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3
It hits me. I have never actually seen Aaron Behrens before. I have been to multiple shows where Aaron Behrens has been on stage, singing and playing guitar. I have replayed him doing his trademark dance moves in my head over and over again while I attempt his slinky gyrations. I have read multiple articles on him. I have seen multiple pictures of him. And yet, I have no clue what he actually looks like. I only realize this as I stare at his face in bewilderment, trying to believe my eyes. Aaron is not wearing his signature skull-engulfing sunglasses, nor is he sporting his dense Samson-like black braided pigtails. His face is exposed and his hair is unbound, and without his mask on, all I see is a stranger.
Back in June, I went to see Ida Maria at The Bell House in Brooklyn because I had decided that she was pretty rad. Truthfully, though, I probably wouldn’t have gone to see her in concert had ‘Aaron Behrens and the Dirty Banquet’ not been the opening band on the bill. Aaron Behrens is simultaneously the frontman and one half of Ghostland Observatory, an electro-dance-rock-daft funk duo from Austin, Texas. This ‘Dirty Banquet’ business was news to me, since I hadn’t heard anything at all about him starting up a side project, and I really wanted to check it out. As mentioned in the introduction, it took almost a whole song before I figured out that it was Aaron who was singing. Perhaps, however, it wasn’t just his physical appearance that was making his presence elusive. It was every bit of Aaron Behrens and the Dirty Banquet that might have made me do a double-take, that made me wonder if I was watching and listening to the wrong band. Let me explain:
Aaron Behrens and the Dirty Banquet is a country band.
Quite honestly, I just wasn’t prepared for that at all. At the end of their set, it was obvious that I had to get an explanation for what I had just witnessed. Thankfully, Aaron agreed to an interview:
Na: How many shows have you played with The Dirty Banquet now?
Aa: This is probably like two or three…and it’s probably going to be the last one for a long time—not because I don’t enjoy doing it. I’m just putting the pause button on things, you know? I’m finding out more and more I’m a one-girl type of guy and Ghostland is just such a beautiful thing right now and I really want to give it 140,000%. I really want to be able to focus on doing that and putting all my energy into that…not that I haven’t before, but I kind of wanted to get this out of my system. And I enjoy playing with these guys. They’re in a band called Prayer for Animals, too… I just really had a bunch of songs that I wanted to play and I saw these musicians. I go watch them all the time…My wife and I really love them, and I asked them if they wanted to play some backup for me and they did and it was amazing and I love it. But really, like I said, I can only do one thing at a time, you know? But it’s nice to know that I can do it.
Na: Yeah, I was just really surprised. So, you’re writing like a lot of different stuff. I mean this band is completely different from the stuff you’re doing in [GO], which is… good.
Aa: Yeah, it’s definitely something I need to do, you know. I don’t know why—me personally, I couldn’t do the same thing because what Thomas and I have, it’s very beautiful and magical and I would never try to replicate that with anybody else.
Na: He’s cool [with it], though?
Aa: Yeah, he told me to get it out of me. He’s totally cool with it and I told him I’m ready to come back and do it and certainly 100% all over…more focused. Oh, totally.
Na: How long have you and your wife been married?
Aa: Two years, but I’ve known her since 7th grade. We grew up together. Na: What kind of a town are you from in Texas?
Aa: It’s a small town called San Saba, about 2500 people. It’s the pecan capital of the world! It’s in the hill country, very nice, about an hour/ hour and a half from Austin…it’s a good place, a really nice place.
Na: How do you keep from dancing in [The Dirty Banquet]? How do you hold the guitar and not move?
Aa: It’s definitely a groovy band, though! I’m a chameleon. I’m a man of many masks.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
I’m not going to lie. I can’t really vouch for The Dirty Banquet. I wish I could, but given the opportunity to see them again, I would opt out. Prayer for Animals is totally decent, though. But better than both is Ghostland Observatory. If there’s any way you can make it to one of their shows, you simply MUST go. They are not to be missed.
Nathan Asher lives in New York, where he works for an educational research firm and scours the City for good espresso. He has an appreciation for old and curious things, and he likes his music loud: www.myfloatinghome.wordpress.com
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