00:00:00
Re-published, get ready for the burn, as in David Byrne. Talking Heads much? >> Maybe you've heard of it. Maybe you've
00:00:07
heard of them. Uh, with the big boxy coat. Of course, I asked him about that. I drilled him
00:00:13
right between the eyes. >> Yeah, he's he's a artist. I mean, he gets up there and
00:00:18
uh, his choreography and his movements are just as big as the songs. It's like, he's very very quirky, cool, laid-back
00:00:27
guy. Just like he appears. >> say, he's legendary. I mean, that The Talking Heads is one of those bands
00:00:32
everyone's heard of. They might have a T-shirt with Talking Heads. David Byrne sort of runs the show over there. He's
00:00:38
doing a play. I mean, he's he's all over the place. And he's a very influential dude. So, uh
00:00:45
Dana and I chatted up. I'm sure he is bored to tears with us, but who isn't? >> [laughter]
00:00:50
>> I think he was mesmerized. I don't think he blinks in that whole >> mesmerized by us? That's That's a better
00:00:55
way to put it. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> But yeah, he's It was really fun to talk to him. He's He's He's quite a an, you
00:01:02
know, >> interesting persona. >> enigma. Yeah, in some ways. Yeah. >> Here he is, David Byrne.
00:01:16
>> When David Byrne comes on the Zoom, >> Dana, that's the guy. He Here's this >> I'm on the Zoom.
00:01:22
>> Wait a minute. I'm I'm nearsighted. >> Hey, David. >> god. [laughter] >> Yeah. I'm on the Zoom. How are you
00:01:30
doing? >> Oh, we're doing incredible now that now that you're here. >> Nice to meet virtually.
00:01:35
>> Yes. This is uh Is this your first Zoom today? Or you >> No, it's my second one today.
00:01:42
>> [laughter] >> Really? Already? >> Good. Did you Did you have one with Lorne Michaels earlier?
00:01:46
>> [laughter] >> You'll find David and Dana are either or. Um, well, we'll we'll try to make
00:01:52
this interesting. Here's my first question, David. This is just to kind of be a little pithy. Has anyone ever used
00:01:58
your last name against you in an argument? You burned me, Burn. >> No, I don't think so, but yeah, there's
00:02:06
been some >> [laughter] >> probably plenty of articles that used to make puns or make puns like
00:02:13
that, you know, burning down the house but with like with my name. >> All right.
00:02:17
>> Things like that, yeah. >> Yeah, I was called Dana CarKeys in grade school and it drove me nuts.
00:02:23
>> Why CarKeys? >> Carvey, CarKeys. It didn't even It didn't even make sense, but it
00:02:29
brutalized me. I'm still wounded. >> bullying. David, my name is David Spade. Nice to meet you. I
00:02:35
I I First of all, I'm a little nervous because David has such a vast career and it's almost too much and we
00:02:44
It's almost like an intervention. >> too much. I I got exhausted. >> too much. >> You're too much.
00:02:48
>> You It Well, or not enough, but you've done so much. It's really kind of amazing. I just
00:02:54
>> I want to ask you two things you haven't been asked for, but what I observed when
00:02:57
I was watching you in some of these videos is the way you move. I so I think of you as a dancer first
00:03:04
>> Okay. >> and then singer-songwriter, filmmaker, and pretty much everything artistic. So,
00:03:09
did Was that conscious cuz it's kind of Polynesian to me? It's sort of slow, but
00:03:13
it's very graceful. >> Interesting. >> And it's graceful and it's inside the loop. You never are frenetic. It's very
00:03:20
interesting to watch. Anyway, am I the first person to ask you that or maybe the 20th?
00:03:24
>> I have been asked you like, "Where does your dancing come from?" I >> [laughter]
00:03:29
>> I made a conscious >> Looks like you're falling. >> Uh-huh. I may I may >> You're constantly tripping. That's what
00:03:35
it looks >> There it is, yeah. I >> [laughter] >> Pretty on early on I I I thought to
00:03:41
myself, I don't want to dance like move like other kind of rock and roll singers.
00:03:47
>> or James Brown. >> Yeah. Yeah, so I thought, "Oh, yeah." I mean, that's where that's where the bar
00:03:52
was set kind of. >> Yeah. Those people and >> and many others and I just thought,
00:03:57
well, there's no way I'm going to do that. Uh and besides, they've kind of cornered that. That they do that and
00:04:03
they do it really well. So, I have to find something that works for me. So, I I for a long time I didn't do anything.
00:04:10
Uh and then gradually, little by little, I started kind of figuring out uh moves and things that
00:04:17
kind of felt like they were coming from me and that they emerged from the music and
00:04:22
uh they didn't feel like they seem like [clears throat] anything else that I'd seen out there.
00:04:27
Uh they seemed a little bit odd sometimes. But >> They were carried It's charismatic
00:04:33
because there's no overt effort. And it just seems to work. I was watching the Jimmy Fallon thing where
00:04:41
from your show, That's what humans do. And your little choreography with everyone and how you'd
00:04:46
go up and do the the chorus and you come back and you're barefoot. I don't know.
00:04:50
It's just It's very charismatic cuz it's ultimately asking us to go at you. You're not coming at us with a lot of
00:04:56
energy. It's all just so relaxed. And you could do it till you're 90. >> All right, pretty much. I'm hoping. And
00:05:03
then uh yeah, I I tend to go for things that uh don't look like I've had a lot of
00:05:08
dance training, which I haven't had. Uh so, it they're the kind of thing that I'm I hope that other people see it and
00:05:15
go, "Oh, I could do that." Uh I could be a dancer. >> [laughter] >> If this guy can do it, I can do it.
00:05:21
>> Yeah, okay. I'm I'm going to write that down. No, moving to the music. It's very
00:05:26
charismatic. So, anyway, uh David, do you have a question? Not you, David Byrne, but you
00:05:30
>> I know that uh I I of course >> I Yes, I was a little nervous because he is uh
00:05:36
He's very smart and uh I'm very smart and Dana might feel weird on this podcast.
00:05:42
>> like a third wheel. I've got two giant brains in front of me. But I've seen interviews with you and
00:05:48
you seem like very light on your feet and that was my first kind of thing because I grew up my brother is smarter
00:05:54
than me and he's a he's very artistic. Uh he eventually got into design. He started that Kate Spade handbag company
00:06:02
with his wife and uh he was so you were his favorite band and so I'd hear it and I I didn't quite grasp the coolness
00:06:09
of it. Uh I just always thought it was kind of surfacey, very I like the songs and then
00:06:14
the older you get and you start to get into the words and what you're doing, there's so much going on there that it's
00:06:20
it's it makes it even more layers and layers and layers. And so that was fun and then I when I
00:06:25
heard when I saw that you were kind of fun and light on your feet, that was nice to see because sometimes you don't
00:06:30
know what personality is behind all that when you're so smart like that and it's
00:06:34
it's great that it made it less nervous to talk to you. >> Oh, well, good. Yeah, I'm glad it comes
00:06:39
across that way. Yeah, I wouldn't want it to be like oh, he thinks he's so smart and uh
00:06:45
>> Yeah, because >> I'm really smart and I'm a little prickly to deal with. But anyway,
00:06:50
>> Oh, >> [laughter] >> okay. >> I keep throwing that in there, but no one even agrees.
00:06:54
>> I I think you come off anti uh pretense. There's no sense of like look what I'm
00:07:00
doing, you know, or at all. It it just feels and I think for an artist, first time
00:07:05
I'm going to use the word, playful, yeah, you know, and and childlike in some ways and and loose. Uh so, I don't
00:07:12
know. It's very interesting to watch. >> Thank you. Yeah, yeah, I I really enjoy
00:07:16
it and I hope the you know, audiences can sense that I'm enjoying myself and having fun and sometimes having a laugh
00:07:23
with it. >> Well, do you you know, Dana, you know that he is he's got an Academy Award, a
00:07:28
Grammy, a Tony and a Golden Globe. So, he's got an EGOT. But a lot of people go for the EGOT.
