Devendra Banhart

MUSIC Devendra Banhart's been fairly quiet since his 2009 major-label debut "What Will We Be," but the progenitor of the late freak-folk scene can still charm with an easy melody and wistful bit of canyon-country magic. He plans an intimate set for the faithful waiting for new material. Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd., L.A. 10:30 p.m. Thu. . $25. Foldsilverlake.com.

MUSIC The canonical L.A. songwriter and sonic collagist Beck hasn't released an album since 2008's "Modern Guilt," but he maintains a strong following and perhaps is rustling from a hibernation on this tour with the vagabond singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas Ave., Santa Barbara. 7:30 p.m. Thu. $33-$51. sbbowl.com.

It's been awhile since an obsessive, naive, utterly original musical visionary -- a Beck, a Vic Chesnutt -- emerged from a private sanctum into the embrace of the rock cognoscenti. But we've got one now. On his debut album, Devendra Banhart sounds something like a demented Donovan, traversing the enchanted and haunted woods of his mind.

MUSIC Devendra Banhart's been fairly quiet since his 2009 major-label debut "What Will We Be," but the progenitor of the late freak-folk scene can still charm with an easy melody and wistful bit of canyon-country magic. He plans an intimate set for the faithful waiting for new material. Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd., L.A. 10:30 p.m. Thu. . $25. Foldsilverlake.com.

In Los Angeles you can take your pick of popular-music's sacred sites, from Central Avenue near downtown to Laurel Canyon, Whittier Boulevard on the Eastside to the Sunset Strip. But from the wooden deck of his Topanga Canyon house, Devendra Banhart can drink in his own special dose of rock history. "You see that red house there, it's got the triangle beams, right there," he says, pointing toward a distant ridge.

Devendra Banhart and Lauren Dukoff walk around the Space 15 Twenty gallery in Hollywood, giggling. Friends since they met at Malibu High School 10 years ago, the pair, who call each other Obi (Banhart's middle name) and Lo, are also artistic collaborators: Dukoff has been photographing the indie folkie-turned-major-label-star since Banhart was spending his afternoons practicing piano in the high school music room. The photos collected in her new book, "Family," offer an intimate glimpse into the lives of Banhart and an ever-widening creative tribe that has formed here in L.A. (An exhibition at Space 15 Twenty, up through Aug. 16, features a selection of the images, along with original artwork by Banhart and others.

MUSIC The canonical L.A. songwriter and sonic collagist Beck hasn't released an album since 2008's "Modern Guilt," but he maintains a strong following and perhaps is rustling from a hibernation on this tour with the vagabond singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas Ave., Santa Barbara. 7:30 p.m. Thu. $33-$51. sbbowl.com.

ART The Aztec Pantheon and the Art of Empire The first Getty Villa show from outside the ancient Mediterranean is a comprehensive look at Aztec sculpture and artifacts that follows the European attempts to understand the New World through the lens of its own classical past. The Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. Free with reservations. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (310) 440-7300. www.getty.edu. BOOKS Percival Everett The prolific author's work includes novels such as "Erasure" and "Glyph," along with collections of poetry and even a children's book.

Often you can tell more about an artist when things go wrong than when things are all perfect. With Devendra Banhart and his band, it was a totally go-with-the-flow Saturday when half the power failed on the stage at the Echo's new downstairs hall. The musicians simply started a jaunty hand-clapped rhythm and improvised a stoner campfire chant. What else would you expect from a bunch of hippies? As they sang in one later song, "We had a choice, we chose rejoice."

Pop & Jazz Previews by August Brown (A.B.), Todd Martens (T.M.) and Margaret Wappler (M.W.) Bassekou Kouyate The Malian master of the lute-like ngoni, who's performed with Ali Farka Toure and Taj Mahal, just released "I Speak Fula," which elaborates on his fiery reputation (he was the first person to play a ngoni standing up like a lead guitarist) and captures the live energy of life in his home base of Bamako. This is his L.A. debut. (A.B.) Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A. Today, 3 p.m. (310)

The Museum of Contemporary Art's recent fundraiser was proclaimed to be many things: Trailed by a "60 Minutes" TV crew, while being observed by Connie Bruck for a New Yorker profile, Eli Broad said the "Artist's Museum Happening" promised to redefine museum galas. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager called the Nov. 13 event "the anti-gala. " "If it's unexpected, that's what I want," said artist Doug Aitken, the affair's choreographer. For starters, Aitken prescribed music by Devendra Banhart, Beck and Caetano Veloso.

