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The Book Of Love Has Music In It: Devendra Banhart, Stephin Merritt & Iron and Wine at BAM

by Poppy Galloway Devendra Banhart, Nonesuch at BAM(photo: Mike Benigno)

As part of the ongoing celebration of the 50th anniversary of Nonesuch Records at BAM, popular alternative mad men Devendra Banhart, Stephin Merritt & Sam Beam (of Iron and Wine) were let out to play this past Friday night. Playing solo acoustic sets of both old and contemporary gems from their diverse repertoires, the atmosphere was calm and relaxed in the beautiful Howard Gilman Opera House, and the prevailing theme was love and it’s consequential woes. Disguised in melody, naturally.

Devendra Banhart is looking more eloquent librarian than Spanglish magician these days, but appearances can be deceiving. Jumping between Spanish and English, and speaking and singing, he was well and truly in his element as an avant-garde entertainer. Acoustic renditions of “Bad Girl,” “Lover,” and “Rosa” were interspersed with anecdotes and flamboyant hand twirls, as loopy as the man himself. “Never Seen Such Good Things”, from his latest studio album Mala, was the perfect closer: “If we ever make sweet love again, I’m sure that it will be quite disgusting.”

stephin merritt, nonesuch at bam(photo: Mike Benigno)

A blissfully short transition and Stephin Merritt’s lovelorn pop and deep, deep voice - more gloriously deep than I could have anticipated - was flooding over my eager ears. That voice was the star, and his ukelele the helping hand. His 1999 album 69 Love Songs, released under one of his many monikers The Magnetic Fields, featured heavily, and we were also treated to songs from the musical Coraline, as well as melodic stories from his 2006 album Showtunes

The final performance featured Sam Beam as Iron & Wine, looking very like a modern day Jesus with a guitar. The set was a mix of old Iron & Wine favorites like “The Trapeze Swinger” and “Sodom South Georgia”, yelled out by over-zealous fans and graciously played. Beam's solo set became a duet when he was joined by vocalist Jesca Hoop to share some very recent, unheard tracks featuring beautiful harmonies and runaway guitar melodies. A much fuller and more joyous sound than the nostalgic melancholy of early Iron & Wine.

It was a privilege to join these accomplished, eclectic elites for a stripped back evening of song best summed up by one of Merritt’s lyrics:

“The book of love has music in it, in fact that’s where music comes from.”

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(photo: Mike Benigno)

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