Impounded Inquiries: Devendra Banhart

We pick the nimble and strange brain of Devendra Banhart.

photo: Lauren Dukoff

There are few more strangely thoughtful mammals roaming this great big world than Devendra Banhart. Best part is he hardly works at it; it’s just how he is – wheels always turning and eyes alight with a curiosity and sense of corporeal playfulness rising off him like steam from a hot spring. He makes one feel like there are more opportunities for spirited engagement than our workaday lives often imply. He is an archetypal lost boy well on his way to a somewhat-found full-grown man. The journey he’s taking is a fascinating one, not the least for its residual influence on one’s own sense of adventure.

It’s a treat to pick his nimble brain any ol’ time, and besides the insights below Dirty Impound readers can look forward to a reoccurring visit from the man in an upcoming column titled One Thing At Time, where Dev and Dennis will tackle issues large and small, lofty and tawdry, sticky and smooth, one at a time.

Band Affiliations: Los Grogs , Los Jomos , a yet-to-be-named project with Greg Rogove and Fab Moretti, Sexzual Apocalypse, WTF Stops with Kevin “Spanky” Long (WTF is for “When the Fun Stops”) and Megapuss.

Nicknames: Dave Barnes , Applehead , Danny Glover, Sex and The City Infinity, Robocop.

What’s the first thing that springs to mind when you see the word “God”?: Relief
Which has the better cosmology, Star Wars or Star Trek? Why?: Star Wars, in terms of developing a whole universe, still, it’s not as…geeze Dennis, this is a debate that minds far greater than mine have wrestled with since time immemorial. I’ll stop now and say I have an equal amount of oceanic admiration for both laureates of culture, but I do have to say I am partial to Star Wars due to the fact that my middle name is Obi.
Name one album that has spiritual resonance for you.: Bruce Langhorn’s soundtrack to the Western classic The Hired Hand.
Woody Allen once said, “I don’t know the question but sex is definitely the answer.” So, what’s the question?: “What do you call that thing that hurts and mommy makes you do when he’s had one too many?” or “What did you not do last night?” or “What else are you awful at?” or “Why does anyone do anything?”
You can have a dinner party with any three people throughout human history. Who do you invite, what’s on the menu and what intoxicant do you share for dessert?: Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Peter Tosh and Lux Interior. Just the thought of dining with any of these three heroes is makin’ me too nervous to imagine what we would eat, imbibe, etc I know that’s a copout but c’mon!!! I can say that mac ‘n’ cheese would be involved.