It Happened Last Night
Bright Eyes Make Some Country Noise
LOS ANGELES: Conor Oberst, older and wiser, rocks the West Coast.
By Spin Staff 03.08.07 4:00 AM
Conor Oberst (a.k.a Bright Eyes), the long-reigning king of angst, seems to have traded in his forlorn crown for a cowboy hat. Sporting shoulder length hair and a button down shirt at L.A.'s El Rey Theatre, Oberst looked more like Johnny Cash than a sad-eyed emo kid. Backed by violin, mandolin, trumpet, lap steel, and a harmonica-playing M. Ward, Bright Eyes charged through new cuts such as "Reinvent the Wheel," "Smoke Without Fire," and "Stray Dog Blues" with country hoedown gusto. Older tunes such as "Another Travelin' Song," "Old Soul Song (For the New World Order)," and "Make War" reflected Oberst's country state of mind. While Bright Eyes' backing soundtrack seems to have been replaced by saloon worthy honky-tonk, rest assured: Those jarring indie vocals of yore still occasionally run free. ELISA JACOBS / PHOTOS BY JESS LEE
>> Listen to Bright Eyes on Napster
We asked: "What do you do when you're wide awake in the morning?"
Name: Jessie Jo
Age: 20
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Occupation: Songwriter
"Listen to Conor Oberst, man."
Name: Julia Wick
Age: 17
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Student
"Hit snooze."
Name: Ryan Enright
Age: 25
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Occupation: Screenwriter
"Put quarters in the meter, and I'm usually too late and I curse the meter maid."
Name: Audrey Fann
Age: 28
Hometown: Prescott, AZ
Occupation: Teacher
"I think, oh my God, do I really have to get up?"
Name: David Zuch
Age: 21
Hometown: Buenos Aires, AR
Occupation: Software developer
"I get ready for work."
Name: Nick White
Age: 25
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Musician
"I watch Dexter on On Demand."
Name: Andrea Lauritsen
Age: 22
Hometown: Redlands, CA
Occupation: Student
"Drink a cup of coffee and smoke a cigarette."
Name: Justin Tierney
Age: 22
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Occupation: Musician
"Kiss my girlfriend."
With a full band in tow, Oberst & Co. let off the happiness
In a country state of mind
Conor Oberst is awesome! I'd like to kiss him being awaked in the morning. Make him coffee and sure to lighten a cigarette. That's a real rock morning.
signature: “I like to drink coffee and smoking cheap cigarettes before bed. I dream faster.” (c) Steven Wright: Coffee and cigarettes