We were bowled over yet again at the Santa Barbara Bowl last night by the brilliant Bright Eyes.  We’ll write about tonight’s show soon, but in the meantime check out Bright Eyes, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and a hardy singalong-crowd at Stubb’s in Austin last week slaying Lua.  Conor left out the luscious Lua tonight (though they gave us powerfully poignant versions of Poison Oak and Ladder Song), so we’ll fill the Lua void with the fine version below from Austin.  Listen in to Nate Walcott’s horn play interlaced beautifully with Rawlings’ standard, soul-arch guitar.

And then check a superb rendering by Bright Eyes, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and Laura Burhenn (of Mynabirds fame) of Welch’s Wrecking Ball.  Conor and Burhenn gave a great reading tonight at the Bowl, but the version below from Stubb’s sets the bar ridiculously high, with Gillian’s sonorous singing and Rawlings elevating on electric guitar and vocals.   Wow.