Big suit. Lead singer David Byrne serenading a lamp. When most people think about STOP MAKING SENSE – the legendary Talking Heads concert film directed by Jonathan Demme – these are the things they’re bound to remember most. The film has been making the rounds lately in honor of its 30th anniversary, and this weekend it finally lands at the Brattle Theatre as part of the Reel Music Film Festival. At first glance, Demme and the band seem like strange bedfellows, but it works (according to Byrne in this equally classic, off-the-wall interview done to promote the film back in ‘84) because Demme knew exactly what not to do. As an outsider, he’s able to dilute some of the more avant-garde elements on stage, but his detachment is never clinical. In fact, this is Talking Heads at their most audience accessible. Byrne is a force unlike anything else here, but the rest of the band – from bassist Tina Weymouth to drummer Chris Frantz, and guitarist/keyboardist Jerry Harrison – are in top form. You don’t need to be a Talking Heads fan to appreciate how much STOP MAKING SENSE pulsates with sheer joy and exuberance, but it helps. When I saw this for the first time back in September at the Coolidge Theatre, the energy was so palpable it spilled over to the aisles, as audience members danced along to classics like “This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)” and “Once in a Lifetime.” The iconic big suit doesn’t actually make an appearance until “Girlfriend is Better,” but by then, chances are you’ll be too busy dancing to notice.

STOP MAKING SENSE (1984) DIR. JONATHAN DEMME
11/17, 10pm
$8/$10 GA

Brattle Theatre
40 Brattle St.
Cambridge, MA 02138