On Sept. 11, a crowd of 45 took shelter from a thunderstorm in a Danbury AMC Theater. In their hands were tickets to Stop Making Sense, Talking Heads’ newly restored 1984 concert film released by A24.

Presented in 4K, the hour-and-a-half show was filmed over four nights in December 1983 at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. At the time, the band’s latest release was Speaking in Tongues (which featured the top-ten hit “Burning Down the House” and the classic “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)”).

Director Jonathan Demme captured the unique (if such a word is not an understatement) spirit of Talking Heads’ performance style in a simple yet effective style. He keeps the focus on the band, bringing the cameras up onto the stage right next to the performers sweating under blazing stage lights.

From the opening song, “Psycho Killer,” each song brings something new to the concert, whether it is introducing a member of the band or some other artistic element (including video screens, props or oversized costumes). “Psycho Killer” features David Byrne looking very Forrest Gump, an acoustic guitar and a cassette player on a stage with an unglamorous backdrop. No lights, platforms or anything to make the performance pop. Just one guy and a guitar, and the audience, both onscreen and in the theater, loved it.

Viewing the film in IMAX is an immersive experience that drops the audience into the middle of a display of artistic weirdness and high energy performances. The theater is surrounded by sounds of the music as well as the concert audience cheering the band on. No doubt this fueled our desires to dance.

Audience members treated the film as a live concert. Plenty of them were dancing in the aisles or grooving along in their seats. If anyone sang along, they at least kept their voices quiet.

Talking Heads themselves were as entertaining and fun as their music. Byrne’s choreography, both for himself and his fellow band members, is skillful and hilarious to watch. The theater audience clapped when he came on in an oversized suit, complete with exaggerated shoulders. Their setlist takes audiences on a musical journey from their early hits to their then-current hits. Near the end of the film, Tom Tom Club, a new wave, side project started by Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, was given time to perform their hit song, “Genius of Love.”

The band was joined by an equally talented backing group. Guitarist Alex Weir basks in being onstage, and his smile throughout is evident, even as the sweat shines on his skin from how hard he is playing. Backing vocalists Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt add power to songs like “Once in a Lifetime” and “Life During Wartime.” Bernie Worrell, of Parliament-Funkadelic fame, joins Jerry Harrison on keyboards, and the two blend together smoothly, neither one outshining them other. Despite being stuck in the back on platforms, their spotlight moments are not ignored by the film.

What made this particular date the night to check out the show was the live Q&A, which was broadcast from the Toronto International Film Festival. This was promoted by several magazines as Talking Heads’ first reunion in 20 years, and many of them were quick to play into connotations of ‘reunion’ and ‘tour.’ Nothing regarding a tour or reunion show was announced or hinted at, so no need to get anxious.

Before the film began, a QR code was shown onscreen that allowed audience members to send in questions to possibly be answered by the band. Only one question was allowed per person, meaning that the pressure was on to make it a good one.

Most of the 27-minute session was host Spike Lee asking his own questions, mainly based on first reactions after seeing the film (e.g. the origins of Byrne’s giant suit, adapting a 1983 film for 2023 technology, and the band’s favorite performances).

Lee himself, a serviceable host, bounced back forth between wanting one person to answer and wanting all four of them to give their two cents. He seemed a bit awkward, though it was evident that he was excited for the chance to speak with the band. That, combined with his by-the-numbers questions, made the interview seem a bit stilted to watch.

The last 7 and a half minutes were dedicated to the questions sent in by moviegoers watching from IMAX theaters across the country. Although a bit rushed, fan questions seemed thought-out and spanning different areas of music and music production, including the band’s legacy and impact on future generations, the filming of the concert itself, and capturing the essence of a live show in an album. That question was asked by one of the audience members in Danbury. Congratulations, Ed!

Stop Making Sense will see an IMAX-exclusive release on Sept. 22 before being re-released everywhere else on Sept. 29.