Can you remember the last time you heard something unlike anything you had ever heard before? For me it was in an amazing little record store in downtown Chicago. I walked in and heard what I thought was an amalgam of Beck (think Sea Change) and The Flaming Lips (think acid). I had to know who this was, so I walked over to the counter and looked at the album cover.
I picked up the CD case and saw an organic, earth tone, modern day version of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” with birds and trees replacing Marilyn Monroe and Fred Astaire. Who was this amazing person that seemed to encapsulate everything I loved about music? The artist was Devendra Banhart and the album, “Cripple Crow”.
Devendra Obi (yes, that is a “Star Wars” reference) Banhart was born in Texas in 1981, but was raised in Venezuela by his mother. After returning to the United States as a teenager, Banhart quickly began playing music in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
In 1998 Devendra began attending the San Francisco Art Institute on a full ride scholarship.
But, Devendra began to skip class and focus more on personal projects. By 2000 Banhart had dropped out of school and began playing music full time. After a summer of playing coffee houses in Paris, Devendra returned to California where he was discovered by an indie label called Young God Records.
Devendra has lived a very unique life, living in at least four different countries before the age of 20 including a brief stint in San Francisco’s The Castro. Banhart’s myriad of cultural experiences have shaped his musical style into something completely distinctive. In fact, Devendra’s music is so unique that critics have had to make up new words and genres in attempts to describe his sound (examples range from: Freak Folk or Acid Folk to New Weird America).
Interestingly enough, however, the most endearing thing about Banhart’s music for me is that, despite his experimentation and genre bending mentality, Devendra’s music is so beautiful and genuine that almost anyone can find something they like on almost any of his albums.
Since 2002 Banhart has released seven full-length records and 10 EPs and/or singles. Banhart’s most recent release, “What Will Be,” is his first on a major record label–Warner Bros. Consequently, “What Will Be” is proving to be Banhart’s most palatable release to date.
Furthermore, the most recent leg of Banhart’s tour kicked off on March 21 and will be stopping in Salt Lake on Monday March 29 at The Depot. The Depot is one of my favorite venues because it is so intimate and personal, only holding about 1,200 people. Unfortunately, you must be 21 to get in, but tickets are still available at around $20. The combination of Devendra’s spontaneous stage presence and The Depot’s intimate setting will surely prove to make an unforgettable evening. Make sure you don’t miss this amazing opportunity before Banhart outgrows such personal venues–I know I won’t.
