Bright Eyes is a fairly polarizing band—most people either love them or hate them. Rather, most people either love or hate the frontman Conor Oberst. It is hard to dispute the genius in his lyrics and uniqueness in his voice, but I never thought of him as a dynamic frontman with stage presence until the sold out show at 9:30 Club Sunday night.
After the band took the stage, Oberst waited a few seconds before walking right up to the mic with his acoustic guitar and opening the show with “Another Travelin’ Song.” I appreciated the fact that he opened with an upbeat, sing-along-able song since so many of his songs are exactly the opposite.
Throughout the entire set, the band had an incredible energy. In spite of a few technical difficulties with power sources on the stage, the show ran seamlessly. Oberst spoke to the crowd between songs. He had some choice words about DC. Apparently, we are “in the belly of the beast” and he encourages us to “keep our heads up.”
I suppose no one should go to a Bright Eyes show without expecting at least some political commentary. The religious commentary was there in both the lyrics and the motions Oberst made as he sang spiritually-charged songs such as “Bowl of Oranges.”
The crowd seemed pleased with the mix of old and new material. I feel more of a connection to Bright Eyes’ older works, but seeing them perform many songs from their most recent release, The People’s Key, made it clear that I should give that album another listen.
One word that continuously popped into my mind throughout the set was energy. Oberst moved and sang and played and talked in an almost manic state, and the band musicians had equally impressive stamina. The set lasted almost two hours.
For those of you who are Bright Eyes purists (like me) because you’ve been listening to Saddle Creek recordings since the new millennium, the sleek and produced aspects of this Bright Eyes show might have given you mixed feelings. At least, it was giving me mixed feelings until halfway through the set when they played “Landlocked Blues.” There it is, the contemplative folky sound that made Bright Eyes popular in the first place.
Then, Oberst sat down at the keyboard and sang “Lover I Don’t Have to Love.” The crowd responded with a cheer at the first few notes on the piano, but then Oberst had to pause because of some technical difficulties with the power on the stage. He used that opportunity to greet a few fans in the front and say how cool it was to be back at 9:30 Club. When he finally was able to play, the song sounded great; his voice was passionate and rich.
Throughout the set, the band moved comfortably back and forth between old and new, fast and slow. Almost everyone on the stage switched up their instruments multiple times depending on the songs, showcasing their talent and keeping our attention. Just when you thought they were settled in for a string of acoustic songs, the stagehand brought Oberst the electric guitar, and the band went into an up tempo song such as “Shell Games” or “Jejune Stars.”
My favorite part of going to live shows is seeing a band do something creative with a song that I love to listen to on their album. Bright Eyes delivered by somehow turning “Road to Joy” into a more than five-minute anthem with a full sound. It was a fervent and energetic end to an amazing set… or so I thought.
Oberst took some time to introduce his band, including DC native Laura Burhenn, before truly ending with “One For You, One For Me” and crowd surfing multiple times. There was truly never a dull moment.
Opening for Bright Eyes was First Aid Kit, a duo of sisters from Stockholm with a folky sound. They spent time in Omaha recording with Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, who joined them on stage for a few songs from their upcoming album. Based on this performance, I’m anticipating that the forthcoming album will be full of strong, thoughtful lyrics and soothing harmonies. In other words, I’m anxiously awaiting the forthcoming album.
Overall, I was highly entertained by the quality of the Bright Eyes performance and Conor Oberst’s onstage antics. He kept me guessing about everything from which instrument he would play next to what political philosophical gem he wanted to impart to the crowd. It was a Sunday night at 9:30 Club well spent.
Photo Credit: Amy Willard