00:07:33
>> Yeah, he's always going Wait. >> No, no, so yeah. >> Oh, yeah, there's no E. >> Yeah, there's no E, so not quite.
00:07:40
>> You've got a GOGOT. No, you don't have the E. You can You need a You really need a vowel. You need
00:07:45
something to keep this going. Um but uh Golden Globe is good. So, what's Emmy? Is Emmy on the
00:07:52
future? Is this burning uh Is this killing you that you don't have an Emmy? >> [laughter]
00:07:56
>> It's killing me that I don't have >> It's all I think about now. >> I'm in TV and I don't have one and you
00:08:01
You might graze by it and win one and I'm over here struggling every day in the salt mines.
00:08:06
>> Well, [laughter] no. I I Honestly, no, I don't think about it. I don't think about it, but it's Yeah.
00:08:13
Yeah, I [snorts] don't think >> You got enough stuff. I have a Saturday Night Live question because this is sort
00:08:16
of the idea how we tricked you into this, but uh we don't have to talk about only Saturday Night Live. Um When you go
00:08:22
on, I always wonder with the music guests and I never asked when I was there. Do they tell you what songs to
00:08:26
pick or do you say I want to do these and what order cuz you get two songs? >> Uh
00:08:33
I remember early on early on I I seem to recall being very pushy about it. And saying, "Yeah."
00:08:41
>> Oh, they were. >> I was very pushy. I feel I remember myself being very pushy and going, "I
00:08:45
want to do this. I want to do this." And I uh I think at one point, I don't know if
00:08:49
it was on Saturday Night Live or Letterman or some Some show where I said, "I want you to shoot it in black
00:08:54
and white." >> Oh. >> [laughter] >> Bold. >> Yeah, it's really I was really pushy,
00:09:01
you know, saying, "I want You know, I want something that looks a little bit different, etc., etc." And uh
00:09:07
It Yeah, they uh yeah. So, it was a But it >> Does it go back and forth with the
00:09:14
record company where they say we'd like this one sort of out there to help this album or whatever back then?
00:09:20
>> Yeah, I kind of learned, you know, you learn after a while. You go, "You got to
00:09:24
give them the the single or the song that's being promoted and then for the second one you
00:09:29
can put in, you know, you can be a little more artistic and show them kind of the breadth of kind of the range of
00:09:34
what you're you're doing." >> I get Yeah, of course. That's what I kind of remember is that the first one I
00:09:39
usually knew. I remember Pearl Jam was on and I That was sort of my era when I was there and uh
00:09:45
when But I was never one to get music right away, like I told you with my brother. So, I liked Pearl Jam by the
00:09:51
time they came back and I liked [laughter] Nirvana by the time they came back. And so, I go, "Are you going to do
00:09:57
a live?" And they go, "We did it last time." I go, "You did?" >> Oh. >> [laughter]
00:10:00
>> And so, by that time I had loved it. So, then I started to pay attention, but I'm
00:10:04
always about a year back, like Europe. Um so, >> Well, I I was introduced by Lorne
00:10:10
Michaels cuz I was staying at his house in 1986 before I was on SNL, but I was cast on SNL. And I stayed for a month.
00:10:19
And the Talking Heads played I I'm I don't want to exaggerate. I'd say 12 hours a day throughout the house.
00:10:25
>> Wow. >> find yourself You may find yourself. And I fell in love with it. I was aware of
00:10:30
you guys and I knew that it was new, you know, it was a a new uh like your singing phrasing was like
00:10:37
popped out to me, like Sinatra or something. Yeah. You know, it's What What did When did you first get
00:10:43
that? Was that always there when you started your first band that You know, I don't know how you'd describe your
00:10:47
vocalization, but it's very you. There's no one else does it quite like that. >> It was a little more yelpy at first.
00:10:55
>> Oh, I didn't want to say that. I >> [laughter] >> Yeah, it was a little more yelpy at
00:10:58
first and then gradually I I kind of listening to other singers on records and things, I thought, "Oh, you know, I
00:11:04
can I can actually sing a melody if I have to. And I can do this and that might be
00:11:09
a way to get some things over >> [laughter] >> I thought the same thing, but it didn't
00:11:13
work out. >> I might be able to do that. Uh I remember the last time we were on Saturday Night Live, which is probably
00:11:21
>> 2020 with John Mulaney, right? >> Yeah. >> Wow. >> Just before the pandemic, like weeks
00:11:27
before. Um after we did the rehearsal, uh I got invited, or should I say called into the meeting with Lauren.
00:11:38
>> [laughter] >> That the entire cast goes into, and I thought, "Oh, this didn't happen
00:11:42
before." >> Yeah. >> What what what's going to happen? And uh he gave me some notes. He you know,
00:11:50
singled singled me out and gave me some notes. >> What Do you remember them? >> Wow. Wait.
00:11:56
>> I think he Probably a camera move. He said something about my >> Yeah. >> It was not No, it was not about the
00:12:00
moves. It was something about my vocal delivery. He felt it was a little too aggressive or something or other. There
00:12:05
was some comment about uh adjusting my vocal delivery. >> Okay. >> And uh I wasn't sure exactly what he
00:12:13
meant, but I thought, "Okay. Okay, I'll I'll just keep that in mind. Whatever Whatever he
00:12:19
means, I'll keep it in mind." >> Yeah. >> God, I can safely say I've never heard
00:12:23
of that. I've never heard of Lauren giving notes to music, except you know, Sinead O'Connor uh telling her
00:12:28
not to rip up the picture of the Pope, >> but it was a little late. >> [laughter]
00:12:32
>> Yeah. >> He goes, "You know, that that's the stuff for rehearsal, not on the live
00:12:37
show." >> Scotch tape. It goes back together just as easily as it was ripped. >> Maybe no one will notice.
00:12:43
>> But probably Lauren would give notes in, you know, one word, you know, basically. Like
00:12:50
we're about to start a sketch, and he would just say, "Um it has to breathe." Just like that.
00:12:56
>> [laughter] >> You know, probably with you would be like, "If you could bring it down a
00:12:59
notch and let it come to you," or something like that. Usually there's some wisdom in it, but I you know,
00:13:05
I I I wouldn't give you notes. I wouldn't have the guts to say, "David, you know, when it comes to singing, I
00:13:11
>> [laughter] >> But Lauren >> I like that I like that you say black and white is cuz you're like sort of a
00:13:16
pre-Kanye, where you're you know, these artistic minds come on there, and it feels like it's a certain stamp. I know
00:13:23
the look of where the music is. I know the coloring of the lighting every week. I know what it's going to
00:13:29
look like. And it does take someone to walk in and say, "What if we shoot it a little
00:13:33
differently? Or what if we shot it over there? Or what if we shot it outside? Or
00:13:37
what if we made it black and white?" I like that because no one does that. They just come in, they do it, and leave like
00:13:42
you're supposed to. And uh I love that you're throwing things out though. >> It was I didn't want it to have like the
00:13:49
standard rock and roll lighting with the colored lights flashing and all that kind of stuff. I thought, "How can I eat
00:13:54
How can I easily avoid that?" And so that was probably the idea there. But by the time we went in in like 2020 or
00:14:00
whenever, uh there was much more there was much more uh kind of a collaboration with the
00:14:06
director and the lighting people and all Everybody was super accommodating. Like,
00:14:10
"Okay, we we've seen what you're doing. So, we'll we'll try and do that." >> Right. When I was there, it was only
00:14:18
Dana, do you agree? It was only for blocking. Like, they would come in on probably Thursday before we would
00:14:23
rehearse. We didn't even get to rehearse until Thursday night. The sketches. That's how late in the game if people
00:14:28
don't know that. So, music comes in and they get like an hour or two. But they do their songs. It's really
00:14:32
cameras going to get here. They they just want to see the song just for cameras. But it was always the same
00:14:37
lighting pretty much. I think later in the years they started to play with it a little bit, but
00:14:42
I don't think there was a lot of thought. I do like when they they they play with it. And guys like you are
00:14:46
great because, you know, that's what you want. You want different. You want it memorable.
00:14:50
>> Is it kind of interesting you, David, like uh David Byrne? >> [laughter] >> Just
00:14:55
>> I never think you're talking to me. Don't worry. Go ahead. >> Just that when you have a long career
00:14:59
and then it becomes long and then you come back and you look great, you're at the top of your game, and do people,
00:15:05
like in my little TV world, I go to a little comedy club and I feel like I'm a museum piece. Like, he's still here.
00:15:11
[laughter] I still recognize him. And he and he's doing the church lady. >> Yeah.
00:15:15
>> So, there's >> [laughter] >> There is this people must respond to you in a different way. I or just in a warm
00:15:21
way or there's something in It's like Lauren, there's something about seeing you again
00:15:26
and you and you look great, you move great, the songs are great, your voice is still there, perfect, so
00:15:31
>> Voice is strong. >> Uh you can comment on that or not. I'm talking too much. Go ahead.
00:15:36
>> [laughter] >> Uh Yeah, there's always there's always a portion of the audience that kind of the
00:15:43
uh kind of the the kind of the original fans that are kind of my age or just a little bit younger, maybe.
00:15:51
Uh who have a kind of legacy sense of >> all that their journey. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, yeah, that's part of their
00:15:59
journey, too. And >> [clears throat] >> that's kind of nice. They uh I think they expect to see something
00:16:07
different uh from me, which is a nice kind of opportunity for me. And of course, the
00:16:13
younger audience that comes uh often has no idea what to expect. >> Mhm. >> Yeah.
00:16:20
>> I think they expect that they just picture one of their songs, and they're going to do it exactly. That's the way I
00:16:25
picture concerts. And when you come out, at least you come with that baggage of which is baggage sounds negative, but
00:16:31
they know that you are out of the box, and so anything's really possible when you're out there. So, not to expect
00:16:37
really anything. >> Yeah, yeah, as long as you you got to get on uh You don't antagonize them or give them
00:16:46
things or do things that are just like, "Oh, I'm going to piss off the audience by indulging myself in uh
00:16:53
you know, a half hour of just talking to you." Or >> drum solo. >> Yeah, yeah, the drum solo, whatever.
00:17:00
Yeah. >> [laughter] >> Well, I have a question about uh go ahead, Dana. >> Oh, I I would just like you've managed
00:17:05
to just always surprise, and so, you know, I just wanted one lane of show business is money and how to do that,
00:17:13
and you keep reinventing yourself all around a certain general theme, but it is always new.
00:17:19
And so, how did you Did you ever get a offer to sell out? >> Yeah. >> Like in the '80s, a commercial and just
00:17:27
for a millions of dollars something like that or how have you managed to stay an
00:17:30
artist again all the way through, stay totally cool, and manage the business side of it all?
00:17:37
>> Sell out, you mean like do uh >> Uh lemonade commercial or >> Oh yeah, lemonade commercials and things
00:17:42
like Yeah, there've been a There've been few offers for uh >> I've done commercials, I'll be honest.
00:17:48
>> like that. And um I'm of a generation where you kind of that musicians kind of avoided that if they
00:17:57
could. >> Yes. >> Um I mean I realize it now it's actually encouraged. It's like if
00:18:04
that's what you do to get your music to a larger audience, then you should do it.
00:18:07
>> Yeah. Oh my god, it's like first of all, I just in full disclosure, I've never
00:18:12
said no to anything. Now, also, um >> [laughter] >> a lot of these musicians it used to be,
00:18:17
but Eddie Vedder, you know, you remember that, you know, I won't even do Ticketmaster, I won't do this. All these
00:18:21
things that made sense at the time, which is actually hard to run a concert, I'm sure, back then.
00:18:26
When you're saying I can't sell out if I do this corporate this corporate, but corporations own the arena, they own
00:18:32
It's just hard to avoid, I'm sure. So, uh and you can comment on that if you want,
00:18:38
but it is >> Yeah, I'm I Wow. Uh I was really impressed that Eddie Vedder and that they kind of decided we want to
00:18:45
do this tour without Ticketmaster and whatever because our fans are tired of paying paying all
00:18:51
these extra costs that get added on and all the scalping stuff that goes on with
00:18:57
the com in these ticket sales things are complicit in this with the scalpers and you know, they were
00:19:03
trying they were trying to kind of do the right thing, but it is Yeah, it's a really hard thing for them
00:19:10
to do and >> Mhm. >> I admire them for giving it a try. >> Yes, I did too. I thought wow, I I
00:19:16
didn't and then you look and you go oh Ticketmaster is is kind of racking everyone, you know,
00:19:21
if you get break it down and then when you hear they're sort of in bed with the scalpers and stuff or whatever.
00:19:27
I don't know for sure, but you know how it is and you go so they buy some they sell them right back and they give them
00:19:32
the first third of the ticket. It's just so weird cuz you go yeah, every time I turn around 1 minute later they're
00:19:38
marked up to 800 bucks. You go normal fans don't have a chance and and the artist wants the normal fans to be
00:19:45
able to pay the real ticket price. That's bad enough really and then just get in there and
00:19:51
have a good time and they feel like they're part of it being the bad guy when they're not, but that's what it
00:19:57
looks like. >> And now there's the whole thing of I guess what they call dynamic pricing
00:20:01
where >> [laughter] >> That doesn't sound That doesn't sound good. >> No, yeah, yeah. It's uh
00:20:08
They've done it on Broadway for a long time, but now they're kind of moving it into concerts
00:20:13
where you know, with a big artist like there was a big bruhaha about Bruce Springsteen tickets.
00:20:19
Cuz if there's a high demand for kind of the prime seats for a show like that and
00:20:24
they'll jack the prices up for those. Now they might still keep some cheap seats in the back, but the ones up front
00:20:32
will just go They'll kind of kind of beat the scalpers in a way. They're but that
00:20:37
means that >> 1,200 >> Yeah, the prices start going up into the scalper range where it's you know, over
00:20:43
a thousand dollars. >> Wow. >> And yeah, the fans are just going that's not what was originally listed.
00:20:49
>> I know that's [laughter] not really the plan. Like I don't really get that because they're going to make the
00:20:54
scalper money up front instead of the scalpers making >> that yes, at least if we do that the
00:20:59
money goes to the artist, but it's still pretty it's still pretty tough on the fans.
00:21:08
Do you uh something that's a little maybe a little more unusual in my world. Do you both go into clubs like
00:21:17
you said go into comedy clubs in different places and can try out new material that way?
00:21:22
And kind of make a surprise appearance somewhere and go, "Okay, I got I got to try some stuff out and the only way I
00:21:27
know what works is to do it live." >> David does it a lot. Yeah. >> 100% yeah, I have to. I have to because
00:21:37
I'm I'm kind of on a tour right now and uh when you're people are paying and it's a bigger
00:21:42
theater uh you have to try but I've always done that cuz it's always the only way to
00:21:46
even keep going. So Luckily in LA there's the improv and the comedy store and the Laugh Factory. So
00:21:52
you can go in you can go in anytime. I mean they're nice enough to say just come in whenever you drive by
00:21:57
you can go up and do whatever you want. And so you try it and there's a lot of great comedians there.
00:22:02
Uh the only thing these days is some comics are having them put the phones in those zip bags because
00:22:09
>> Mhm. >> you can't work out a new special if people are leaking it on YouTube the
00:22:13
next morning or put on their TikTok or whatever. And then all your jokes are out there.
00:22:16
So it's not like building up for a special someone like Eddie Murphy I would see
00:22:21
having a real problem coming back to stand-up because where do you practice where people aren't going to film you
00:22:27
and leak everything. And if it's not that funny cuz you're really working it they're going to see that and say, "Oh,
00:22:33
he's not that good anymore." And you're like, "Well, this is how I used to do it
00:22:35
in little clubs and then the world sees it." But >> Ex- >> Like a band I don't know. I don't know.
