TO END UP? I JUST KINDA TRUST IT, YEAH. >> HE HAS A SMALL STUDIO IN HIS NEW YORK CITY APARTMENT WHERE HE
TINKERS WITH LYRICS AND NEW IDEAS. MUCH LIKE HE DID ALL THOSE YEARS AGO IN HIS PARENTS' BASEMENT.
>> THE FIRST STANZA SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE PROMISING. >> DO YOU STOP AND KINDA RUMINATE ON THINGS AND COME BACK
TO IT AN -- >> YEAH, I MIGHT SEE IF I GET, LIKE, A CHORUS OR SOMETHING. I MIGHT TRY, LIKE, A CHORUS.
>> STOOD BY ME WHEN DARKNESS FELL...MY APARTMENT IS MY FRIEND. ♪
THAT'S THE KEY LINE, SO THAT'S GOTTA BE PRETTY GOOD. >> BYRNE IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL NEW YORKER.
HE'S LIVED IN THE CITY FOR FIVE DECADES, AND IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE HIM PEDALING AROUND ON HIS BICYCLE.
HE IS, IT SEEMS, ALWAYS ON THE MOVE...ALWAYS EXPLORING. >> OH YEAH. >> HIS DOWNTOWN OFFICE IS LINED
WITH BOOKS, RECORDS AND ODD MEMENTOES HE'S PICKED UP HERE AND THERE. >> THIS WONDERFUL WINE FROM
TURKMENISTAN. >> HIDDEN AMID THE CLUTTER, THERE'S A GRAMMY, AND HIS 1988 OSCAR FOR COMPOSING THE
SOUNDTRACK FOR THE FILM "THE LAST EMPEROR." >> IT'S NOT ON THE LOWEST SHELF. >> I MEAN, DAVID, REALLY, DOES
THE ACADEMY KNOW ABOUT THIS? [ LAUGHTER ] >> YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GO INTO SOMEBODY'S OFFICE AND THEY HAVE
ALL THEIR AWARDS? >> YES, IT'S -- >> ALL FRAMED ALL AROUND THEM? >> YEAH, OR MAGAZINE COVERS
OR -- YOU DON'T HAVE AN EGO WALL. >> HIS OFFICE IS WHERE HE RUNS REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL.
>> OH, THAT COULD BE NICE. >> AN ONLINE MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS...FROM
REINVENTING FOOD BANKS IN CHICAGO TO TURNING FRENCH PARKING LOTS INTO SOLAR FARMS. >> SO, ARE THERE REASONS TO BE
CHEERFUL? >> OH, YEAH. YEAH, YES. IF YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING AND
START DOOM SCROLLING THROUGH YOUR PHONE OR YOUR TABLET OR LAPTOP OR WHATEVER, YOU'RE GOING TO THINK, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO,
WORLD'S GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET. BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE AND PLACES, ORGANIZATIONS DOING THINGS THAT
ARE REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE FINDING SOLUTIONS TO THINGS. >> WHO AM I? WHAT DO I WANT?
HOW DO I WORK THIS? [ LAUGHTER ] >> THAT OPTIMISM INFUSED A HIT BROADWAY SHOW BYRNE CREATED AND
STARRED IN CALLED "AMERICAN UTOPIA." ♪ THEY CALL ME MR. PITIFUL BUT...♪
>> IT'S ACTUALLY LIKE THE PERFORMANCE BRANCH OF REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL. THIS IS REALLY ABOUT HOPE AND
POSSIBILITY AND WHAT -- HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AS PEOPLE. ♪ AND YOU MAY GO SAY TO YOURSELF "MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE?" ♪ ♪
LETTING THE DAYS GO BY, LET THE WATER HOLD ME DOWN ♪ >> HE MIXED HIS OLD SONGS WITH NEW ONES.
♪ WELL EVERYBODY'S COMING TO MY HOUSE AND I'M NEVER GONNA BE ALONE ♪ >> BYRNE WANTED THE MUSICIANS TO
BE COMPLETELY UNTETHERED, ♪ ALLOWING THEM TO MOVE FREELY AROUND THE STAGE. IT WAS LESS A BROADWAY
MUSICAL...MORE A RAUCOUS REVIVAL. ♪ CLOSE ENOUGH BUT NOT TOO FAR ♪ ♪ MIGHT BE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU
ARE ♪ ♪ FIGHTIN' FIRE WITH FIRE ♪ >> THERE'S THIS AMAZING FEELING WHEN MUSIC LIKE THAT IS ALL
AROUND YOU, WHEN THERE'S A WHOLE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THE MUSIC. ♪
>> IT'S NOT JUST, LIKE, ONE SOLOIST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT'S THIS COLLECTIVE THING THAT GIVES IT THIS EXTRA ENERGY.
♪ BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE! ♪ [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] ♪ ♪
>> BYRNE'S LATEST THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE MAY BE HIS MOST UNUSUAL YET. IT'S AN INTERACTIVE JOURNEY INTO
HIS PAST CALLED THEATER 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 THIS OUT
OF PROPORTION KITCHEN, THAT MAKES ANYONE IN IT FEEL LIKE A CHILD. >> DO THIS WITH ME...HOLD YOUR
HAND IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE. >> THE SHOW IS FULL OF SURPRISES THE AUDIENCE TAKES PART IN...SOME OF THEM BASED ON
NEUROSCIENCE EXPERIMENTS. WE AGREED NOT TO GIVE THEM AWAY, BUT THEY MAKE YOU QUESTION YOUR OWN PERCEPTION AND PERHAPS YOUR
MEMORIES. >> IT IS DARK IN HERE...YOU KNOW WHAT. >> THEATRE OF THE MIND ENDS IN A
REPLICA OF HIS PARENTS' 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. >> WE'RE NEVER STUCK...YOU CAN CHANGE THE STORY ANYTIME.
ISN'T THAT NICE? >> I LIKE THAT IDEA THAT YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR STORY. YOU CAN CHANGE THE NARRATIVE.
>> 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.
>> DO YOU THINK YOU'VE CHANGED THAT MUCH? >> I FEEL LIKE, YEAH, I'M A VERY DIFFERENT PERSON THAN I WAS WHEN
I WAS YOUNG. >> WERE YOU CONSCIOUS OF THOSE CHANGES? >> SOMETIMES MY FRIENDS WOULD
SAY, "YOU'RE REALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU USED TO BE WHEN I FIRST MET YOU. YOU'RE A REALLY DIFFERENT PERSON
NOW." >> BY THE WAY, WERE THEY SAYING THAT IN A NICE WAY? OR WAS THAT BEING YELLED OUT OF
THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS? >> IT WAS A NICE WAY. IT WAS LIKE, "WOW, YOU'VE REALLY CHANGED."
>> THE STORIES BEHIND HIT SONGS FROM TALKING HEADS. >> IT WAS INSPIRED BY ANALYSIS