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a14 people & arts
Friday 16 OctOber 2020
Review: Spike Lee, David Byrne take us on a hypnotic journey

By JOCELYN NOVECK cinematography is by Ellen
AP National Writer Kuras) — overhead, under-
Ever since the pandemic neath, behind the perform-
darkened theaters earlier ers or half an inch from their
this year, sending the entire faces. And yet we never
performing arts world into a glimpse a camera, even
catastrophic state of limbo, though 11 operators were
we've seen all manner of involved.
creative virtual substitutes: The set is spare and styl-
Digital dance seasons, ish, surrounded by shim-
clever musical mashups, mering metallic curtains in
a live-captured version of the same silver-gray as the
"Hamilton." suits. "I thought, what if we
Many of these have been could eliminate everything
good, some great. Yet from the stage, except
none have truly matched the stuff we cared about
the visceral experience the most?" Byrne explains.
many of us crave so pro- "What would be left? ... Us,
foundly: live performance, and you."
in a theater. And honestly, Lee has made a few ad-
how could anything come ditions to the Broadway
close? show. For example, when
Well, now we have Spike This image released by HBO shows David Byrne, foreground, in a scene from "David Byrne's Byrne and the cast sing
Lee's mesmerizing film ver- American Utopia." Janelle Monae's stirring
sion of David Byrne's terrific Associated Press protest song "Hell You Talm-
Broadway concert "Ameri- bout," chanting names of
can Utopia," which feels that was due to return to point. But he can also get guitar. Black men and women
so thrillingly alive, you may the Hudson Theatre this fall, more political, as when he Then there's the endlessly who died in racial violence
actually forget you're not feels like far more than a chides Americans for low inventive choreography or at the hands of police,
in a theater. Or perhaps concert. It's based on By- voter turnout, especially in by Annie-B Parson, not so Lee provides powerful visu-
you'll feel like the stage has rne's music, yes, from his local elections. much dancing as a holis- als and adds more recent
somehow been lifted from 2018 album of the same A crucial element of the tic system of movement names like Breonna Taylor
its moorings and delivered name but also other solo show's success is its enor- performed joyfully by lead and George Floyd.
straight to your living room work and some iconic Talk- mously talented multicul- dancers Chris Giarmo and As for Byrne, at 68 a remark-
— or, as Byrne might pre- ing Heads tracks. tural supporting cast of 11 Tendayi Kuumba. "I dance able font of quirky energy,
fer, right into your brain. But that's just the launching musicians and dancers, like this because it feels so he shifts seamlessly from
In any case, this hypnotic point. who hail from Brooklyn to damn good," goes the By- somber moments like this
film experience is a badly The show, which one could Brazil. Dressed just like Byrne rne song "I Dance Like This," to ebullient renditions of
needed shot in the arm for broadly describe as a re- in silver-gray suits and bare and yes, it does feel damn Talking Heads classics like
all of us — music lovers, the- flection on community and feet, they play fascinat- good, both to watch and "I Zimbra," "Once in a Life-
ater lovers, dance lovers, connectedness, is filled ing percussion instruments, to emulate. By the way, time," and "Road to No-
culture lovers, life lovers. It's with pungent Byrne-ian and also sing and dance; go ahead and try to get where." But nothing gets
also one of the best con- commentary, on every- everyone here does dou- through this film without the audience out of their
cert films in recent memory. thing from brain function ble or triple duty. Standouts dancing yourself. seats like the rollicking ver-
Of course, "David Byrne's to Dadaism to climate include the exuberant Bob- Lee's cameras constant- sion here of "Burning Down
American Utopia," a ma- change. "Meeting people by Wooten III on bass and ly find new and exciting the House." Chances are
jor Broadway happening is hard," he muses at one the elegant Angie Swan on angles on the action (the you won't stay in yours. q
‘Bad Hombres’ film uses baseball to show the game of borders

do players have to cross a concerns. "Bad Hombres" ald Trump's heated rhetoric
border almost every day to centers around the 2019 about a border wall and
participate in a game they season of the Tecolotes promises to "close the bor-
love while dodging the ten- as players chase dreams der" threaten the team's
sions and rhetoric around and a championship while season. Immigrants fleeing
this imaginary line. avoiding drug cartel mem- violence in Central Amer-
And that's what members bers who have lookouts in ica land in both towns. q
of the Tecolotes de los Dos every city. Players often
Laredos, a binational pro- cross the border by foot Solution Sudoku
fessional baseball team to each game with equip-
with home stadiums in Nue- ment in tow. They must also
Members of the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredo, a binational vo Laredo, Mexico, and endure a militarized Mexi-
professional baseball team with home stadiums in Nuevo Laredo, Texas, have to do. co tank patrolling the park-
Laredo, Mexico, and Laredo, Texas, stand for the U.S. National A new Showtime sports ing lot of its Nuevo Laredo
Anthem before a game in 2019 in Laredo, Texas in a scene from
"Bad Hombres." documentary follows this stadium in the midst of car-
Associated Press AAA Mexican League tel battles. The team has to
baseball team that plays wear U.S. Customs and Bor-
By RUSSELL CONTRERAS crossed borders to play on both sides of the border der Protection patches at
Associated Press baseball, and the sport amid the tension around Laredo games sponsored
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) routinely reaches across immigration, divisive poli- by the federal agency.
— People have always borders to fans. But rarely tics, and environmental Meanwhile, President Don- Puzzle on Page 13