Devendra Banhart's new album, Ma, will be released on Nonesuch on September 13, 2019. It is already being lauded as his most personal-and moving-album to date. Following the release of tracks "Kantori Ongaku" ("Country Music"), "Abre Los Manos" ("Open Your Hands"), and "Memorial" comes "Taking a Page," released today.
Describing the genesis of the song-for which he sought special permission from Carole King to lift a line and melody from her beloved 1971 classic "So Far Away"-Banhart says, "I'm not sure what 'Taking a Page' is about, at least I'm not sure of how to synthesize it into something pithy. I definitely know it's about how much I can't stand car chases and those long drawn-out guitar solos (though I've certainly been guilty of plenty of 'em!). I do remember the night Trump won-the shock and fear. I instinctively reached for a Carole King album. I knew it would help. I knew it would come in handy ... and it did. Still does. I'm so glad Carole got to hear it. It's really just a song about my entire life. I can't explain it much beyond that."
Carole King's immediate response upon hearing the song? "I like it."
Banhart will begin an extensive North American tour on September 27 at Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California. This twenty-six-date run of shows is his first tour of North America since 2017. Newly added support acts are listed below. Banhart has also confirmed new European dates for early 2020. Ticket information can be found here.
For his US tour, Banhart is partnering with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket sold in the US will go to World Central Kitchen (WCK), an organization founded by Nobel Peace Prize-nominated chef José Andrés to fight hunger around the world. WCK is currently responding to the crisis on the Colombia-Venezuelan border and has served more than 350,000 meals to date.
09/27/19 - Dana Point, CA @ OHANA Festival
10/15/19 - Ventura, CA @ The Majestic Ventura Theater ^
10/16/19 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore ^
10/18/19 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom ^
10/19/19 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre ^
10/20/19 - Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall !
10/22/19 - Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre #
10/24/19 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel # @
10/25/19 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Yost Theater #
10/26/19 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park #
10/27/19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom !
10/30/19 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater *
11/01/19 - Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown *
11/02/19 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater *
11/03/19 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
11/05/19 - Memphis, TN @ The Hi Tone *
11/07/19 - Austin, TX @ Stubbs (Levitation)
11/23/19 - Leon, Guanajuato Mx @ Tecate Bajio Festival
11/25/19 - Mexico City, Mx @ El Plaza Condesa
11/30/19 - Detroit, MI @ Museum of Contemporary Art *
12/01/19 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall *
12/03/19 - Montreal, QC @ The Olympia *
12/04/19 - Boston, MA @ The Wilbur *
12/05/19 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
12/07/19 - Washington, D.C. @ 930 Club *
12/08/19 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
01/22/20 - Warsaw, Poland @ Palladium
01/24/20 - Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom
01/25/20 - Prague, Czech Republic @ Palac Akropolis
01/26/20 - Leipzig, Germany @ Felsenkeller
01/28/20 - Brussels, Belgium @ Ancienne Belgique (Flex)
01/29/20 - Cologne, Germany @ Carlswerk
01/30/20 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
02/01/20 - Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Annabel
02/02/20 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
02/04/20 - London, UK @ Shephard's Bush Empire
02/05/20 - Paris, France @ Salle Pleyel
02/08/20 - Zurich, Switzerland @ X-Tra
02/09/20 - Milan, Italy @ Teatro Dal Verme
02/11/20 - Madrid, Spain @ Sala Riviera
02/12/20 - San Sebastian, Spain @ Teatro Victroia Eugenia
02/13/20 - Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz
02/15/20 - Porto, Portugal @ Hard Club
02/16/20 - Lisbon, Portugal @ Capitolio
* w/ Black Belt Eagle Scout
^ w/ Daniel Higgs
# w/ Cola Boyy
@ w/ Kate Berland
! w/ Rogov
Photo Credit: Lauren Dukoff
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