Devndra Banhart | UVM Davis Center | Sep 23

I missed the Devendra Banhart show at the brand spanking new Davis Center at UVM on Sunday night because I was wiped out after a weekend away with my wife in Quebec City (more on that later). However, Brent Hallenbeck had a review in today's Burlington Free Press where he discussed the new venue and Devendra's performance.

Regarding the Grand Maple Ballroom in the Davis Center:

...as I walked in, and I was struck right away by the Ballroom's high ceilings and massive windows -- one group on the side that let in the street light from the east side of the campus, and the piece de resistance behind the stage, a giant half-oval crisscrossed by thick beams that provides all the dramatic backdrop a band could ask for.

...That high ceiling is supported by graceful wooden trusses and decorated with seven spaceship-like lighting fixtures. There are a couple of floor-to-ceiling posts, but unlike those in UVM's old Billings Student Center, they're off to the side and don't obstruct your view.

Sounds nice. Hopefully, they'll start booking shows there regularly. I'm eager to check it out.

Regarding Banhart:

...Much like the Ballroom, though, Banhart won me over quickly. He and his five backing musicians started out with the side of Banhart that's more folk than freak, with calm music filled out with touches of Western twang and Latin guitar (the Texas-born Banhart lived in Venezuela before relocating to California).

...Banhart is a rare hybrid of cooler-than-thou indie-rocker and drifting-into-the-stratosphere hippie. He has a strange charisma with his Jesus-meets-John-Lennon appearance and relaxed, intellectual party-guy persona. He's the thinking-man's stoner. Sometimes you wonder if he's being weird for weird's sake until you realize, no, he's just weird. But engagingly so.

Quebec City was great but it sounds like I missed another quality show.

Regarding some seating problems:

The first flaw with the Ballroom became apparent almost right away when a guy in the crowd bellowed an obscenity about the seating arrangement and stormed out with his date. People near the stage were standing, completely blocking the view of those sitting in the seats.

OK. This rant isn't directed at Hallenbeck because he was just reporting what transpired. However, I run into this problem at soccer games too and it drives me up a friggin' wall.

Don't go to a rock concert and expect to be able to sit on your ass and see everything. If you want to sit down, go ahead and relax. However, don't get upset if other fans between you and the stage chose to stand. The common behavior at concerts and soccer matches is for fans to stand and participate in the exchange of energy between the performers and the crowd. Choosing to sit down and play a passive role is unusual behavior and you shouldn't expect others to cowtow to your abnormal wishes. Just sit down and shut up. Or stand and be part of the action. Most of all, don't throw a fit that disrupts others enjoyment of the event. End of rant.

The photo is from the previous night's show and is courtesy of heynowstfu (appropriate name for my rant).