( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪
>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
MY NEXT GUEST IS A GRAMMY, TONY, AND ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST
WHO IS IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," DAVID BRYNE!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪
>> Stephen: IT'S AWFULLY NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
YOU'RE LOOKING PARTICULARLY DISTINGUISHED WITH THE TBRE AND
THE TURTLENECK.
>> OH, YES.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.
I HAVE BECOME THAT PERSON.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: THE GREY HAIR AND
TURTLENECK?
>> Y E.
>> Stephen: VERY GOOD.
( LAUGHTER ) LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE,
MARCH 2018, FOR THOSE OF YOU KEEPING SCORE AT HOME, YOU HAD
JUST RELEASED THE ALBUM "AMERICAN UTOPIA."
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) SINCE THEN, WORLD TOUR, TURNED
INTO A BROADWAY SHOW AND A FILM DIRECTED BY SPIKE LEE.
HERE'S THE -- THERE HE IS.
YOU'RE AT THE ST. JAMES THEATER.
DID YOU -- LAST TIME WE TALKED, THIS DIDN'T EXIST YET.
DID YOU IMAGINE IT TO BE A BROADWAY SHOW?
>> NO.
>> Stephen: HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT, DAVID BYRNE?
>> WELL, STEPHEN COLBERT -- ( LAUGHTER )
-- IT HAPPENED -- I HEARD SOME BROADWAY PRODUCER SAW THE SHOW
WHEN WE WERE FIRST HERE ON THE SHOW AROUND ABOUT THAT TIME.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
AND THEY PLANTED THE SEED AND SAID WE THINK THE SHOW COULD GO
TO BROADWAY.
THEN SILENCE.
I ASKED, WELL, WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?
CAN I MEET THEM?
>> Stephen: WERE THESE JUST VOICES IN THE NIGHT?
( LAUGHTER ) PUT YOUR EAR TO A COCONUT SHELL
AND HEARD, BROADWAY, BROADWAY!
YES?
>> I KEPT THINKING ABOUT IT WHILE WE WERE ON TOUR AND I
THOUGHT, WHAT DO YOU THINK, WHAT TUNING?
THEN EVENTUALLY I THOUGHT, NO, THIS IS REAL.
I THINK I COULD DO THIS.
>> Stephen: THE TOUR COMES TO YOU.
>> RIGHT, NOW THE AUDIENCE COMES TO ME.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR MIND MEAN
THIS SHOW OR ANY SHOW AS A TOUR AND DOING IT AS A BROADWAY SHOW?
EVEN THE FILM OF THIS, WHICH IS SO DYNAMIC, I REALLY ENJOYED
WATCHING THE FILM OF THIS.
THEN AGAIN, STOP MAKING SENSE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
DOCUMENTARIES OF ALL TIME.
HOW ARE THEY SIMILAR AND DIFFERENT?
>> WELL, WITH A CONCERT, FOR US AT LEAST -- LUCKY FOR US -- THE
AUDIENCE IS USUALLY UP AND DANCING BY THE THIRD SONG OR SO,
AND THEN THEY'RE JUST, LIKE, HAVING A GREAT TIME.
I CAN'T STOP AND TALK BECAUSE IF I DID, THEY WOULD BE, LIKE, JUST
KEEP -- KEEP THE MUSIC COMING.
>> Stephen: SURE.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE DO.
WE TALK A LITTLE BIT BUT NOT MUCH.
ON BROADWAY, YOU REALIZE, NO, YOU HAVE TO KIND OF EASE THEM
INTO IT.
THEY'VE GOT SOME REALLY COMFY SEATS.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
AND THEY WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS YOU'RE ABOUT AND WHAT
IS YOU ARE DOING AND ARE YOU TELLING A STORY HERE.
THEY'RE REALLY PAYING ATTENTION BUT THEY DON'T GET UP AND DANCE
RIGHT AWAY.
THEY DO EVENTUALLY BUT NOT RIGHT AWAY.
SO WE HAD TO GET USED TO IT BEING, OKAY, THEIR HEADS ARE
NODDING, THEY LIKE IT.
>> Stephen: WELL, WHILE BROADWAY WAS CLOSED AND COVID
WAS HAPPENING, YOU RETURNED TO AN EARLIER LOVE OF YOURS, WHICH
IS DRAWING HERE.
>> Y E, I DID.
>> Stephen: AND I WANT TO HOLD UP A COUPLE OF THE DRAWINGS, AND
YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT THEY'RE CALLED.
YOU KNOW THESE NAMES IF I -- >> NO, BUT I CAN READ.
>> Stephen: SURE.
HERE'S ONE.
IT SAYS RIGHT ON THE BACK.
>> OH, IT SAYS RIGHT ON THE BACK.
BIG.
OH, "WHAT LIES BENEATH."
OH, NOW IT MAKES SENSE, RIGHT?
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: THIS ONE HERE, I
LIKE THIS ONE A LOT.
>> THIS ONE IS CALLED "LIVIN' IN MY HEAD."
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: THAT KIND OF LOOKS
LIKE YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT DIDN'T WE ALL FOR A WHILE
THERE?
>> Stephen: KIND OF, YEAH.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THIS IS A FAN
FAVORITE.
GO AHEAD.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THESE KIND OF THINGS HAPPENED DURING THE
PANDEMIC WHEN WE WERE ALL LOCKED INTO HOME AND THIS ONE'S CALLED
"THERE'S A PIMPLE ON MY ASS."
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: READY FOR HIGHLIGHTS MAGAZINE.
( LAUGHTER ) AND YOU'RE GOING TO DO A SONG
FOR US TONIGHT.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT ARE YOU PERFORMING FOR TONIGHT?
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT?
>> YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO DO AN OLD SONG CALLED "I ZIMBRA."
I WE CONTEXTUALIZE IT BUT TELLING A STORY AND
REINTRODUCING IT IN A WAY.
THE WORDS ARE COMPLETELY NONSENSICAL.
>> Stephen: AS YOU SAID BEFORE, AT A CONCERT OF YOUR
MUSIC, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP FROM DANCING, IN MY
OPINION.
I HAVE HURT MY BACK, AS I HAVE SAID AT THE TOP.
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME SAY THAT.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE FAMOUS FOR YOUR NONTRADITIONAL DANCE MOVES.
AND I'M CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOMEONE WHO
CANNOT MOVE THEIR ARMS MUCH AND WHOSE HEAD AND TORSO HAVE TO
STAY TOGETHER WHEN THEY MOVE.
>> CAN YOU STAND UP?
>> Stephen: I CAN STAND UP.
HERE'S ONE.
JON, CAN WE HAVE JUST A LITTLE GROOVE?
( GROOVE BEAT ) >> THIS IS CALLED POLISH THE
PLATES.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
THAT'S GOOD, I CAN DO THAT.
>> YOU CAN SEE WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM.
( CHEERING ) HERE'S ANOTHER ONE.
ANYBODY CAN DO THIS.
STOP THE TRAFFIC.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
AND GO TO THE OTHER SIDE!
LET THAT OLD LADY CROSS THE STREET!
DON'T G LET THAT KID GET HIT!
♪♪ ( AUDIENCE CLAPPING IN TIME )
>> Stephen: STICK AROUND FOR A PERFORMANCE BY "AMERICAN UTOPIA"
BY DAVID BYRNE AND THE THE CAST OF "AMERICAN UTOPIA"!
DAVID BYRNE, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