00:22:41
There's there's that's the only way to do it. >> Well, for me and I want to ask you a
00:22:44
question. Uh music David uh the I started in small clubs and I didn't know I was I wasn't really a
00:22:52
stand-up. I was a sketch player. So the small clubs allowed me to go I'm going to be a character for 2 minutes.
00:22:58
And then as I got on TV and stuff I played bigger rooms and I found it much more of a heavy lifting for me, unless
00:23:05
there were screens. So, I love the small clubs, and with comedy, it's always a surprise. So, ideally, you've vetted it
00:23:12
in a small room. So, when you go to the big room, you don't go and it didn't get a laugh. But, did you
00:23:19
When you're in the '70s in those low-ceiling clubs, and your first band was just kicking in, there's a certain
00:23:25
some energy to that. But, you played all kind of You have a You have a show that
00:23:29
you do occasionally only 16 audience members can come in at a time. That we'll get to that in a second. Your your
00:23:34
fascination with the brain and neuroplasticity and all that. But, in terms of rooms, what what's your
00:23:39
favorite size room? Or it's the room you're in, I guess. >> [laughter] >> Broadway's pretty intimate in its own
00:23:45
way. >> Broadway's You know, fairly intimate. Uh I like though that size room. You can
00:23:51
still It's big, but you can still get a sense of all the people. Uh I still feel like
00:23:58
I as you probably do You You're I still feel like I'm speaking right to them, and they're listening to me. And
00:24:04
if there's a reaction I can respond to the reaction. And sometimes I can, you know, as you might
00:24:10
do if you get a laugh, you try and say something else that's going to put a laugh on top of the laugh. And
00:24:17
>> Yes. >> Yeah, that kind of thing. But, you can't you you can't like make that up at home.
00:24:21
You can't like write that. You have to see how the audience reacts. >> That's the best place to be is in the
00:24:27
moment, kind of like with us right now. Uh life is really about that. Listening and being in the moment, certainly
00:24:33
performing, never trying to force it. Don't anticipate it. All I think before I go out on stage, I The last word I say
00:24:40
to myself is have fun. Because if I forget to have fun, it can unravel pretty quickly.
00:24:48
If if people are drunk, or it's a shitty audience, or I blew a joke, but always have fun. That's that helps me a lot.
00:24:54
What do you say right before your show, David? David Byrne. >> I say? >> [laughter]
00:24:58
>> What do I say right before I go >> Ladies and gentlemen, American Utopia, David Byrne. Do you Do you have any
00:25:05
ritual or prayer or just like take a deep breath and or you just walk out and >> Uh usually the band and I are kind of
00:25:14
backstage. >> Mhm. >> And we're all on like our mics and everything like that. So we can all talk
00:25:19
to one another, but >> Yeah. >> But uh nobody else can hear us. And so there's a lot of joking around like, "Okay,
00:25:26
who's out there tonight?" >> Right. >> Um >> Just to lighten >> People take a peek and go, "Oh, there's
00:25:30
Yeah, there's there's a really strange-looking person in the front row." Or there's the kid
00:25:35
There's a kid in the front row who's sleeping. Uh >> Yeah, to lighten it up, yeah.
00:25:40
>> Sure. [laughter] >> Yeah, that's you know uh I do the same thing. I I peek out in the
00:25:46
front and try to go, "Is there anyone I want to mention or say anything?" Cuz when you're live, you can sort of
00:25:52
I do one crowd work. I go out the audience and I go, I go, "What are you guys having? Uh
00:25:58
nachos?" And they go, "Yep." And I go, "Oh, is it an anniversary or something?" And then I just I go, "That's my crowd
00:26:03
work, folks." I get one laugh [laughter] and that's one and then I move on. >> The worst crowd work ever, you
00:26:09
>> Yeah, because I go I did It looks like they they really like it in stand-up and
00:26:15
probably in music when you're doing something that they think is not the handstamp show. So
00:26:22
if you're in a crowd, you've Obviously in music, you just mention the city, they
00:26:27
>> Mhm. >> get excited. You know what I mean? Even though you're reading it off the back of
00:26:30
a mic stand. But if you just say, you know, I saw the Eagles and they were like, "On a dark Arizona highway." And
00:26:37
everyone goes, "Whoa!" >> Anything local. >> That's where we live. >> Anything local.
00:26:42
>> Yeah. >> Cool Scottsdale wind in my hair and everyone's like, "My friend lives in
00:26:45
Scottsdale." And they go, "Warm smell of ASU stadium." And everyone's like, "All
00:26:49
right, just sing the [ __ ] song, dude." >> Well, I always tell [laughter] what what's the rival the rival town. So, if
00:26:55
you're playing Fresno and I go, "Well, they they go, "We hate Modesto." Then I go out and I just say, "Modesto sucks."
00:27:01
And I've got them. >> [laughter] >> It's the easiest thing in the world. >> Or you go, "That joke was funny. This
00:27:06
guy from Modesto doesn't get it." And we're like, >> running gag. >> David, you can use any of these, any of
00:27:13
them. >> Okay, okay. >> Just take them with you. It's so funny. Oh, I have a question
00:27:17
about your uh one of my favorite songs, Wildlife. Uh the video isn't the video it have a ton of cameos
00:27:25
in it? >> Uh uh yes, people it's meant to be like a a karaoke night or something like that
00:27:32
where >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> up and singing a line. It's kind of taken off on that and people the
00:27:38
audience members are kind of dressing up like their favorite singers or whatever. Yeah.
00:27:43
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a great one. And uh that one was Buscemi in it or am I
00:27:49
crazy? >> No, it was not the Buscemi. It was a local guy in Dallas that looked like
00:27:54
Buscemi. >> Oh, for real? >> Yes. >> Oh my god. I was about to say, who is in that thing? Cuz that was such a fun
00:28:00
video and uh such a great song. I still cranking on my iPod. Is iPod something? >> iPod's like what I have on my phone.
00:28:08
>> Yeah. >> [snorts] >> Uh it's on my phone, but whatever. Uh believe me. And I'm these guy I'm one of
00:28:12
these guys that I get those Apple songs and they're 99 cents or whatever. And so, instead of joining something, I
00:28:20
just go, "Well, I already have this. I don't want to learn anything new." And I realize I have 20,000 songs. So,
00:28:26
I've spent 20,000 >> [laughter] >> It's it's the dumbest thing I could ever do, [clears throat] but I just keep
00:28:31
doing it one by one and they're just adding up. I'm like, I think this isn't smart. But uh love that uh Take Me to
00:28:38
the River has a great beginning. I'm just I'm going through your songs now, which is
00:28:43
I know you get bored by that, but it's uh it's great because I'm asking, so it's something different.
00:28:48
>> [laughter] >> Uh, take me to the river Dana. You know that one? It's such a killer beginning.
00:28:52
Brilliant. And uh, the only thing you need in the middle when you go drop me in the water, you
00:28:56
could have me up there and I go Ooh, that's his best sound effects. >> We could have
00:29:00
>> So if I'm ever there, I'll jump up. You could have added that. It's everyone can't do it. And the uh, as as we've
00:29:08
said before, the MTV generation growing up with me, the V was for the videos and it was for
00:29:14
the music and uh, it wasn't uh, 25 hours of ridiculousness which is a show which is actually really
00:29:20
good. But they used to have more than one show on there and music videos. No one believes me.
00:29:26
But uh, that was a really fun time when you probably got a new song. It's probably kind of fun where they go the
00:29:33
next step literally is what's your video. Is that kind of how it was? >> Uh, I really enjoyed making videos back
00:29:40
then. Uh, you could you had a song, you thought okay this might be the single and you could go out and do a
00:29:47
video kind of cheaper cheaply kind of more cheaply than you can do today actually.
