The first 45 minutes of Devendra Banhart's show at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue on Monday night had all the somberness of a High Holy Day service. The freak-folk kingpin and his five-piece backing band tenderly ran through songs that weren't all that freaky or folky. Instead they were gentle ruminations that rarely rose above a soft din, with gently strummed guitars, barely brushed drums and some lovely full-band harmonies that suggested the world's most bearded barbershop sextet.

Things changed halfway through "Seahorse," which began as yet another quiet ditty before transitioning into a jazzy, instrumental middle section that gave way to an all-out rock ending, suggesting a lost track from "L.A. Woman." Banhart's meek whisper became a powerful bellow; in just one song he was transformed from Tiny Tim to Jim Morrison. This inspired some fans up front to get out of their seats and dance in front of the bimah -- er, stage -- and Banhart kept the festive atmosphere going for the rest of his just-a-bit-too-long two-hour set.

The '70s vibe continued with a small suite of songs that would have sounded like Santana even if Banhart didn't sing them in Spanish. The full-on doo-wop of "Shabop Shalom" was exceedingly silly ("When I'm ever in a foul mood / I've got to see you in your Talmud"), but he really had no choice but to play it, given the setting. Best were the sun-kissed hippie jams "Long Haired Child" and "Lover," which found Banhart guitar-free and shimmying about the stage as if he were Joss Stone. It all added up to a fine evening out, if not quite a religious experience.

--David Malitz, Oct. 2007