Talking Heads frontman David Byrne will host a special live variety show dubbed “Amazing Humans Doing Amazing Things” this fall. The one-off event is scheduled for October 8 at The Town Hall in New York City.
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The show will benefit Reasons to Be Cheerful, a solutions-based not-for-profit online magazine that Byrne launched in 2019. It also will commemorate the fifth anniversary of the magazine.
[RELATED: Talking Heads’ David Byrne Returns the Favor With Cover of Paramore’s “Hard Times”]
The goal of Reasons to Be Cheerful is to give people a sense of hope and optimism about the future. A statement on the Reasons to Be Cheerful website describes it as “part magazine, part therapy session, part blueprint for a better world.”
Byrne will serve as emcee for “Amazing Humans Doing Amazing Things,” which will offer an eclectic lineup of performers. The bill includes Portlandia star and Saturday Night Live alum Fred Armisen, singer-songwriter Thao, and Brazilian-American-style drumline Fogo Azul. It also features comedian/ventriloquist Nina Conti, Belgian-Egyptian musician Tamino, puppet cabaret act Epidermis Circus, performance artist Ellie Steingraeber, and the all-female horn band Brass Queens. More acts will be added to the lineup in the coming weeks.
According to a description of the event on The Town Hall’s website, the show will be “celebratory, zany, and propelled by the amazingness of humans and the beautiful ways we connect with each other.”
Byrne’s Statement About the Show
The 72-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer explained the inspiration more the show in a statement.
“Variety shows were a big deal when I was young. It’s a format you don’t see as much of these days,” he said. “So we thought, why not bring it back? We looked for acts that could capture that sense of zany, anything-could-happen artistry. Reasons to Be Cheerful inspires people by unearthing unexpected gems, and this show will embody that same spirit of gleeful surprise.”
Tickets for the “Amazing Humans Doing Amazing Things” are available now via Ticketmaster.
Byrne’s Recent Music Release
Byrne’s most recent music project was a cover of the Paramore song “Hard Times.” The tune was released on a 12-inch vinyl single in April as part of the 2024 Record Store Day event. The disc also featured Paramore’s cover of the Talking Heads hit “Burning Down the House.”
The modern-rock act recorded a version of “Burning Down the House” for the star-studded tribute album Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense. The record, which was released on May 17, celebrated the recent arrival of a restored version of the Talking Heads’ acclaimed 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense.
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