Ok. So, David Byrne's How Music Works: I Am Standing on A Stage, Why Do We Do It? event was one killer night! But, with David Byrne and Win Butler on stage together for the first time in front of a sold out, enthusiastic crowd...I guess it was to be expected. Still!!
Backstage, David was a dream - warm and friendly - and he got right to work signing books. Of course, making it even better was the fact that Win & Regine (both of them total sweethearts) were there as well and discussion topics included, but were not limited to, legible autograph expectations, the perfect set list length (Ramones played 35 minutes and no more), the necessity of sometimes having to eat a sandwich onstage during a performance and the return of Arrested Development.
photo by Richmond Lam
Onstage, conversation was even more all over the place as topics ranged from the hidden face of MF Doom and what an artist's outfit can imply to how performance alters music composition to Justin Timberlake and Bob Dylan's respective live bands and the choreography of Timberlake's dancers, to Daft Punk to Swedish House music to...it was like listening in on the best dinner date ever...except, instead of dinner, there were slides of Ukrainian Eurovision contestants instead.
David, Win and our moderator Sean Michaels. Photo by Richmond Lam.
Afterwards, there was a rush to the book table and tons of signed copies of each of David's books (Bicycle Diaries, Arboretum and How Music Works) flew from table to hands, from hands to pockets and bags, and then to cars and bikes and finally to homes....where they belong.
Librairie D&Q staff earlier in the evening, before the event.