00:29:54
>> And you know they'd run it. They were desperate for material. >> Oh, yeah. >> you were getting all their material for
00:30:00
free from the record company. So uh, if you could give them a video, they'd start running it within a week
00:30:07
which was just kind of kind of amazing for us. >> It's great. >> Um, >> Well yeah, you have a blank slate and
00:30:13
you're kind of an artist. You are an artist. So that must be fun. You've got the song which you already wrote and you
00:30:18
made that that was one breakthrough. And now the song is working and then you go oh, now I get one more crack at it.
00:30:25
What is it And the scary thing is what's everyone going to remember forever because
00:30:29
you sort of at my age, I would just picture the video when I hear the song. >> Exactly. So you had to be kind of a
00:30:35
little bit careful because you know that's what's going to be burned into people's minds. Uh,
00:30:40
>> Yes. For sure. >> Yeah, we discovered that there were songs that in those days, songs that
00:30:46
broke because of the video. Um >> Oh, yeah. They did better. >> Yeah, the radio maybe wasn't really
00:30:52
playing it that much and then the video would people just they'd play it over and over again.
00:30:58
And then the radio would kind of be forced to play it. >> Mhm. Yeah, for sure. It it took on a new
00:31:04
life. >> Mhm. >> And it did seem obviously going back a little bit your art school roots like
00:31:10
John Lennon, it seemed like it was a natural fit for you. It's everything had an artistic
00:31:15
bent and for a second just American Utopia the album and the show it would appear to me that would be as satisfying
00:31:22
as anything you've done this this recent Broadway run cuz the way you reinvented Broadway and you can
00:31:28
speak to that. I mean you reinvented it with that stage show by everyone being mobile.
00:31:35
That's that's pretty brilliant. I mean you talk to that. >> To me that yeah, starting way back with
00:31:40
music videos, being able to kind of do a stage show like that, it was kind of bringing
00:31:45
together everything that got me excited whether it was you know the staging or the choreography or the lighting and all
00:31:50
those things where I could kind of bring it all together in one package. And the trick with
00:31:56
the trick with Broadway I think was uh getting the sound to be like not Broadway sound.
00:32:03
>> Mhm. >> Um the sound um that sound mix on Broadway musicals tends to be of a certain type. We said no, we
00:32:12
want this to sound like we want this to sound like a real concert. Uh we need people to understand the words and all
00:32:19
that which is you can't always do at a music concert. >> Mhm. >> But we need to do that. But yeah, that
00:32:25
was that was a little bit of an uphill battle, but it worked. >> Uh really inspiring for the the the
00:32:32
percussion section. So you knew you wanted the drummers to move so you needed rather than the drummer behind
00:32:38
the kit. So, you had multiple drummers almost like a marching band moving about in choreography. It's just a
00:32:45
How How were you Did you do every show, David? Were you starring in every show? I had to.
00:32:51
>> I I I'd assume that who could substitute for you. >> I'm not going if he's not.
00:32:55
>> And And how did you pace yourself with that? I mean, it it's some >> Is that a beating? I mean, I do 60
00:33:00
minutes of stand-up and I lay down in a hammock afterwards and people fan me. >> I was packed in ice earlier today.
00:33:06
>> [laughter] >> I was packed in ice >> packed in on my tub at the Holiday Inn. >> regular basis, but
00:33:11
>> [laughter] >> Uh but obviously you were having so much fun. That That keeps fatigue at bay. Are
00:33:16
you enjoying it? >> Uh yeah, I was enjoying it. I paced myself. Yes. >> Yeah. >> Um
00:33:23
I I ran into Hugh Jackman at a dinner once. So, I So, before I did the show uh on
00:33:33
Broadway, >> Yeah. >> I I reached out to him and said, um I'm not used to doing, you know, shows
00:33:40
whatever six or seven days a week or whatever it might be. Do you think I can do this? And do you
00:33:45
have any advice for me? Cuz he's the only person I could think of who had done like a one-man show singing the
00:33:52
whole show >> Yeah. >> on Broadway. >> He's an athlete. Yeah. >> Yeah. And so, I
00:33:57
uh asked him, "Do you think I can do this?" And he said, "Yeah, you can do You know,
00:34:02
how's your voice?" Yeah, my voice is fine. I said, "You know, uh He said, "Don't go to parties after. Don't go
00:34:11
Don't visit your Don't hang out with your friends in a bar after cuz you will end up talking
00:34:17
louder in a bar than you are singing on stage, and that will wear That's like doing a whole 'nother show."
00:34:23
>> Smart. >> So, he said, "Don't do that. Meet them for lunch the next day." Um >> Mhm.
00:34:28
>> Then he said, "If you got two shows, uh don't take a nap in between the two shows cuz that's your first inclination
00:34:34
is Phew, got through that. Now I need to like rest up before the next one. He said, "No, no, no, no, cuz then your
00:34:41
whatever your energy and stuff will just drop down to zero and you got to build it all back up
00:34:46
again for the next show." He said, "You just got to, you know, push through it and and and then you'll
00:34:52
be ready for the next one." >> Could I po- possibly after the uh this get the Hugh Jackman's
00:34:58
>> Yeah, I need his number, too. >> information? He seems to really be good about advising.
00:35:02
>> I'll be my life coach. >> [laughter] >> Uh, just whatever. hughjackman.com. But,
00:35:06
um Yeah. >> sounds boring. After the show, lay down in a hyperbolic chamber until the next
00:35:11
show. I'm like, "Well, how can I go out and get my kudos? I need some high fives."
00:35:16
>> I I I would have told you pack yourself in ice before the first show, get repacked in between shows, and pack So,
00:35:23
>> And repack. >> How did you um How did you come down then to go to sleep? Or uh do you have a
00:35:31
scotch on the rocks? Do you meditate? >> Yeah, yeah. I'd have a couple of glass I'd go home, have a couple of glasses of
00:35:38
wine, and watch like some TV show. >> I call it brain candy, right? Just something that
00:35:44
>> Brain candy. Nothing nothing too heavy, nothing too emotional that would kind of
00:35:48
make make me dream dream weird dreams. Just stuff stuff like that. >> I'll just the Saw movie franchise. I
00:35:53
usually watch that to doze off. If you want to put on movies called Clean Slate or Opportunity
00:36:00
>> [laughter] >> Yeah, and I was I guarantee you, David, you are out within 5 minutes. You're
00:36:05
like, "What the [ __ ] Give me a little shot." That may You may want to have a third
00:36:10
glass of wine. Be careful about that. When you see an abomination, you know, it starts to tip.
00:36:15
>> [laughter] >> There's two things I'm really interested. One is your fascination with
00:36:24
the brain. Um and I was going to I was curious what your thoughts are with the the studies
00:36:31
about psilocybin or ketamine in terms of helping with addiction and helping the brain. Cuz you've done a lot of stuff
00:36:37
around the brain. You have that that show where you come out with the brain, you talk about the brain. Um, and so
00:36:45
where are you at with that now? What's your thoughts? What are you doing with the brain?
00:36:49
>> tried any of those therapies. I watched the Michael Pollan uh show about >> psilocybin and stuff like that. Oh, you
00:36:58
haven't done them? >> I haven't done them, but I kind of watched the show and it was it was all
00:37:03
about that. Treating those things as therapy and all that stuff, LSD and everything were used
00:37:09
pretty successfully it seems for therapy until it was you know, made illegal. And then then it
00:37:16
was just like silence. No more research. You couldn't touch it. >> Yeah. >> Uh everything any kind of beneficial
00:37:23
stuff that it did was all denied and shoved aside and it was all this government propaganda about how you
00:37:31
would have uh babies that would look like fish or whatever. >> Yeah. >> And uh >> [laughter]
00:37:37
>> but now that's kind of people are kind of getting back into it and kind of treating it seriously as a therapeutic
00:37:43
thing and it's I've sort of thought, okay. Probably have to monitor it really carefully, see how people respond, but
00:37:50
for some things, yeah, like post-traumatic stress and things like that, it seems like it does help people.
00:37:57
>> I I was told this. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I want to hear your response to this. It's just that uh
00:38:03
non-psychoactive psilocybin drops uh over time daily create bigger neural pathways. And the metaphor was told to
00:38:13
me is that if you're you're if you're stuck on a cycle of thinking that's negative negative or whatever, it's a
00:38:20
it's like a little river going down a or little stream going down a giant canyon.
