2.7 Bright Eyes @ The El Rey
They love him so, so much. And they know it will make him hate them. But they can’t help themselves. Sort of like playing chicken, or those poor folk who drunk dial their exes, even though they know each late night phone call is one more strike against them. So it is with the super fans drawn to heckle Bright Eyes during his live performances. As the night progresses, the tension mounts. What will they say? How stupid will it be? And then, it comes: I like your hair! I want to have your babies! Each volley making the sensitive songsmith shrink a little bit more inside of his skin. At one point during his show at the El Rey, Oberst’s longtime friend Jake Bellows of brilliant indie rock outfit Neva Dinova (his “A Picture in Pocket” is one of those sexy, perfect songs) even stepped up to the mic to offer a little small talk about the fact that they’d just flown into town and were feeling tired, to ease the mood as tuning commenced and the weighted silence hung heavy. There was also a rumor circulating that a particularly gnarly stalker was feared to be in the house, causing security to be extra vigilant. Indie rock ain't what it used to be.
But these few tense moments, and the truly horrendous house sound aside, Oberst showed himself to have left his enfant terrible past far behind him during a kinetic 90-minute set that featured the kind of winning mix of old and new that reminds what a powerful catalog he has amassed in his decade as a songwriter. And yes, the crowd even let him get in a little banter of his own. He was backed by a seven-piece band, also including old friends Mike Mogis and a guest turn on several songs by M. Ward, that had the full, imposing sound of an inde rock orchestra. Songs like “Four Winds,” from his 2007 EP of the same name, and the new song he previewed from his upcoming album, “Caldugga,” which had the fervor of a gypsy lament, suggest that he has managed to gain maturity without giving up intensity. Oh, and his new shoulder-length do is quite fetching, too. Well, you were desperate to know, weren't you?! I know, I'm a fool to do your dirty work. Oh yeah.
