Wednesday night I had the privilege of finally seeing one of the musicians I respect the most, Conor Oberst, under his pseudonym Bright Eyes.
Opening for him was….Mc-somethingmumble T-somethingmumble. Yeah, I can’t remember and never quite heard it right, but they were your average folk band. The second opener, Oakley Hall, rocked out country-style at first, but the second half of their set was a let down as they fell into a 60’s country/Dolly Parton vibe. The theater was about half full for the first two bands, which isn’t surprising for a show with a popular main act and two virtual unknowns opening for them.
After a half hour wait following Oakley Hall’s set, Bright Eyes finally took the stage. In front of Conor was a large box filled with flowers and this was replicated across the stage. There were a total of 10 musicians on stage; Conor, a trumpeter/keys player, guitarist, bassist, a string quartet, and two drummers/auxiliary percussionists. All of them were dressed in white to match the flower boxes, all the way down to the cords connecting their guitars to the amps. Behind the band was a display from a projector showing live images. There was a man sitting in a balcony to the right of the stage using an overhead projector. During the songs he would do various artistic activities, often to the beat of the song, on the projector which was then projected on the band and the 25 foot wall behind them. This included picking a flower “he loves me, he loves me not” style, to the beat of “Make a Plan to Love Me,” dropping dye into a cup of water, and drawing with an etch-a-sketch.
Cassadaga
"If you know what's good for you, you better listen to this."
The music itself was nearly flawless. Not many people think of Bright Eyes as a band that rocks, but they sure did on Wednesday. If I didn’t know Conor’s personality I would have been surprised, but his sporadic passion was clearly evident throughout the set. His voice was near album quality and the music sounded epic due to the vast array of instrumentation. Bright Eyes is certainly one of those bands that actually sounds better live. Not that they sound bad on their albums by any means, but it is easier to comprehend Conor’s enthusiasm when you can see it.
For those that are familiar with Bright Eyes, you’ll notice a few older tunes on the setlist including a ridiculously energetic rendition of “The Calendar Hung Itself” and a punchy upbeat version of “The First Day of My Life.” The show finished with a near 10 minute take on “Road To Joy,” which was a perfect ending to the night.
Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed)
Hot Knives
False Advertising
No One Would Riot For Less
First Day of My Life
I Believe In Symmetry
Middleman
Classic Cars
Gold Mine Gutted
Cleanse Song
The Calendar Hung Itself
Lime Tree
_____________
Make A Plan To Love Me
Four Winds
Road to Joy
Want more Bright Eyes? Check this out:
Everyone Deserves A Second Chance: Why You Should Listen To Bright Eyes