00:38:24
When you do these psilocybin drops over a period of time, your thoughts start to
00:38:28
emancipate and you're seeing a gush of water, a big giant whoosh of water going down and it frees open that negative
00:38:36
pattern. So, anyway, thoughts either of you guys? >> Yeah, I could definitely see that that
00:38:41
could be the case that yeah, we we do get stuck in in our ways of thinking. If somebody's had a traumatic experience,
00:38:47
they just kind of play that movie over and over again. And they need to kind of find a way out
00:38:52
of it. >> And people are non-trusting the uh pharmaceutical companies more and more,
00:38:56
so they're trying uh you know, Eastern medicine. There's different things that everyone wants to
00:39:01
try just to say, "What if there's something from the earth? What if there's something that I'm just haven't
00:39:06
tried that they don't they don't seem to want me to try, but it might be great for me?" And I know a lot of people
00:39:12
doing special K now and microdosing and I really didn't know it was a real treatment other than just recreational,
00:39:19
but they are saying >> Special K is ketamine, right? >> Ketamine, yeah. >> Okay, special K.
00:39:23
>> And uh but you hear it's a horse tranquilizer, so you go, "Well, I mean, I can't even do Zequil. I
00:39:29
can't do a full teaspoon. So, I go, "I don't think I need that." Because I a horse is bigger than me.
00:39:37
Uh the last horse I saw. >> Ketamine is supposed to like you go on a pretty heavy trip and I guess if it
00:39:43
works for your brain, what I'm told is that it um you're able to get outside yourself
00:39:48
and you're able to laugh at yourself and you have these revelations that last. Even though they have a bit of nausea
00:39:53
for a couple days and for 3 months you're just freed from that locked negative thinking. So, what
00:40:00
do you David David Byrne what if you have the blues or feeling kind of down, do you go on a bike ride cuz you're a
00:40:05
big bike guy? You're always on your bike. >> do that. I'll do that. Uh I don't you know, I don't get the blues.
00:40:12
I don't get depressed that often. I mean, we all do sometimes, but but in general, I'm pretty upbeat
00:40:19
and if if I'm going through a difficult period I'll just kind of go okay, just keep going. Just keep going.
00:40:27
>> Yeah, that that thing you did is look yeah, that thing you did failed or it looks like it's not going to happen or
00:40:34
Yeah. Could you possibly work that into a song like I don't ever get the blues. You know,
00:40:41
it's a blues song about a guy who never >> [laughter] >> You might find yourself not getting the
00:40:46
blues. [laughter] Find yourself. Sorry, I had to do that. Same as it ever was. Uh-oh.
00:40:53
>> No, I don't think nobody want I don't think people want to hear that. They don't want to hear like yeah, I'm a
00:40:57
super happy guy. >> Yeah. >> Uh you know >> Blues does better. >> my life is great and it's kind of like
00:41:03
well, [ __ ] you. >> My latest self-talk Da- David, both Davids, is I just say big life big life. Big life
00:41:11
if if you try a career, if you have children, if you have marriages, if you travel, if you buy things, if you make
00:41:18
money, you can lose money. So, big life up and down. So, you just accept it when
00:41:22
problems come. This is big life, big problems. And you know, that's your own self-talk, right? To yourself.
00:41:29
>> Yes. >> And that that helps. >> Um Could I I'm interested in this cuz you seem so future all the time.
00:41:37
>> Ask him about that art stuff. >> Well, the the robots have arrived. They're here.
00:41:42
They're studying us. They're they're manipulating us. They're making everybody angry. And they're doing all
00:41:47
kinds of things. And now they're in art. They're writing the hook. They're all over music. You don't have to write the
00:41:53
music. You don't have to sing the music. You point to guys with AIs on computers
00:41:58
and then you they put it together in a lab. And now in art in visual art recently an AI
00:42:04
drew a painting. They put in all this information and it won first prize at this art show and the real artists were
00:42:10
really angry. So, it just seems to me that since you're always future future, are you going to incorporate with AI or
00:42:17
what are your thoughts about that for integrating with art? >> Oh. >> Sorry. It's Sorry, it was a
00:42:23
>> Oh, yeah. It's his favorite thing is meeting together. >> Okay. >> No, I to be honest, no, I haven't
00:42:29
thought about doing that. Um and I Yeah, I remember reading about that, seeing the picture, and thought,
00:42:34
"Huh." Picture's kind of nice. Picture's kind of nice. But >> it. >> Yeah. It's not a not exactly what I
00:42:40
would do, you know, but okay, that's Yeah, nothing wrong with that. Um >> I blame the guy buying it.
00:42:49
>> Because because I blame the person who'd buy that art or pay a lot of money for
00:42:53
it because you don't want to make a market for that. It is There is something about what art is, about
00:42:59
coming from someone. Is that the picture, Dana? >> Well, it's just one I did recently.
00:43:03
Could a robot make that? >> No, that's good. >> Yes, yeah. I I sort of doubt it.
00:43:08
>> It's called It's called >> four-year-old could. >> Someone was really bugging me. That's
00:43:13
the person on top in the bubble, and I was on the bottom, and they were >> I love it.
00:43:18
Yeah, Dana's got good art. That's real. I like it. >> it's just heartfelt. It's a cliché.
00:43:22
Yeah, I'm not the artist, but I do do it for my own processing of thoughts. So. >> But I doubt that a machine would do
00:43:29
that. Yeah. >> That's the greatest thing anyone's ever said to me. Do you mind if I
00:43:33
David Byrne said a machine could not do my [laughter] No, I I understand what you're saying, and I I agree with you. I
00:43:39
don't like it. I I still think the human soul or the human brain can create stuff. And I think Well, I was reading
00:43:46
your exit essay after American Utopia and about you find out later, and it doesn't sound pretentious, but you find
00:43:54
out later kind of what you were writing about commonly in your writing and and in your art. That you're kind of doing
00:44:01
it spontaneously from some place, and it may be not literal, and then a a year later or whatever, you kind of
00:44:07
figure out what it was and I was interested the very end you said American Utopia it's not ironic.
00:44:15
>> Yes. >> So >> Which is kind of a surprise coming from me because >> Um >> Some of my material some of my material
00:44:21
is ironic. >> Yes. >> But in but in this case I thought no no no no I want to really
00:44:28
hold out some kind of either visually or in the songs and in the way we present it the whole attitude
00:44:34
what I say I want to hold out some kind of hope that uh that all the things that we wish we
00:44:41
could be and have what we could be as a country and all that that they're not all entirely out of reach uh that we
00:44:49
have we do have possibility. >> Well for me I I I just read history and then I feel better.
00:44:56
You know right when the >> [laughter] >> when the pandemic hit you know I read a
00:45:00
a a book the Splendid and the Vile it was a brilliant book but it was a new one about Churchill and the Blitz in in
00:45:07
London and you know it just helped calm me down or read about the plague or the Middle Ages and it gives you
00:45:12
perspective. I've seen people on an iPhone with a latte going is this this the worst time to be
00:45:19
alive you know. And they they there was no medicine until like maybe 50 years ago you have a heart attack they'd shake
00:45:25
your hand and give you a maybe aspirin see you later. Now they can put all this stuff in you.
