Devendra Banhart
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! " ROCKTOBER 2019 ! g VOL. 31 #9 + WOWHALL.ORG" and haphazard. As a boy in Caracas, says loso and David Byrne, with whom he shared Museum in Washington, DC. Banhart, “I was surrounded by salsa, meren- a stage at Carnegie Hall, Banhart has em- For Banhart, his career remains, “an ad- gue, cumbia, some bossa nova —that was braced an astonishingly wide range of musi- venture and an exploration. DEVENDRA ubiquitous; you’d hear it on any street.” In cal ideas, from folk to blues to the avant Rogov (aka Gregory Rogove) currently high school, he became obsessed with rock- garde. He has collaborated with Brazilian drums in Devendra Banhart’s band, and in steady, bluebeat and ska, which he’d learned legends Os Mutantes, the Swans, Antony and the past he’s made music as Priestbird, about via skateboarding videos. the Johnsons, and Beck, among others, and Megapuss (with Banhart and The Strokes’ BANHART Finishing high school, Devendra thought has engaged in art projects like conceptual- Fab Moretti), and collaborating with a ton On Sunday, October 20, the Community he would pursue a visual arts career. He ist Doug Aitken’s monumental 2012 Song 1 of other cool people. But his solo stuff is Center for the Performing Arts and KLCC enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute, video installation on currently a hot topic. proudly welcomes Devendra Banhart to the but he soon dropped out in favor the façade of the The video for “Sunrise Sunset” -- a spec- WOW Hall along with special guest Rogov. of exploring music. He has, H i r s c h h o r n tral, slip of a song— features visual accom- Devendra Banhart has partnered with PLUS1 however, successfully main- paniment from one of Rogov’s favorite art- so that $1 from every ticket sold will go to tained a parallel career ists, Elena Stonaker, whose work, he World Central Kitchen’s effort to provide as a painter: Ban- feels, embodies the ideas in “Sunrise hot, nutritious meals to Venezuelan refugees. hart’s distinctive, Sunset”: “Equal parts light and Banhart emerged seemingly out of no- minutely inked, dark, innocent and wise, chaotic where in 2002 with his first CD collection, often enigmatic a n d ordered.” Oh Me Oh My…The Way the Day Goes drawings have “ As for the song itself, By the Sun Is Setting Dogs Are Dreaming a p p e a r e d Rogov offers: “It seems Lovesongs of the Christmas Spirit, compiled in galleries timely to put this out as by Swans’ frontman Michael Gira for his all over the the current cultural and Young God label from homemade record- world. He political landscape is ings the itinerant Banhart had amassed as he has created particularly grim. I hope it traveled the world. He was born Devendra the cover art serves as a salve and tiny Obi Banhart in Houston, Texas, but spent for most of motor for moving forward. his childhood in Caracas, Venezuela; as a his records, These are turbulent times. But teenager, his family returned to the States, and in 2010 now that all the detritus has relocating in Southern California, where he his artwork risen to the surface, what better soon became enamored of skateboard cul- and packag- t i m e than now to skim it off ture. His song “Ballad of Keenan Milton” ing for What the top?” is in fact a homage to the legendary skate- Will We Be was Tickets are $21 in boarder, who died tragically in 2001 in a nominated for a advance, $26 day of freak accident. Grammy. show. Doors open Music was always a passion for Banhart, Like Nonesuch la- at 8:00 pm and show- and he discovered it in ways both magical bel-mates Caetano Ve- time is 8:30. + ! " Katelyn reveals. “We have several men in our lives who have INSIDE THIS ISSUE been such positive forces. We wanted to thank them and honor WITCH P2 + COM TRUISE P2 + KISHI BASHI P3 the good guys who showed us the beauty in this crazy world we live in… and to them, we are grateful.” DISCO DEAD P3 + COMMON KINGS P4 Laurie agrees, “It’s also an acknowledgment of our thankful- ness of the good life that we get to live.” P4 CASCADIA WILDLANDS BENEFIT Over the course of three full-length releases and a handful of KIKAGAKU MOYO P5 + AREA 541 P5 EPs since 2008, Shook Twins have been acclaimed by everyone from USA Today and Baeble Music to Langhorne Slim, The TOUR HEADS CARAVAN/ALMOND BUTTERS BAND P6 Lumineers, Mason Jennings, and iconic best-selling author Neil THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE P6 + SKIZZY MARS P7 Gaiman. Beyond gigs with Gregory Alan Isakov and Ani DiFranco, they have captivated crowds at Oregon Country Fair, KOCF HALLOWEEN HULLABALOO P7 High Sierra Music Festival, Lightning In A Bottle, Bumbershoot, Hulaween, Summer Camp Music Festival, and Northwest String Summit, to name a few. Currently, the twins work with a full band — Barra Brown [drums], Sydney Nash [bass] and Niko Slice [guitar, mandolin]. “These amazing players helped us realize that we could be more than just ‘folk pop’. We started adding other genres to the PAID word like ‘disco,’ ‘psychedelic,’ ‘funk,’ and ‘soul.’ We really U.S. Postage U.S. honed in on a new sound.” Permit No. 303 Eugene, OR Eugene, 97401 They initially teased that evolution with the single “Safe”. Its Nonprofit Organization Organization Nonprofit airy acoustic guitar and delicate harmonies materialize as a heartfelt and hypnotic rumination on love. The track quickly surpassed a million Spotify streams. In the end, Shook Twins do Some Good Lives justice by reaching new heights themselves as musicians, lyricists, artists, and women. “I hope people will hear this music as part of the soundtrack SHOOK TWINS to their lives,” Laurie leaves off. “I hope it makes them feel joy, relaxation, or makes them want to dance a little. I hope they’re DIRTY DANCING satisfied with the way we captured these songs.” And speaking of soundtracks, the soundtrack of Dirty On Sunday, November 3, WildCraft Cider Works and Dancing may never appear like this again. Plus it’s also your Eugenius Presents proudly welcome back Shook Twins along last chance to celebrate Halloween this year. It could be the with special guests Mama Magnolia. This show is a special Time of Your Life! Make the most of it. Halloween Tribute to the Soundtrack of Dirty Dancing. Shook Twins are on an (egg)roll! The sisters are releasing MAMA MAGNOLIA five singles over the next three months as they prepare for a Mama Magnolia live on “the soulful side of rock.” The forthcoming acoustic EP. They have been touring all year in Denver six-piece — Megan Letts [lead vocals, keys], Thomas support of the fourth album, Some Good Lives, but this month Jennings [guitar], Zachary Jackson [bass, vocals], Jackson they have something extra special for us – they have created a Hillmer [drums], Carrie McCune [trumpet, vocals] and Alex unique Tribute to the Soundtrack of Dirty Dancing. Cazet [saxophone] — would be just as at home in a New York Shook Twins are identical twin sisters Katelyn Shook [vocals, City jazz dive as they would be on forested festival grounds. Like guitar] and Laurie Shook [banjo, vocals]. On Some Good Lives a musical timewarp where Etta James fronted Lake Street Dive, RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Community Center for the the for Center Community Performing Arts West 8th 291 OR. 97401 Eugene, the duo pays homage to everyone from a late grandpa and god- they pepper this brew of soul and rock with boisterous horns, father to Bernie Sanders. jazzy flavor, gospel heart, classical resonances, and even a little “Even though our minds are mostly on the women of today,” hip-hop swagger. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 The Community Center for the WOW HALL NOTES Performing Arts is located in the Historic Woodmen of the World Hall (W.O.W. Hall), 291 W 8th, Eugene, Or 97401, (541)687-2746, [email protected], wowhall.org, Box office hours Mon-Fri Noon-6:00 PM. Printed monthly by Western Oregon Webpress, Circulation 3,200, General Support made possible by a grant from Lane Arts Council with support from City of Eugene Cultural Services Division, Copyright 2019 All rights reserved Notes Staff: Copy Editor & Advertising Representative - Bob Fennessy, Layout & Design - James Bateman CCPA Staff: Membership Coordinator & Publicist - Bob Fennessy, Programming Manager - Lori Hawley, Stage Manager - Justin Showker, Asst Stage Manager - Ed Kashin, Davis Koier, Robert Chappel, Office Manager - Danette Lamson, Bookkeeper - Melissa Swan, Volunteer Coordinator - Kaleah Bishop, House Manager - Blake Boxer Concessions Manager: Angela Lees; Concessions Staff: Marleena Pearson, Billy Ashe, Kambra Morris-Mitzner, Ronald Perko Custodian - Dave Diercks, Eric Herz, Lighting Director - Cody Owen, Volunteer Staff: Charles Peters, Poster Distribution - WOW Hall Poster Crew, CCPA Board of Directors: Chair: Robyn Kelly, Vice Chair: Mike DeLuise, Secretary: Kathleen Blair, Treasurer: Amy Sherwood, Members: Sam Harmon, Janelle Krinsky, Dan Nathan, John Henry Weber WITCH On Saturday, October 19, the this line-up mounts a mighty sonic sings and writes the group’s CCPA and U. of O. Campus tumult that harkens back to clas- supernatural-oriented lyrics, Radio 88.1 FM KWVA proudly sic heavy metal sound of early exploring the juxtapositions welcome Witch featuring Kyle 70’s outfits while still sounding between age and youth, the para- Thomas (King Tuff), J Mascis modern in it’s assault. dox of meeting yourself, and the (Dinosaur Jr), Dave Sweetapple The sophomore follow up dilemma of falling asleep on a (Sweet Apple, Eerie) and Graham Paralyzed (2008) saw a slight mountaintop and waking up a Clise (Annihilation Time, departure from the ‘Self Titled’ hundred years later.