January 21, 2015 - 9:53 AM
TORONTO - A multi-disciplinary colour guard event masterminded by David Byrne will debut in Toronto during the Luminato Festival.
Boasting appearances from stars including Nelly Furtado, Kelis and St. Vincent, Byrne's "Contemporary Color" will have its world premiere at the Air Canada Centre on June 22 and 23.
The production will pair 10 high school colour guard — or flag-spinning — teams with an array of artists.
In addition to the former Talking Heads frontman himself, Tune-Yards' Merrill Garbus, Dev Hynes and How to Dress Well are among the artists who will participate.
A form of competition found in schools around North America, colour guard finds teams of 20 to 40 people performing acrobatic routines to music with props including flags, rifles and sabres.
Tickets for the event begin at $39 and go on sale Jan. 23.
Byrne says he discovered colour guard after a high school team asked to use his music back in 2008.
"I was stunned at what I was seeing," Byrne said in a statement.
"And being a musician, I naturally wondered to myself: what if these performances had really great live music? Wouldn't that lift it to another level?"
News from © The Canadian Press, 2015