00:45:30
So you're kind of on this this wavelength cuz you have this uh reason to be cheerful online thing you're on
00:45:36
this sort of happy cheerful you know if American Utopia means it's possible that's very up
00:45:43
message. >> Yes yes >> reasons to be reason to be cheerful. What are the reasons to be cheerful
00:45:48
David Byrne? >> Well >> [laughter] >> uh wow We we report on a lot of stuff uh I haven't done a lot of writing for them
00:45:57
recently but there we have group of writers they look for places around the world where people have found solutions
00:46:03
to like if some place in Italy where the the sea was getting overfished and they kind of the the fisher
00:46:12
fish communities the fishermen communities they get together and then go okay we're going to manage this cuz
00:46:16
we know if we overfish this we're all screwed we don't >> Mhm. >> that's our livelihood so we have to kind
00:46:23
of manage it and they kind of figure out a way to do that a way to kind of look out for people who were kind of
00:46:29
uh breaking the rules or whatever and sure enough the fish come back and their their catch increases and so they end up
00:46:36
making more money than they did before um and you know happy ending >> good news is not reported yeah go ahead
00:46:44
>> yeah it's nice to hear that stuff >> yeah we're biased towards bad news we like to hear bad news and scary stuff
00:46:50
>> it feeds part of our brain right somehow >> yeah it's part of our brain we collect
00:46:54
to be aware of what uh what kind of lions and tigers are looming around the corner
00:47:01
as opposed to the nice stuff so it's a little bit of an uphill battle but it but you know that this stuff is
00:47:08
happening I'm surprised at how how much of it the writers are finding >> um you're right I mean it's probably an
00:47:14
old stand-up bit but there's never a news flash breaking news 200 million people are relatively happy in North
00:47:20
America you know >> [laughter] >> it's always going to be death and pain and I I get it on I'll go down the rabbit hole
00:47:27
a little bit in the morning and I go to myself I said I'm being hypnotized into darkness
00:47:33
>> cuz whatever is bad with a robot stirring it is going to be presented 10 times as bad and um it it it is it's
00:47:42
it's a trap to to be unhappy your whole life cuz I know tribal people we we don't really talk politics here but
00:47:47
they're in both camps and they're both just so angry and I'm like what good is this doing right now all
00:47:55
this fury but you're right what what what part of the brain is that feeding? Is some primal part of our hypothalamus?
00:48:02
>> It seems like it is. It's It's some sort of primal part that obviously evolved
00:48:07
for for something really useful to us. >> War. >> To To yeah, to be aware that what's that what's that moving in the
00:48:15
jungle? What's that moving on the savannah? >> Fight or flight, yeah. >> Yeah, yeah. Uh
00:48:20
I'd rather if I run away it might not be anything, but if I run away, I'm going to be all right. But if
00:48:27
I stay and wait to find out, I might be dead. So better to run away. Better to better be to be fearful and suspicious
00:48:35
than to just kind of sit it out and go, "Well, let's wait and see what it is." >> And it's a bio evolutionary It's a
00:48:40
Darwinian proposition cuz the people didn't run away, didn't live long enough to have kids. So we're predisposed, all
00:48:46
of us, to be a little kind of jumpy cuz the ones who weren't are dead. So go ahead.
00:48:51
>> Yeah, and the algorithms uh on on all the stuff kind of feed on that, can feed
00:48:55
on our propensity. >> Yeah, COVID was a real boon for them because it was like the first case got
00:49:01
to America and they're like projecting 10 million dead. I go, "Well, someone just sneezed. That's it. One guy tested
00:49:07
positive. We don't even know what's going on." They're like, "No, no, right now you better, you know, make funeral
00:49:12
arrangements." I'm like, So it's it's like that where they it's like a half truth or there's a piece of a truth
00:49:18
where they can run with it and they run hard with it and they don't run the other way. It's always
00:49:22
could be worse, might get worse, probably worse instead of like, "Hey, this we might pull out of this." And
00:49:28
that's a tough one to live with every day. And that was that was hard especially during COVID cuz nothing else
00:49:32
is really happening in your life except bad news on the TV 24 hours a day. It's tough.
00:49:37
>> Yeah, you could just dig really deep into that cuz there's not much else to do.
00:49:41
>> Yeah. >> When you're uh out you're on tour >> Yes, David. >> they Are the audiences back?
00:49:52
Um >> know, they they they are and they're they're excited and it seems like they
00:49:57
want to laugh and they don't really want it um super PC. Uh they seem to appreciate
00:50:04
that if you're a comedian, the ones that come out to the clubs that aren't on Twitter
00:50:10
24 hours a day complaining about it, there are some people that just say, "Just go do it. We'll decide if we like
00:50:15
it or not, but give it to us. And if we don't like it, we'll boo and that's part
00:50:20
of the fun or we'll not laugh, but as a comedian is sort of an art also and you want to
00:50:27
say whatever you want and that's usually how it was working for a long long time
00:50:31
and then people are being scared to get canceled and they don't want to say the wrong
00:50:35
thing. So, we don't want the world to turn into the the eight Everyone's telling the same
00:50:42
eight jokes that are approved by America, you know? And that's what happens. You go, "Okay, I walked out and
00:50:48
everyone was happy and every No, people go, "It wasn't funny, but I didn't get mad, thank God." And you go, "Well,
00:50:55
you got to sort of crack some eggs here." Yeah, you got to I don't get mad. I never try to get complain comedians
00:51:00
when they're not funny or they do something too far. I'm like, I would say they probably won't do that
00:51:04
again or they might tweak it, but it's not my place to tell them to complain about and say, "Get off
00:51:10
stage." It's stupid. To me. >> Yeah, and I've been to shows where uh somebody's done some stuff where I go, "Oh, that's
00:51:20
across the line. It's just across the line right there, but the rest of the show was really great." And
00:51:26
I remember I've been to some shows where I had to put my phone in the bag. Um I I have no problem with it, uh but
00:51:36
>> Do you go to comedy shows, David? Or or music >> Every once in every once in a while,
00:51:40
yeah. >> Yeah, yeah. Oh, I want to see you in the sitting in the back one day. That'd be
00:51:44
awesome. >> [laughter] >> I'd be nervous. >> I'd bring up this podcast. No, I'm there to laugh and have a good
00:51:51
time. I think the original idea David Byrne was that yes, we've run into a little roadblock now
00:51:58
with Ukraine and the economy, but there was a period a short period pre post COVID where the roaring 20s had it after
00:52:06
the Spanish flu of the lights dance and get drunk and just because this could go
00:52:10
away. So I think there was a gusher of ticket sales initially to Well, now now we're
00:52:17
we're not having a roaring we're having all this other stuff again right now and
00:52:21
COVID who knew as Dr. FAUCI WOULD SAY WHO KNEW THERE WAS SO MANY MUTATIONS. I DIDN'T KNOW I THOUGHT YOU'D BE DANCING
00:52:29
IN THE STREET, but for me personally being someone who does impressions as part of what I do political comedy is
00:52:36
the the hottest oven of all of balancing that balancing act cuz you've got you know, there's tribal and
00:52:44
stuff, but you know, I try to do Biden and I do Trump, but it's a delicate dance. I'm mostly want to have my true
00:52:51
north star to be funny, but have you found that in any of your work now you're doing art exhibits at the Pace
00:52:58
Gallery trees and things which are awesome on gigantic walls. I'm they're beautiful.
00:53:06
So where are you on the political spectrum? Can you who are you voting on? Don't go there.
00:53:10
>> No, but [laughter] do you do you do you do you bring it into your are are you
00:53:14
careful about anything when you're out there? You stay away from things? >> Wow, when I was doing American Utopia
00:53:19
there was yeah, I would I would do some talking stuff sometimes about issues and
00:53:24
things in between some of the songs and a lot of those were kind of political although I
00:53:30
made a point never to endorse a politician or a particular party. I try to keep it bipartisan and to just talk
00:53:38
about issues like talk about getting to to vote and can we talk about that? Can I I can challenge was can you
00:53:46
figure out a way to talk about that and it's funny. >> Yeah, that's true. If it's funny, then
00:53:50
it doesn't come off uh as a teacher. You know. >> Yeah, or condescending, yeah. >> Yeah.
00:53:55
>> Yes, can I get some information across but in a way that's funny? Um >> Yeah.
00:54:00
>> And sometimes that took a little bit of trial and error. Let me see let's see
00:54:04
where the yeah, where the laughs are and where how people react to that. >> Mhm.
