Bright Eyes Concert Review

You know you’re a gifted lyricist when you can write some of the most harrowing death poems as well as unabashed love songs, but it takes the voice of a generation to make them sound equally as believable. That voice belongs to Conor Oberst of the band Bright Eyes.

Hailing from my hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, Bright Eyes drew depressed millennial’s attention to the midwest with their lo-fi mix of emo rock and traditional folk music. Along with their peers, they created their own record label called Saddle Creek and started distributing their own music in the late 90’s. Sprouting from Oberst recording songs in his parent’s basement in his early teens, the band grew across the span of their first three records to include Mike Mogis and Nathaniel Walcott. But it wasn’t until their album I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning came out that the band really began to soar. Since then, the band has somewhat regularly put out records and toured the country. But this year they reunite with their mentors and fellow Nebraskans, Lullaby for the Working Class on their North American tour. I saw Bright Eyes once before back in Omaha a few years ago with my dad. He’s seen them play more times than he can count so it was a special experience for him to share that concert with me. I felt his absence today more than usual and hoped that he was singing along in spirit.

The show was at the Metro in Wrigleyville, a few minutes walk from my apartment. I had never been so I was excited to check it out. I was surprised to be greeted by not one but THREE security checkpoints. It took longer for me to get into the venue than it did to walk there! Once I was in I took the stairs up to the stage floor. I was surprised how close the stage was. If it weren’t for the barricade, the audience could touch Oberst’s shoe if they wanted to! It was a fairly small room with a tiny balcony above. The room was very plainly decorated with very little ornament on the walls or ceiling. I suppose an overly ornate venue would steal attention from the main act, but the walls were just plain. Overall, it was a nice smaller-sized venue, good for intimate shows that I suppose would be a great proving ground for up-and-coming acts.

Venue Score- 3.5

The concert opened with Lullaby for the Working class building a lovely folk landscape with traditional instruments. They hammered through a career spanning set featuring hits such as “Honey, Drop the Knife” and “Hypnotist (Song for Daniel H.)”. But then the same musicians came out as Bright Eyes after the intermission. This fact really hammers home the fraternal nature of these two bands and their intertwined histories. The Bright Eyes setlist began with the biting “Don’t Know When But a Day is Gonna Come” as well as “False Advertizing” from the album LIFTED or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground. As the set went on the songs got more and more obscure. Among the hits like “Bowl of Oranges” and “Hot Knives” were “Well Whiskey” and “The Vanishing Act” which were only released on EP’s years ago. Oberst also broke out “Laura Laurent” for the first time since 2007! The crowd was more than willing to go on this trip through the back catalogues of Bright Eyes history, but I was a little unsure. While the songs were great, I would have loved to hear at least one song from Wide Awake. Something peculiar that caught my eye is the fact that Oberst kept shuffling what looked like laminated sheets with the song lyrics written on them in between songs, often halting the band a few seconds in to switch to the new song. I don’t blame him for needing help with the words, he does tend to be quite a verbose songwriter. But I would think that if I wrote the words from my own mind, they would stick in there better.

Setlist Score- 4

What I said about Oberst’s voice before is true, everything that escapes his lips sounds real and raw. But that means it doesn’t always sound pretty, in fact, most of the time it sounds like a drunken growl. I’m pretty sure the first time I heard his voice I skipped the song because it sounded like he was dying. Oberst himself knows this and touts it like a prize in his song “Road to Joy”

I could have been a famous singer/If I had someone else’s voice/But failure’s always sounded better

But his voice has grown on me and I’ve learned to appreciate the imperfections as they give the words their meaning.

Vocal Score- 3.5

At any given time during the show, there were at least 5 different instruments creating their own little bit of harmony. Standout performers for me were The cellist and violinist who carried the songs upon their river of strings, often switching out for the mandolin or xylophone. While not traditional rock n’ roll instruments, these two women who played them made the strings section rock! Nathaniel Walcott may be the best trumpet player I’ve ever heard. When he blows his horn on the likes of “Bowl of Oranges” it feels like you are being led in a charge to freedom. He also conducted and arranged all of the string music on the albums and live. Finally, we arrive at the mastermind that is Mike Mogis. He is a musical chameleon, he can play the mandolin as well as he can the six-string-guitar or the organ. You name an instrument, he has played it and can play it better than 90% of all other musicians. Sadly, tonight he didn’t get to showcase his full ability, but he still got to spread his talent across multiple guitars, keyboards, and a banjo. When you put all of these instruments and talented musicians together, you get the most wonderful noise of a folksy-symphony.

Instrumentation Score- 4.5

It’s really hard to “wow” me after I’ve already seen a band play. On this second go round though, Bright Eyes didn’t play a single song that they played the last time I saw them. This completely fresh setlist made up of deep cuts and rarities was a breath of fresh air and also kept me on my toes! Rather than being fueled by nostalgia, I get to go home and discover these songs that have somehow eluded me. Aside from that, the show was just an excuse to see Oberst. He is truly one of a kind, and you have to see him to believe it. When he’s strumming his guitar and belting out his lyrics, Oberst’s eyes roll back into the depths of his skull as something dark takes over. He plays like a man possessed. Yet after all these years, he hasn’t become a bitter old sellout, rehashing his tunes for nostalgic millennials. He’s doing this because it’s his sustenance, it’s his joy, it’s his family. I even caught him ditching his usual frown for a slight smile when he introduced his mentor, Ted Stevens of Lullaby for the Working Class, before singing a beautiful duet. Oberst was most alive when he was connecting with his band, proving that he can’t do this alone.

Wow-Factor Score- 2.5

All of this talk of family and examining your roots got me thinking about my folks back home and how weird it is seeing this band we all love by myself. But I realized that my solace is in the songs. No matter how far I roam, these songs Conor wrote will always sound like home.

Overall Score- 3.6

---

---

Read more on the Honors Blog.