low expectations rule or why i like devendra banhart

It was a mostly typical drive across the state though the traffic was more manageable and Peter was a little more anxious than usual. At the last minute he agreed to pick up the infamous Joe-who-has-been-in-the-Ukraine-and-is-most-recently-a-resident-of-Boston-where-he-works-part-time-as-a-flight-attendant which put our already cutting it close plan into high gear. The doors opened at 8pm. We waltzed in at 9:15. Devendra didn't hit the stage until about 10:30pm.

I was expecting a train wreck of a show. A big mess of a thing orchestrated by a drunken lunatic who may or may not pull off some bizarre character he feels like creating at that instant.

He sat down on a library chair up on platform center stage (surrounded by 3 other guitarists, behind him a drummer and next to the drummer a keyboard player?), announced they would be playing new stuff, and launched into some really lovely quiet songs (see Peter's flickr account for a blurry shot of the playlist someone ripped off the stage). Sentimental and romantic-y and beautiful lyrics.

This was not the feather Vegas-clad Devendra I was expecting.

After a bit he did his schtick where he goes into how he knows there are artists in the audience: culinary, visual, people who make their own clothes and how every one of these acts is subversive and political (which I'm not gonna lie, I totally dug on) but all he's got is a guitar and is there someone in the audience who wants to play a couple of tunes. Some girl was plucked out of the front. He handed her his guitar and walked off stage. This was actually the only trainwrecking I saw. She was nervous, of course, and the concept really is cool, but I didn't really need to hear her wail away about something for 2 songs.

He came back out (shirtless and a bit wild eyed) and rocked. out. Devendra Banhart rocked out. I can't believe after having listened to him halfheartedly for the past year or so that he was even capable of rocking out. He was. And in grand lunatic fashion he ended the show with "I feel just like a child" and invited everyone to come up on stage and dance about with him. I demurred, but Peter and Joe danced like the children they are.

All in all, I had a great time. I will be purchasing the new album on vinyl hopefully Tuesday (must remember to call Full Circle about that...) and would wholeheartedly recommend seeing him live. In fact, he's in Burlington, Vermont tonight at UVM and will be on Conan O'Brien Wednesday night so check that out if you can.

One small thing marred my experience. I seemed to be surrounded by groups of young male hipsters who insisted on deconstructing the show whilst it was going on. Boys? Please, I beg of you, shut up. Save it for the drive home. Save it for your blog. Save it for those social situations you will undoubtedly find yourself in where you're in a room full of even more hipsterish hipsters than yourself and are feeling a insecure. Strangers around you do not care what you think of every single song choice, of every single line, of every other show you've ever been to that was better than the one you're currently not enjoying.

This public service announcement was brought to you by people who are crazy enough to drive 4 hours one way to see a guy no one has ever heard of.

Thank you!