This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no fooling around — except it is a party, it is a disco, and there is a fair amount of fooling around.
This Must Be the Party — a Dayton, Ohio all-stars celebration of the music of Talking Heads — is on Saturday, March 30 at The Brightside Music & Event Venue.
From its impetus at the now-defunct Oddbody’s in 2017 to the Brightside ballroom in recent years, this annual stage show recreates the frenetic mannerisms of David Byrne and the rest of the Heads from Jonathan Demme’s 1984 concert film, Stop Making Sense.
Then again, This Must Be The Party might be closer to a Heads’ show than Demme’s documentary since the Dayton stage show also includes “Cities” and the mashup of “Big Business/I Zimbra”: songs that were part of the Heads’ 1983 performance but not the theatrical release.
From setlist to wardrobe to props to choreography, This Must Be The Party is as faithful to the show as Byrne was to (allegedly) snorting stimulants. But filling the many big suits of David Byrne takes a certain level of commitment.
“Nobody wanted to be David Byrne all night,” said Libby Ballengee, booker for The Brightside and owner-operator at Venus Child Productions. “That’s when we cooked up the idea of having multiple David Byrnes, literally just for stamina because there’s so much running on stage.”
Donning the loose-fitting gray Byrne suits this year are Nathan Peters (Turboslacker), Eric Cassidy (Human Cannonball), Matt Byanski (Nasty Bingo), and Asche Pooler (Abertooth Lincoln) as the newest member of the group, graciously taking the place of the late Brian Spirk who passed away unexpectedly in October.
“Brian was an immensely talented and beautiful soul,” said Brian Hoeflich, drummer for This Must Be The Party. “We hope to honor him by continuing this show and spreading the joy that he spent so many years bringing to everyone.”
Here are a few David Byrnes on being David Byrnes:
Eric Cassidy: “I think that being David Byrne for the night is the most fun you can possibly have entertaining people. Just like actual David Byrne, the crowd will follow you to some weird places. And the more you give, the more you get back from the crowd. Walking out in front of one of the best bands that you have ever heard is so empowering. They got the crowd moving. They got ME moving. And I can ride that wave and use it to explore the stage with dance that is partly inspired by the original show, and also kind of my own thing. And the songs are just so good and well-known. It’s a blast!”
Matt Byanski: “It’s an honor and a challenge. The coat is great — the pants need to stay on! Suspenders are your friend!”
Asche Pooler: “I can’t tell you honestly in context just yet (because it is my first year) but I can tell you this: the rehearsals alone are so incredible to be a part of and watch, so I have an immense feeling that the actual show will be something to behold as well. I’m realizing that David and I have more in common as “weird” sort of musicians while doing it. So, in short, it feels good, man.”
Another addition to this year’s show is keyboardist Damien Dennis, alongside the return of backup singer Mykal who was an integral part of past performances.
Alongside the musicians mentioned above, the cast for This Must Be The Party includes Khrys Blank, Nathan Lewis, Patrick Himes, Chris Corn, and Erich Reith.
“We hope to eventually develop a theater stage version of the show,” Hoeflich said. “With projection screens and mobile instrument risers — just like Talking Heads did originally.”
Every year, the show grows nearly indistinguishable from Byrne’s original concept. So even if this is not your beautiful house and this is not your beautiful wife, This Must Be The Party. It’s once in a lifetime and it happens once a year.
This Must Be the Party — A Tribute to the Talking Heads, a Venus Child Production, is on Saturday, March 30 at the Brightside Music & Event Venue (905 E 3rd St, Dayton, Ohio 45402). Doors are at 8 p.m. Funky esoteric post-rock trio The Social Q opens the show at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20 and available at VenuePilot.
David Byrne has announced an extensive world tour in support of his forthcoming solo record, American Utopia. David will perform songs from the new album, which is out March 9 via Todomundo/Nonesuch Records, as well as classics from his solo career and his days with Talking Heads. A twelve-piece band will also join David on stage for a choreographed concert that he has called “the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense.” The American Utopia Tour will include a stop in Huber Heights, OH at Rose Music Center on Saturday, August 11th.