David Byrne Goes to Graceland

And beyond. Last month David Byrne and his daughter Malu spent a week driving from New York to Los Angeles, a road trip he chronicled with terrific detail and insight on his Web site. The former Talking Heads leader slept at Holiday Inns and Best Westerns, stayed at Dollywood until it closed for the night, digressed about ads for plastic surgeons in a Tennessee tabloid, ate Texas steak and made a pilgrimage to Graceland to visit another musician known for his eccentric choice in suits.

Following the mansion tour are exhibits of Elvis’ cars (a pink convertible Willys Jeep!), and the many, many jumpsuits worn by the King during his 4th act. (The first act was the rocker, the second, the Army enlistee, the third, the movie star, and the fourth, a return to the stage, mainly in Vegas.) These jumpsuits, like the décor in the house, were created in collaboration—in this case with a tailor/designer, and were wholly original in my opinion. They combine Elvis’ love of Karate, Afro-American couture (the Temptations and Jackson 5 were wearing jumpsuits in the early 70s, most hippie rockers were not) with a touch of…Liberace.

Byrne put together a playlist of songs that mention the states and cities he and Malu traveled through. I’m listening to it right now via Byrne’s station on iTunes. No surprise, it’s an eclectic mix. Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again” with Eminem’s “Say Goodbye Hollywood” with Isaac Hayes’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and more.

Good stuff. (Via Pop Candy)

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