ART The Aztec Pantheon and the Art of Empire The first Getty Villa show from outside the ancient Mediterranean is a comprehensive look at Aztec sculpture and artifacts that follows the European attempts to understand the New World through the lens of its own classical past. The Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. Free with reservations. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (310) 440-7300. www.getty.edu. BOOKS Percival Everett The prolific author's work includes novels such as "Erasure" and "Glyph," along with collections of poetry and even a children's book.

Pop & Jazz Previews by August Brown (A.B.), Todd Martens (T.M.) and Margaret Wappler (M.W.) Bassekou Kouyate The Malian master of the lute-like ngoni, who's performed with Ali Farka Toure and Taj Mahal, just released "I Speak Fula," which elaborates on his fiery reputation (he was the first person to play a ngoni standing up like a lead guitarist) and captures the live energy of life in his home base of Bamako. This is his L.A. debut. (A.B.) Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A. Today, 3 p.m. (310)

Devendra Banhart and Lauren Dukoff walk around the Space 15 Twenty gallery in Hollywood, giggling. Friends since they met at Malibu High School 10 years ago, the pair, who call each other Obi (Banhart's middle name) and Lo, are also artistic collaborators: Dukoff has been photographing the indie folkie-turned-major-label-star since Banhart was spending his afternoons practicing piano in the high school music room. The photos collected in her new book, "Family," offer an intimate glimpse into the lives of Banhart and an ever-widening creative tribe that has formed here in L.A. (An exhibition at Space 15 Twenty, up through Aug. 16, features a selection of the images, along with original artwork by Banhart and others.

For the first anniversary of his Los Angeles store, Phillip Lim flew west to celebrate at the sprawling space with the spiky white walls. Hundreds of well-dressed celebrities and fashion followers joined him, with the Duke Spirit performing on an outside stage. (Frontwoman Liela Moss wore a sexy sequined top, tux blazer and micro-mini shorts -- all made by Lim, of course.) The looks of the night: shorts and sandals for men, swingy summer dresses for girls.

Gilberto Gil has released more than 50 albums in his career -- the latest is "Banda Larga Cordel," which came out this month. That puts him about 45 ahead of Devendra Banhart, but the Brazilian musical icon, 65, and the Los Angeles-based folk-rock eccentric share a passion for eradicating distinctions among musical genres, as they'll demonstrate when they play at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday as part of the KCRW World Festival series.

Gilberto Gil has released more than 50 albums in his career -- the latest is "Banda Larga Cordel," which came out this month. That puts him about 45 ahead of Devendra Banhart, but the Brazilian musical icon, 65, and the Los Angeles-based folk-rock eccentric share a passion for eradicating distinctions among musical genres, as they'll demonstrate when they play at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday as part of the KCRW World Festival series.

The Museum of Contemporary Art's recent fundraiser was proclaimed to be many things: Trailed by a "60 Minutes" TV crew, while being observed by Connie Bruck for a New Yorker profile, Eli Broad said the "Artist's Museum Happening" promised to redefine museum galas. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager called the Nov. 13 event "the anti-gala. " "If it's unexpected, that's what I want," said artist Doug Aitken, the affair's choreographer. For starters, Aitken prescribed music by Devendra Banhart, Beck and Caetano Veloso.

In Los Angeles you can take your pick of popular-music's sacred sites, from Central Avenue near downtown to Laurel Canyon, Whittier Boulevard on the Eastside to the Sunset Strip. But from the wooden deck of his Topanga Canyon house, Devendra Banhart can drink in his own special dose of rock history. "You see that red house there, it's got the triangle beams, right there," he says, pointing toward a distant ridge.

Often you can tell more about an artist when things go wrong than when things are all perfect. With Devendra Banhart and his band, it was a totally go-with-the-flow Saturday when half the power failed on the stage at the Echo's new downstairs hall. The musicians simply started a jaunty hand-clapped rhythm and improvised a stoner campfire chant. What else would you expect from a bunch of hippies? As they sang in one later song, "We had a choice, we chose rejoice."