Talking Heads reunites on stage after 21 years for restored Stop Making Sense film

New wave legends Talking Heads reunited onstage for the first time in 21 years on September 11. David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison did a Q&A celebrating the 40th anniversary of their legendary concert film, Stop Making Sense.

Moderated by filmmaker Spike Lee, the Q&A took place at the Toronto International Film Festival following a screening of Stop Making Sense.

Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme, is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of the form, a joyous documentation (and celebration) of the Talking Heads’ 1983 tour in support of their “Speaking in Tongues” album.

“It’s so good to be here tonight with my bandmates,” said Frantz, according to the Los Angeles Times. “It’s been a long time.” The newspaper reports that all four members sat in separate rows to watch the screening, but claimed that “no tensions were on display“.

Despite earlier speculation, the Talking Heads did not perform acoustically or mention their tumultuous break-up. Instead, they spoke mainly about Stop Making Sense, which Lee described as “the greatest concert film ever made“.