Ünnecessary Ümlaut

A night of many firsts … My first time at the historic Mystic. My first Devendra show. Plus, a setlist crammed with a ton of songs performed live for the very first time. Including an impromptu first by an audience member.

Here’s pics from my crappy camera …

Mel and I ran into Ryan, Van & Cambria from Port O’Brien.

No they didn’t open for Devendra. Yes they’re a lot happier looking in person. If you haven’t picked up All We Could Do Was Sing, snag it now from their site. They may even have a new 7″ coming out. Simply wonderful. Below’s the tune that started me on ‘em. The perfect gateway drug into the rest of their stuff.

Port O’Brien “I Woke Up Today”

I was completely, pleasantly surprised at how fun this show was. It began how I expected: Solo Devendra doing the sparse, quivering, freak-folky stuff I like, but wasn’t ready for an entire evening of … it quickly blossomed as band members, one by one, joined the fold (starting with the bedazzled, tunic-wearing drummer).

The band had fun breaking in the new tunes. The show felt like one big party.

With all the “firsts” performed, Devendra turned to the audience and asked, “Anyone else have a song they’ve never performed before?”

From the few hands that went up he chose the girl pictured above, Yolanda. She came up for the show from Phoenix. I guess she performs under the name “Snow Songs“. Her voice was good. Her wit was even better—working in an apt reference to that Britain’s Got Talent Opera Singer on the spot. Well done.

They played a lot of his Spanish tunes, which made the Venezuelan-flag-carrying fans go apeshit. Apparently, Devendra spent 10+ yrs of his childhood there.

Devendra Banhart “Carmensita” from Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon

Walking home from the Mystic, I had to stop by my favorite fountain in Petaluma. Perhaps all the world.

This thing’s got layers … a drinking message on a drinking fountain, the play between “erected” and “abstinence”. Gold!

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