3/25/10

Solana Beach, CA

At one point early in the night, Devendra Banhart announced that he and the Grogs would only be playing Carlos Santana collaborations with Rob Thomas in acapella-spoken word form. While that would have been an entertaining feat in itself, Banhart and company thankfully opted to melt faces for the better part of two hours.

Call it freak folk. Call it experimental. Call it psychedelic ball-trippery. Whatever your preferred nomenclature, Devendra Banhart has created something truly his own. The epic, extended canvas of “Seahorse” showed him at his freewheeling finest. With so many peaks and valleys over the course of just one track, it is impossible to pigeonhole Banhart. What Will We Be tracks figured prominently in the set list. “Angelika” and “Foolin” took on lives of their own through Banhart and the Grogs’ improvisation. The laid back “Baby,” which easily boasts one of the five best music videos ever set inside of an intergalactic asshole, was an early favorite as the crowd filed in.

The acoustic version of “Little Yellow Spider” was a welcome addition as was his beautiful crooning on “A Sight To Behold.” The band’s infectious energy snowballed through the set and just when it reached its apex, the humble Banhart asked the crowd if any of them had recently written a song which they had never performed in front of an audience. The first hand in the air meeting the criteria was invited on stage for an impromptu performance on Devendra’s electric guitar. The audience member, who hails from Kera and the Lesbians, picked up the ball of energy and ran with it to the delight of the sold out crowd. This was a special moment that one rarely gets to see at a live show. Kudos to Devendra for the generosity and genuine desire to promote up and coming musicians. …MORE