Put Me in Your Blue Skies, Or Put Me in Your Grey

On a terribly rainy evening in Dublin last Friday 29th July, I traipsed across the city with a friend in tow and my heart all a-flutter in anticipation for the gig by Devendra Banhart in the Village. Though i know several songs by Devendra, i don't own any of his records. Yet. So i felt that going to see him live was special for me. Even though i only knew a select few tunes, they are enough for me to know that Devendra Banhart is something special, and definitely worth checking out when the chance arises to see him live.

When we arrived there was a huddling crowd outside the entrance, smoking, and also a queue for tickets. Squelching past everyone and heading inside, I hadn't expected the crowd to be so big, I was excited to see that so many people had come to see Devendra play. My expectations of the gig were that it would be quiet, i imagined that Devenrda would be by himself, just him and his guitar, gently serenading a contemplative crowd from the dimly lit stage. Well, it wasn't exactly like that. When several hairy men walked onstage and the crowd let out a joyous roar, I realised we were going to get a whole band experience- drummer, 3 guitarists and keyboards (i think) and that this crowd was good and rowdy. Devendra said hello and introduced himself and his band as "Hairy Fairy". The boys are all very hairy indeed, with their beards, moustaches and luscious long hair. One of the guitarist boys and the drummer were a little less hairy than the others, and took turns wearing a fake beard.
hee hee.

Devendra is totally gorgeous. He sort of looks like Jesus - he's tall, with shoulder length mad curly shiny brown hair and a nice beard. He also looks like a pirate, with his beard and hoopy earrings. However, the similarity (sort of) ends there, with his skinny frame, thrift store threads and child-like eagerness and enthusiasm, Devendra is really a wonder to watch perform. His unique voice and unforgettable lyrics made for a really enjoyable show for everybody there. In the crowd there was alot of smiling, laughing, clapping, singing along and hollering requests at the stage. Devendra and his Hairy Fairies played several songs from his new album 'Cripple Crow', due for release in September which has a very generous 22 songs. There were many stomping, jingly jangly tunes played that night. A good mix of the old, like "Will is My Friend" and "Little Yellow Spider" from Devendra's previous albums Rejoicing in the Hands, and Nino Rojo and the new, like "I feel like a Child", "Long Haired Child" and some Spanish songs, all featuring on "Cripple Crow". Devendra grew up in Venezuela, speaking Spanish as his first language. His artistic creativity as an artist shines through in the beautiful Spanish songs on the new album which Devendra played for us that night. They went down really well, and that new record will do very well i imagine. When he played "At the Hop" everybody sang/shouted along, "Cook me in your breakfast, and put me on your plate, cos you know I taste great". I have to say my favourite song from the set list that night was the one about the transgendered schizophrenic. A masterpiece.

A nice moment of the evening was when Devendra asked if there was anyone in the crowd who had written a song lately that they would like to share. A lucky young man was picked to go up onstage and he sang a song about being a stalker. It was a really great song, he wasn't a bit nervous and the Hairy Fairies even stayed onstage while he played, bopping along. Devendra sang along to the chorus from the wings and the drummer provided some gentle percussion.

i wouldn't do Devendra the injustice of posting up any of the photographs i captured that night with my camera phone. (em, i don't know how to anyway..) i can make out the big hair, but that's about it. so i hope you enjoy this other image of him that i stole. (see the hoopy earring?!!)

Picturing Devendra doing his out of sync shimmy onstage, with his band
all around him, singing and playing their hearts out, i can't help but have a big smile. It was one very special evening for all those lucky enough to be there that night. The band were really great and worked really well together with their pirate captain. Though it didn't seem like work at all. It was like magic.