The songwriting veteran Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes has embraced a brighter ascetic since first emerging in the 90s as an angry folk sibling to Elliott Smith. Both hail from Omaha and have written many beloved songs over the years, though Conor has explored electronic, country western, and rock more fluidly than Smith had the opportunity to. Tuesday, June 7th is when you'll be able to catch Conor in all of the content and glory of his steady career as a respected songwriter alongside Malibu natives Dawes.
The People's Key differs significantly from most Bright Eyes records put out a decade ago. "I'm still angry with no reason to be," he says in "Shell Games" although the upbeat tempo contradicts this claim. His songs have always been subtle in their emotional depth and require some extra digestion, even though they're quite easy to get down initially. Then there are times when the raw emotion put into his performances can leave even a festival crowd of people quiet for a few extra seconds. His last stop in Louisville was in Monsters of Folk, a supergroup where he played alongside Bright Eyes bandmate Mike Mogis, MMJ's Jim James and M. Ward.
Dawes debuted in 2009 with North Hills, a very soulful take on contemporary folk rock. It evokes a time warp where I feel like Peter, Paul and Mary were resurrected as young men and started making music again. Their smooth vocal harmonies are styled like renditions of classic 60s songs, bold and beautiful. Their new album Nothing is Wrong drops the same day of the show and ear-X-tacy will host an in-store performance and album release party from 6PM-7PM. Come out and show your support!
Bright Eyes will play with Dawes at Iroquois Amphitheater on Tuesday, June 7th. 8 PM, gates @ 6:30 PM. All Ages. Tickets: adv. $28 / DOS $33.
