A few years ago I saw David Byrne and St. Vincent in concert and it was a.) a blessed dream and b.) probably the closest I will ever get to see the Talking Heads live. But! Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, and Bill Hader have united to form Test Pattern, a parodic homage to the Heads, and they are kick ass.
As Vulture reports, Armisen, Rudolph, and Hader performed at Tenacious D’s Festival Supreme on Saturday night in Los Angeles. A glorious product of their IFC show, Documentary Now!, Armisen and Hader are the core members of the group — but let’s cross our fingers that they convince Rudolph to join too.
Now, you may find yourself wondering whether Test Pattern is legit (and maybe also living in a shotgun shack — how am I to know?). Reader, they are.
While Test Pattern may be, at base, fun and games, they are the real fucking deal. They’re performing their own material meticulously based on the Talking Heads’ sound, and have already released a well-received album. “I’m Alert,” which you can hear in the video below, is kooky and delightful. And as you see, Armisen is donning Byrne’s iconic suit from Stop Making Sense.
Now, I respect the logic of the parody band. Like Weird Al, the characters comprising Test Pattern don’t “know” that they’re imitating anyone. To actually cover Talking Heads songs would thus muddle the joke. Nonetheless, I would like to place an order for covers of both “Psycho Killer” and “And She Was.” Certain classics simply demand exceptions.