There’s been a recent changing of the guard within the neo-hippie movement, and it all seems to be happening in the San Francisco Bay Area. Led by Devendra Banhart, these folkie outsiders build on the idea of family, with each member fulfilling its designated role. As the budding Joanna Newsom greets the audience at Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church, it becomes apparent she’s the bohemian princess of the group.

“Scoot [to the front],” she says politely, and the crowd quickly obeys. Though outfitted in a jeweled medallion headpiece, a black dress and footwear that barely qualifies as slippers, Newsom is dwarfed by the enormous harp at her fingertips. Newsom doesn’t go unnoticed for long, as she stands to deliver her a capella opener. Her distinctly powerful-yet-childish voice—imagine a folky Björk on a sugar rush—silences the chatter, and the audience is helpless in joining Newsom’s handclaps. The rolling “Bridges And Balloons” is the first song on Newsom’s quirky and consistently charming debut, The Milk-Eyed Mender, and it’s surprising how well Newsom reproduces the sound of the album. Her voice is intense and crisp, but the real attraction is the visual art created by her hand movements. Her technical skills are unquestionable, and the speed of her plucking is at times hypnotic. Newsom is clearly a perfectionist, demonstrated by her desire to have the sound technician adjust levels between each song. Fortunately, she is nearly flawless the entire night, barring a few occasions when her fingers appear to hesitate from either nerves or uncertainty. Newsom is at her best near the finale of her set, performing a slow and wavering lullaby called “This Side Of The Blue.”

If Newsom is San Francisco’s neo-hippie princess, then headliner Devendra Banhart is surely its gypsy king. His hooped earrings complement his full beard and bunned hair, while his skin-tight tropical dress shirt emphasizes his wiry frame. The paradise landscape covering Banhart’s torso mimics his jovial, relaxed mood. The crowd settles in as Banhart takes a seat and begins by welcoming the audience into the “bottom belly in the house of spirituality.”

Banhart pauses for laughter, then quickly remarks, “I’m gonna play a bunch of really short songs.” He opens his set alone with “The Body Breaks,” a haunting piece from the recent Rejoicing In The Hands. His vocal clarity is stunning as he adopts a Dylan-esque technique of elongating every vowel. Despite Banhart’s earlier insistence on short songs, he fares best when he extends the choruses of the throaty “This Beard Is For Siobhan” and the circular “A Sight To Behold.” On the latter, Banhart closes his eyes while he repeats the line, “Love, it would be much better,” and his sullen delivery suggests he means exactly what he says. Banhart appears to grow in confidence as the night progresses, possibly due to accompanying guitarist Andy Cabic (Vetiver) joining him onstage after a handful of songs. Their guitars work in tandem, and Banhart occasionally abandons his strumming to make theatrical gestures with his right hand.

The real spectacle of the show occurs during the finale, when Banhart invites openers Espers, Vetiver and Newsom to perform a “family jam.” Banhart drops his guitar and jumps around the stage like a man possessed. He rips the microphone from its stand, then twists and contorts his body while he sings—all moves reminiscent of Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixler. The family band is visibly impressed but unfazed as they frolic through a loose interpretation of Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love” and finish with the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Shame.” The show ends with Banhart leading the enthusiastic audience through synchronized handclaps, proper homage to the San Francisco dynasty.