FollowA most wonderful concert at the Berkeley Art Museum (BAM) last Friday night left audiences feeling culturally enriched, hopeful in society, and for some reason, better about themselves. It’s easy to forget the power that good music can hold over us.
The performers that evening were Argentinian babe, Devendra Banhart, and musical genius Andy Cabic. Not only does Banhart have the velvet voice of an angel, but his quirky mannerisms had those in the gallery gasping and giggling with joy. In a soft-spoken aside as he was jamming, Banhart whispered into the microphone, “Ay que calor!” We lost it. Similarly, Cabic’s falsetto and calm demeanor left the audience weak in the knees, hearts unapologetically torn open. The sound of the duo simply felt good on the soul. I shed a couple tears as I reevaluated my personal definition of beauty.
The intimate environment that BAM provides allowed for Banhart and Cabic to converse with people in the audience, taking song suggestions and offering personal anecdotes throughout the set—an element quite rare in larger concert settings.
While the performance was truly heartwarming, I was struck by the demographic of the audience. As I looked around, the majority of the audience consisted of Berkeley locals interspersed with a few hip families. Confused by the lack of 17- to 21-year-olds, my question was, where are my fellow Berkeley students at? The performance was elating. It was conveniently located. It was FREE to Berkeley students. Where were you?
It is true that every Friday night in Berkeley, there are a plethora of amazing activities one can participate in, including many artistic spectacles. But after experiencing such a positive performance as that of Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic, my recommendation is to regularly check out what BAM is showing in their L@TE: Friday Night series. Although it might take a little bit of research to learn about the artists the museum presents, each performance is guaranteed to be of excellent quality. The student population needs to represent, showing that we too care about the art our community is offering.
And why stop at the BAM? The Pacific Film Archive (PFA) is currently showing a Stanley Kubrick series just across the street from the Berkeley Art Museum. Although these films are not free, student tickets are less than half the price of AMC movie theater tickets, at a reasonable $5.50 apiece. Kubrick is worth the money, people.
A couple of hundred yards from this location, world-renowned artists are constantly performing at Zellerbach Hall. Just this past weekend, The Australian Ballet’s rendition of Swan Lake blew audiences away.
It is important to spend some nights strictly interacting with your tight friend group, as it is perhaps equally important to spend some nights partying in a standard undergraduate fashion. But I would encourage students to at least consider what a couple of hours at the BAM, PFA, Zellerbach, and other artistic venues might be like on a Friday night. Relocate your friends there. I promise the investment will be worth it.
I did not walk into the Museum last Friday night with the expectation of being so moved by the performance of Banhart and Cabic. Free events usually go by the unspoken rule of not being of the highest quality. But this concert was. Let’s all go to the next one to experience unique and uplifting art together. UC Berkeley, represent—ay que calor.
Image source: www.nonesuch.com
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