art/official: Devendra, Devendra!

photo by: Joshua Brasted

Us folks here in New Orleans were lucky enough last night to spend an evening with Devendra Banhart and his lovely band the Grogs. The band stopped in to perform at the House of Blues before making their way to Texas, where they will play several more shows before ending their North American tour on Sunday at Austin City Limits. Despite his fancy new record deal with Warner Bros., who released his latest studio album, What Will We Be, about this time last year, Devendra is still the fun folk freak I’ve been dying to see for years.

Banhart received a warm welcome when he made his first appearance on stage looking somewhat austere in a plaid shirt, tie, leather jacket, and glasses. The band opened with an older favorite, “Long Haired Child,” and then played what I believe to be one of the better tracks on the newest album, “Baby.”

The crowd got some personal time with Devendra about half way through the set when the supporting members of the band retired back stage so that he could play several songs alone. The first solo track performed was “Little Yellow Spider,” one of Devendra’s many venerations to both animals and nature. Before the bands reemergence from back stage Banhart played one of my all time personal favorites, “The Body Breaks,” and I can’t help but noting here that this beautiful piece was the high light of the entire evening for me, because I had successfully requested it from the crowd; admit it people, we all love when that happens…

Other high points of the show included forceful performances of both “Seahorse,” from Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, and “Rats,” an anthem particularly reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, from the latest album What Will We Be. The final high light of the show came, of course, with the encore when Banhart and company played a song I’m sure everyone had been waiting to hear all night: “I Feel Just Like a Child.”

Following the show Devendra left plenty of time to meet and talk with fans and he’s just as nice as anyone could ever imagine him. I was lucky enough later to spend a bit of time with two of Banharts band mates, Noah Georgeson, who produced two of Devendra’s previous albums, and who has one of his own entitled Find Shelter, and Gregory Rogove, Devendra’s collaborator in the 2008 album Surfing, released under the moniker Megapuss. These were two of the nicest and humble musicians I could’ve hoped to spend time with. When asked about their experience performing last night, they had only one complaint: that the crowd seemed a bit awkward at times. Now, before anyone gets upset, we can take a bit of constructive criticism New Orleans. Let us always remember our southern hospitality when bands this talented and personable visit our wonderful city.

If there are any of you out there afraid that just because he cut all his hair off and stood up straight that he isn’t the same eccentric he was, let me be the first to quell those doubts; he’s just as freaky as ever and it sounds oh so good.

If you don’t believe me, see for yourself: