For many in the sold-out Melbourne crowd, Conor Oberst has been a constant in their lives as they grew up, with his music and different phases closely mirroring their own: the irate, unrestrained sound of his early cassettes, the angsty teen anger on Fevers and Mirrors, the mournful country folk of I’m Wide Awake, the experimentations with electronic sounds on Digital Ash, and finally the maturity and acceptance seen on the likes of Cassadaga and his latest solo efforts.
This Golden Plains sideshow at the Corner Hotel was a show for those fans, the ones that have been listening for most of their lives, the ones that delve into EPs and other projects for another taste, and the ones that stand happily in silence for more than two hours as Conor Oberst plays a weird array of whatever songs he chooses.
The lights go down a bit earlier than expected, as quietly strummed acoustic guitar can be heard, the first notes of ‘Napoleon’s Hat’, an impromptu song Oberst recorded for a Saddle Creek fundraiser. The obscure song choice sets the tone for the rest of the night, where the enigmatic singer-songwriter gleefully picks and chooses from his illustrious back-catalogue.
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Wearing an oversized, wide-brimmed hat and sporting hair down to his shoulders, it’s clear from the outset that Oberst is much happier to be on stage than on previous visits. He constantly moves across the stage, interacting happily with his backing band, the Felice Brothers, who also served as sole support for the night. He’s energetic and emotional on stage, still putting his everything into each song, but seeming very relaxed in between.
‘Four Winds’ is the first of the bigger Bright Eyes songs played, and it’s met with a huge reaction. The version makes full use of the five-piece backing band, and lends a different feeling to the Cassadaga standout. This is felt across the night, and it’s fascinating to hear old and treasured Bright Eyes songs played with a new band and different instruments – there’s violin and piano accordian galore. They still have the same emotional backing and strength of Oberst, but the new musicians lend their own interpretations, adding a whole new layer to the songs.
‘Time Forgot’ and ‘Hundreds Of Ways’ offer the first taste of Oberst’s latest solo album, and the fact that they slot in quite neatly with the rest of the set demonstrates the strength of the record. After revealing that he rejected an offer to perform it on Sesame Street, the Omaha-native dedicates ‘Ten Women’ to any mathematicians in the audience. Oberst offers a range of dedications across the night, perhaps in an attempt to make sure everyone gets their song. There are songs played for the alcoholics, for the stargazers, and for the John Darnielle’s, but they’re all for the Bright Eyes fans.
The double hit of ‘Poison Oak’ and ‘An Attempt To Tip The Scales’ creates the emotional centre-piece of the night, with the beautiful and sparse acoustic songs leading to a hushed sense of awe from the crowd. While Oberst is impressively receptive and interactive with the crowd, when he plays intensely emotional songs like ‘Poison Oak’, he’s all alone in the room with his own words.
The Felice Brothers are fantastic as the backing band, and Oberst regularly professes his love for them, saying that they’re his favourite band on multiple occasions. This love even stretches to covering one of their songs, with guitarist Ian Felice and Oberst trading vocal lines.
As the band depart and the lights dim, we’re left with just Oberst and violin player Greg Farley for a haunting rendition of ‘Lenders in the Temple’ before he delivers a disclaimer of sorts that the show will be a long one. With a limited upcoming show at the Melbourne Zoo, Oberst says they’re making the most of being able to play for as long as possible, and with the crowd’s reaction, it’s obvious they’re happy to stay for as long as Oberst is willing to.
“I feel like I only get down here every three of four years, and the plane ride fucking sucks,” Oberst admits. And he’s right, his last visit to Australian shores was back in 2012 in what was perhaps the last Bright Eyes shows here. “But I always have such a good time,” he continues.
The show overwhelmingly consists of Bright Eyes songs, along with a couple of Mystic Valley Band offerings, a couple of covers, and a handful of new material from solo album Upside Down Mountain. There’s a moment towards the end of the night between songs when a large portion of the crowd is shouting requests, before another shouts: “play what you want”. It’s this attitude that Conor Oberst takes, and it makes the show a special one.
The first taste of Bright Eyes’ more electronic experimentations, ‘Easy/Lucky/Free’ also signals the end of the main set, with crackling distortion buzzing on stage until Oberst returns alone for ‘Milk Thistle’. It’s an incredibly powerful and overwhelming performance of the song, and it’s one that demonstrates everything that’s brilliant about Oberst – the poetic, harrowing lyrics, crackling, intimate vocals, and subtle instrumentation that allows the rest to shine.
The rest of the band returns for a raucous Tom Petty cover, where even the illusive John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats, who was apparently in the crowd the whole time, wanders happily onto stage and sings and dances the song away. After a long and loving embrace between Oberst and Darnielle, the end of ‘Another Travelling Song’, an apt song about life on the road, sees the band depart for the last time.
But Oberst remains, and finishes with the quiet, introspective and insecure ‘Song to Pass the Time’ from Fevers and Mirrors. It may seem a strange song to end the night on, but fits perfectly with the rest of the show, and brings it full circle from ‘Napoleon’s Hat’ at the start. They’re cult fan-favourite songs, and it’s clear that Oberst is picking the exact songs he wants to play, not ones he feels pressured to play, and this is for the benefit of everyone. They’re performed with passion and expertise, and appreciated by the packed but silent crowd.
The show was a special treat for the more ardent Bright Eyes fans, with many songs that most thought they’d never get to hear live. It’s clear that Oberst has grown up, he’s not angry or angsty anymore, and he enjoys playing live in front of adoring people across the world. Returning to play old Bright Eyes and solo songs gives them new elements and intricacies, but they’re still the same relatable, emotional songs at their core.
It’s clear that Conor Oberst still feels the powerful, raw lyrics, he’s just not living them anymore.
Setlist:
Napoleon’s Hat (Bright Eyes)
Southern State (Bright Eyes)
Four Winds (Bright Eyes)
Time Forgot
Hundreds of Ways
Ten Women (Mystic Valley Band)
Artifact #1
Well Whiskey (Bright Eyes)
Poison Oak (Bright Eyes)
An Attempt To Tip The Scales (Bright Eyes)
Butch Cassidy (Felice Brothers cover)
Lenders In The Temple
Zigzagging Towards the Light
Cape Canaveral
Method Acting (Bright Eyes)
Easy/Lucky/Free (Bright Eyes)
Encore
Milk Thistle
Walls (Circus) (Tom Petty cover)
Another Travelling Song (Bright Eyes)
Song To Pass The Time (Bright Eyes)