00:54:08
>> Yeah. >> So you're kind of a comedian in a way when you're out there. You you do you
00:54:11
have a monologue section? >> There's room for that, right? Yeah, oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, I'm I
00:54:17
wouldn't say I'm a comedian, but I'm I'm learning um I'm to some of the challenges that you all
00:54:23
face. >> You know, people like a little levity and when when they're out having fun and
00:54:28
they already like you, I mean that's half the battle being comic, so they like you, they're there to see you.
00:54:33
And in between songs I think we asked McCartney, was that like a nerve it's a nervous thing to he
00:54:38
tries stuff. He goes I'm going to say something here and sometimes it turns into just part of the show because
00:54:45
if something works, he locks it in. >> [laughter] >> You know. >> Exactly. >> And uh that's great cuz his shows are so
00:54:50
big, it's like hard to mess around with it, but yeah, there is a little room that must be fun or or one night go uh
00:54:56
I'm going to say this at this part and it's something to think about. >> Yeah, or something's happening in the
00:55:01
news and you feel like >> Yeah. >> you want to acknowledge not pretend like it didn't happen,
00:55:06
>> Mhm. >> but uh not turn the the whole show into being about that. >> Yeah, it's a it's a delicate dance.
00:55:13
>> Mhm. >> So what's um David, you have >> I have something and we're we'll let him
00:55:17
go and say goodbye. >> have like 500 questions, but that's all right, you know. >> [laughter]
00:55:21
>> Oh, no. >> Well, I just I just researched you and you kept doing so much stuff
00:55:26
>> you can't stop. My computer goes, all right, give me a break for a second. >> drawings, the tree drawings, the the the
00:55:31
stuff during the pandemic, um it's just it it goes on and on artistically. You're just you're
00:55:37
go you're ping-ponging in all these different areas, it seems. >> I'm very lucky and I'm having a good
00:55:42
time. I'm I'm lucky that uh that that in a way I people accept that I can try these different things.
00:55:49
>> Yeah. >> They don't always work, but the the people kind of allow me to try that stuff.
00:55:55
>> Well, you look 30 years old. It means like you have drive, and if you still have drive, that's where the whole
00:56:00
trick. You still like it, and I'm scared one day when I was I'm when I'm writing
00:56:04
jokes and scribbling stuff and going and if it gets hard, I go, "What if one day I don't want to do this? You know, I
00:56:11
don't have that in me anymore." And that's what you don't want, you know, you always want to still
00:56:16
it's fun to still do that stuff. I just don't want that fun to go away. So, I think it's nice that you
00:56:20
still think of a germ of an idea and go, "There's really no limits. It doesn't have to be this."
00:56:24
>> Yeah, cuz you you you could be out there now with just bald-faced talking the
00:56:29
Talking Heads review show. And just playing all your hits. You could, and that people would pay a lot
00:56:36
of money for that. >> Of course, right in front. >> Yeah, yeah, I've gotten offers for that,
00:56:39
but at the same time I know that that you're not going to be happy. You're not going to be happy there.
00:56:45
>> It's a Faustian deal. >> equation, too, now? Well, being happy? >> [laughter]
00:56:50
>> Oh, I hope so. >> Yeah. No, you're right though, but a lot of people don't think that way. They
00:56:54
think they get scared and they move it out of fear. I get it. I mean, of course it would make sense if you went out with
00:57:00
those that again, but there also is you've got other things you want to do, and it makes it
00:57:06
seems more fun to do that. >> I think you started you you were yourself from the beginning, and you
00:57:10
never fell into that trap, and uh I think it's done you well. It's probably why you look so young and fresh, and uh
00:57:18
you know, what do you get? I mean, how big a couch can you buy? You need 20 bicycles? I mean,
00:57:24
uh there's a level to money where it's we all I love my health care, and I would wish it on everyone in the world.
00:57:30
That's my most prized possession, But, I don't live in a giant place. I have one
00:57:35
car, one wife. Um so, >> He lives in a dump, David. >> I I just Everything you own owns you back.
00:57:44
And I just >> It's true. It's true. I realized yeah, at some point, "Okay, I got enough
00:57:48
bicycles." >> Yeah. >> I don't My apartment's big enough. I'm fine. Yeah. >> Well, that makes you rich in reverse,
00:57:55
you know? >> Exactly. Yeah. That also gives me the opportunity to try things that might
00:58:00
fail. >> Yes. You don't have to You don't have to make 400,000 net every month. I just put
00:58:06
out a specific number. >> [laughter] >> in order to make ends meet. >> a lot to cover everybody.
00:58:11
>> That's pretty big. Uh yeah, that I'd be That'd be crazy if someone had that much. No, I'm not there. No.
00:58:15
>> [laughter] >> But, it you know, you your expenses can creep up and then you can become a slave
00:58:20
to them. But, I I do think I I I'm so admiring and a little bit envious that you keep reinventing yourself and you
00:58:26
never stay stagnant. Uh with me, a lot of the characters I did on SNL, the audience would like to
00:58:32
see them and I pushed them out there to a point and it is a little you know. And
00:58:36
also in comedy, you have to feed the beast. You can't come back to the same city the next year. You have to have a
00:58:41
new hour. Um but, I I do think your path has been really fun to watch. I've been
00:58:46
I've been watching you a lot the last day and a half. >> Yeah. >> Uh in my research.
00:58:50
>> Thank you. Thank >> [laughter] >> you. >> And you're like, "This guy's having fun.
00:58:53
He's Can't be cooler." I know that's not your quest, but uh so, >> It's good to be cool, though.
00:59:00
>> Well, it just means you're following your true north star. And I don't know if you had a lot of therapy early on. I
00:59:04
finally got into therapy at 60, a little bit too late. But, uh it seems like you
00:59:09
you had a sense of yourself and a confidence early on. >> I I tried therapy for a while when I was
00:59:14
having some yeah, relationship marriage stuff. But, uh Yeah, uh other than that, I think my
00:59:21
therapy is yeah. >> Let's roll some video from that therapy session. >> going for a bicycle ride or yeah, know,
00:59:26
whatever. >> I think we've Thank you, David, for for bearing with us. I know this isn't a
00:59:33
typical sort of interview thing, but you're a lot of fun to talk to. >> It's been really a pleasure, David, and
00:59:39
uh >> Thank you. >> And you keep it up, and if you happen to want to bring your Broadway show back,
00:59:46
I would I would make my way to see it. I I don't know if you you're not the type
00:59:50
to repeat, but the that that the reviews on that Well, I'll just say they were off the charts. I mean, so So, I don't
00:59:59
know if you have plans to bring it back, but it Don't do it for me is my only message.
01:00:06
Don't [laughter] mount >> I DID THIS FOR DANA. Don't do it for me. >> It is on HBO live streaming right now,
01:00:13
right? >> Yeah, it is. >> Right. >> So, that's that's available for everybody. Let's do housekeeping at the
01:00:18
very end. Uh David Byrne, he he's got albums out. He's got He's got art shows. He's at the
01:00:24
Pace Gallery, trees, and Yeah, Pace Gallery in New York City. Uh I'm going to be there soon. I'm going to check
01:00:30
that out. Um He's It does neuro society. He I can't Anything you want to add >> No, that's good. That's good.
01:00:39
>> fans can consume. All right. Well, good luck on on your next podcast, uh David.
01:00:44
>> Thank [laughter] you. >> But, this was a pleasure. I'm going to go buy some more bicycles.
01:00:48
>> All right. >> Bye, you guys. >> Great to meet you both. >> Be well. Thank you.
01:00:53
>> Because he said you don't you don't need more bicycles. >> All right, listen. If you're enjoying
01:01:02
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01:01:25
Hear [music] me now, believe me later. >> [laughter] >> Fly on the wall, believe it or not, is
01:01:30
presented by Odyssey and executive produced by hold for it Dana Carvey and David Spade or David
01:01:38
Spade and Dana Carvey, we don't write this stuff. Heather Santoro, Greg Holzman, and Leah Reese Dennis.
01:01:46
The show is edited by Evan Cox with production support from Phil Sweet Tech. Talent production and booking by Sophia
01:01:54
Lepore.