I must admit that I didn’t go to this concert knowing any of Conor’s solo stuff, with the exception of the recent single “Souled Out!” Likewise, I never quite got into Bright Eyes the way others did, so I certainly wasn’t attending with an expectation to hear the better known music. I still don’t own any albums… I still don’t even have a Bright Eyes MP3 on my computer! But perhaps now it’s time I really did buy a few Bright Eyes albums, and naturally the solo stuff as well, because as the following review will show: this guy is one seriously ridiculously amazing performer, songwriter and musician, and I’m really glad I was convinced to attend.
But before I get to Conor, let’s talk about his Mystic Valley Band. I think it’s fair to say that often the backing band of a self imposed “solo artist” are merely adjudicators for the masterpiece at work, playing standard, predictable rifts, while the solo artist shows off his skills. But as with Ben Harper’s Innocent Criminals or Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, this was definitely much more than a solo project, with the Mystic Valley Band doing anything but being predictable. Not only were they often singing on the tracks, but they were just as masterful on their given instruments as Conor, if not more so. From the keyboards to the percussions to the bass guitar, they were all incredible musicians and help create symphonic moments you never wanted to end. Of particular mention was a song in which 4 of the members (including Conor) harmonised together, the synchronicity of which was spellbinding. And likewise, the compositions themselves provided harmonies so layered and precise that I’m pretty sure, even if you knew every Conor Oberst song backwards and forwards, you wouldn’t know what they were going to come up with next. I can’t say enough positive about these guys. They were mind-blowingly, goosebump-enducingly good.
Was that enough adjectives for you? No? Well let me throw another one at you: Epic. It’s rare these days that you hear a song live that you never want to end – but at this concert those moments came with pretty much every song they played. They brought their songs to climaxes in such a way reminiscent of what the Dave Matthews Band often pulls off, moving from soft songs (such as Cape Canaveral on your right) to loud, boisterous numbers in which one would have to pick their jaw up off the floor and remember to open their eyes after it’s finished. Indeed, epic is the word to describe these latter songs. At one moment, when the guys from I Heart Hiroshima came out at the end of a Paul Simon cover at its most climatic moment… well words can’t even describe it. I think it’s fair to say there were a few tears shed by the girls up the front from pure happiness during moments like that. Or perhaps they were just remembering they think Conor is all the sexy. All of it.
And with said Paul Simon cover included (I believe it was Kodachrome), the encore for me was probably the highlight of the night. Such was probably due to an additional cover of one of my favourite Dylan tracks, Corrina Corrina. Let’s just say these guys know how to cover songs, and with the exception of “All Along the Watchtower” (both the Hendrix and Dave Matthews Band versions), that’s the best Dylan cover I’ve ever heard. And you know there have been more than a fair share of Dylan covers over the years, live and recorded, so I recognise this is a massive call, but believe me: it’s completely justified.
So enough of the hyperbole, what of Conor’s repertoire with the audience? Surprisingly enough he did have a good bit of banter throughout his songs, receiving flowers from aforementioned tearful girls and seeming to really embrace the night, the last of their Australian tour. Judging by recent set lists, we seemed to have gotten a pretty jam-packed one comparatively, with the concert running close to the two-hour mark. As for Conor himself, the guy really is an amazing musician. On the night he played keyboards for one of the final numbers, as well as acoustic and electric guitars the rest of the evening, all with obvious and impressive prowess. But that’s not to say he’s a perfect musician, a music “god,” if you will. He definitely off key every now and then, and a lot of the more impressive moments were done by the Mystic Valley Band. I’m certainly not putting this out there as a criticism, but rather just reminding both myself and you that he is indeed human. And believe me, after that performance you really do need that reminder.
Now, after I pick my jaw up off the floor from all this reminiscing, I think it’s about time I go to JB Hi-Fi and get me some of that back catalogue.
