Natalie Post-Devendra

Though pretty much every blog I write seems to include at least one obtuse Phish fact, My Morning Jacket geekout moment and/or self-depreciative National reference, I like to think we cover a lot of non-musical ground on www.greenhauseffect.com. Don’t believe me? There are the crazy girl stories, the poor man’s Seinfeldian references, the Bush-as-Wilson political bashings, the woeful tales of gentrified neighborhoods I don’t live in and, of course, the Natalie Portman sightings. Which is why I feel obligated to report that my Princess Leia (or a least Queen Padmé) recently parted ways with her post-jam beau Devendra Banhart.

The first-ever Greenhaus Effect.com link to People.com reveals, “Natalie Portman and her folk-rocker boyfriend Devendra Banhart have broken up, a source confirms. Portman, 27, began dating Banhart, also 27, after starring in his "Carmensita" video, which was shot last March. A short time later, they took their romance public when they were spotting kissing on the streets of New York and over a sushi dinner at Jewel Bako. A fan of Banhart's music, Portman had asked him to donate a track to the charity compilation she curated on iTunes, Big Change: Songs for FINCA. She returned the favor by forgoing her usual fee to appear in the video.’ They got together right after the video shoot," a source said at the time.’ They also traveled together to Cannes and to Israel.”

For those keeping score at home, we’ve already physically bumped into Natalie Portman twice since the Greenhaus Effect aged from a poorly updated column into a poorly updated blog. The first time she sat next to me at a Sigur Ros after party (without hair), and the second time she ran towards me like Bo Derek in 10 (with hair) at Outside Lands, only to hug the hippie dude to my immediate right. Of course, on second look, that hippie-dude happened to be Devendra, but still the jury is in: clearly Natalie and I have a lot in common. I mean, according to People, the source for all celebrity truth, her recent dates include evenings filled with New York sushi, indie-rock shows and Israel, which would probably be my J-Date tag if my minor league team of crazy girls wasn’t already full (though I’d still be happy to add Natalie as a pinch crazy girl hitter).

I guess part of me is sad I probably won’t be seeing Natalie at freak-folk filled festivals anytime soon, but maybe it is time to turn my Garden State fantasy into more than an Elizabethtown reality. So Natalie, if you are reading this between posting threads on PT or checking for Jim James sit ins on Jambands.com, I hope you will consider coming with me to a real show, real soon. Maybe, if your lucky, I’ll even explain to you the meaning of post-jam. Until then, my team of Portman Patrolmen are still out there looking for you…