In these tense and uncertain times, a night in a dark theater, engulfed in Devendra Banhart's music seemed like a great form of refuge as Angelenos packed the Mayan on a Tuesday. The show started with his quieter and more solemn tracks as he warmed up with his band. He spoke to the audience in Spanish about being an immigrant in this country (he is Venezuelan-American) and the importance of embracing each other. "I don't want to not be a symbol for my children," he said. After a few songs, two girls took the stage to talk to the crowd about the power of love and understanding in a time of suffering and conflict.
The first woman, an Afghan-Sicilian, shared her story of how she came to the United States with her parents as refugees during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and later found beauty in the country she left behind. She was followed by a woman who was born in Yucatán and brought into the country as a young child. They are typically called DREAMers, in relation to the Obama's DREAM Act, "but I'm actually sort of a college dropout," she said. "So I don't fit into a lot of the narratives you see in the mainstream." She talked about her activism, which mainly deals with ICE.
Banhart quietly emerged back on stage and resumed the show. The crowd audibly appreciated how he utilized his platform to give way to two different and important voices of immigration, that of a refugee and an undocumented person. Ignoring the reality outside of the theater would've been disingenuous. With that, he provided both inspiration and then relief. As the giant disco ball descended upon the stage, he declared, "Fuck Trump. Let's disco!" Check out these pictures from the show.
