What better way to celebrate distaste for the town I live in than to celebrate what I did out of town. A week or so ago Jenna and I rolled down thunder mountain to see Devendra Banhart and Beck play at the Grand Sierra in Reno, Nevada. If you’ve never been to Reno, it’s a lot like Las Vegas if Las Vegas were a giant whore with a ton of make-up that looked OK at night but like shit in the morning, only without the make-up if you know what I mean. Going any further into it would be superfluous like a ribbon cutting for a porta-potty. If you’ve never been to the Grand Sierra (a Hilton Hotel) in Reno Nevada to see a show, listen up.

Playing Ball at the Grand Sierra in Reno Nevada

If you got tickets with seat numbers, don’t be fooled, you probably don’t have a saved seat. It’s first come first serve and seating is mainly booths with tables. We got in first thanks to some kids we met and managed to get a booth right in front and center. Booths at the venue are raised above the general standing area, so you won’t have too much trouble seeing over heads. This was the most comfortable seat with a super close view I’ve been to.

So anyway, we checked into the hotel and bumped right into Beck who was heading to the venue, but i didn’t really want to disturb, he looked busy. And very short.

The show was off the hizzook. Beck announced that his son forces him to sing Mama Wolf before he goes to bed, and then invited Devendra and his posse to do the song with him.

After the show Jenna got a late dinner and who do we see standing around the casino, Devendra:

That’s me in a t-shirt with the drawing Devendra Banhart drew with Jenna, and Devendra Banhart.

It is still surreal in my mind that this Devendra fellow, someone that I have built up in my mind over the last couple years as a mysterious mystical psychedelic figure that happens to date Natalie Portman was standing next to me. He’s organized in my mind with the dead mystics of the sixties in my mind, with the Lennons, the Garcias, Morrisons, Mingi (the plural of Mingus?).

The trip was cathartic, mainly for being outside of Provo.