Originally premiered on the Bonnaroo Virtual Roo-ality, Turkuaz played a set of Remain in Light alongside two Talking Heads members, Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew. Although the album came out in 1980, the legacy of the band and passion of the existing band members continues to carry on well into 2021.
Based in Brooklyn, Turkuaz is a band of nine members that strive to combine and perfectly balance harmonies of powerful voices, a variety of instrumentals, and an intense consonance incorporating elements from multiple genres.
Remain in Light and Talking Heads have been part of the soundtrack of our lives, and a huge inspiration to us as a band since day one. It was definitely unlike anything I had ever seen and is still unlike anything I have ever seen. It was right about the time we were starting this band. We wanted to cover their material as much as we could so we could get inside the arrangements and figure out what was going on—what made it feel that way and sound that way.
Dave Brandwein [ Turkuaz’s guitar/vocalist] on the collaboration with Talking Heads
Originally set to tour alongside Harrison and Belew in the summer of 2020, COVID-19 unfortunately interrupted their plans and derailed live music for the foreseeable future. Turkuaz’s “Ophidiophobia” had garnered a lot of excitement, having yet to be performed live, so it was added alongside the Remain in Light tour. As live concerts seem unlikely anytime soon and the band was itching to perform, Bonnaroo Virtual Roo-Ality offered them a chance to perform several setlists together to an adoring virtual audience.
The setlist consisted of “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads, “Houses in Motion” by Talking Heads, “Ophidiophobia” by Turkuaz, followed by the final “Crosseyed and Painless” by Talking Heads. The chemistry between the band and Talking Heads members is evident in their performance and how perfectly they bounce off of each other’s vibe.
What a joy it is to be playing music with Adrian Belew again. Having recently produced music for Turkuaz, it was like I was introducing close friends who had never met. We all left the rehearsal very excited.
Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads on performing alongside the band
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