Devendra Banhart @ The Queen Elizabeth Theater

November 30th, 2009

Many of you may know Devendra Banhart as that tall hairy guy with a beard who dated Natalie Portman for a while. You might even recognize him from Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. I know him as the psychedelic folkster who put on a lovely, stunning, and fun show Friday night at Toronto’s Queen Elizabeth theater.

Devendra and his band The Grogs (pirate talk for rum) hopped onto the stage with no opening act, but that was no problem as they quickly warmed us up with Long Haired Child (you did grown up to be a long haired child Devendra) and Baby (his first single off of his new album What Will Be)! Even though the venue is seated everyone cozyied up together and squished up to the front to dance and sway.

What is different and interesting about Devendra isn’t just his crazy hair, but also is unique and interesting songwriting. For example, Little Yellow Spider lyrics include:

And hey there little sexy pig, you’ve made it with a man
And now you’re got a little kid with hooves instead of hands

He’ll sing songs in the point of view of a rat. During the show he explained how his song Maria Lionza is about a guy who’s in a rut, calls upon the goddess Maria, and then has a cathartic experience that as soon as it’s over he forgets. Okay when Devendra explained it it made more sense but you get what I mean. He’s storytelling and banter between each song was nearly as good as the music itself, as he told us of an old man on a cruise toasting “To everything everywhere”.

The rest of the night after the jump!

The show was a giant well stirred mix. Devendra played old favorites from past albums such as Lover, and Little Yellow Spider and new songs from What Will Be like Angelika and Foolin’. The night not only showcased Devendra covering Johnny Thunders and Simon & Garfunkel, but showcased his band as well. After Banhart introduced his band mates as the best songwriters he knows, he invited them to each play one of their own songs from their own bands. A definite highlight was when guitarist Rodrigo Amarante (who for most of the show wore a pirate hat, offered up by an audience member) played No One’s Better Sake, a song he wrote for his band Little Joy. Oh and Strokes fans? Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti is also in Little Joy, and they’re kinda great. It was nice, not knowing what would come next!

The show ended with the less folky more rocky Rats, but the crowd cheered and screamed for more. Devendra came back onstage for the encore shirtless and began to shimmy and dance to his last two songs, Chinese Children (adding in Toronto lyrics) and long time favorite I Feel Just Like A Child.

If you want to try something folky, kooky, and thoughtfully fun? Give Devendra Banhart a listen and don’t miss him live. It truly is a sight to behold.