Color guard teams are a fairly obscure form of entertainment. They do halftime shows at high school and college sports events by rhythmically spinning large flags, prop rifles and sabers overhead, catching them gracefully while dancing. When the ever-creative musician David Byrne encountered their performances, he saw a kinetic, geometric folk art. To share that discovery, he enlisted 10 musicians to create and perform soundtracks to which North America's best color guard teams added spectacular stagecraft. The dazzling "Contemporary Color" (⋆⋆⋆½ out of four stars, rated PG-13 for brief strong language) captures the shows and the hard prep that created them. It's more than impressive gymnastics and good music. It's proof that different people from different worlds can collaborate and find common ground. The event gave the crowd at Barclays Center arena raptures and put the restrained Byrne in a giddy mood never before captured on film. Performers include pop star Nelly Furtado, indie icons like St. Vincent, Beastie Boys alum Adam Horovitz and Ira Glass, host of public radio's "This American Life." (Through March 30; St. Anthony Main, 115 SE. Main St., Mpls.)
Colin Covert
