The last time we saw Bright Eyes was in April, the month of deadlines and imperatives.  The usual musical drifters, who normally co-sign for the minor chord caravans, were instead casted and recovering.  The die cast, in camera, we coasted south.  We crossed into the Inland Empire, defying our internal empirics, out-foxed by the Fox Theater and drawn by it’s blazing neon.  After the strangely-standard pre-show chat with Welch and Rawlings and a rousing set by Johnny and Jenny, out came the brilliant Bright Eyes.  And Conor and crew literally lit-up the Fox with death-and-taxes defying uplift, exceeding even our expectations from the solo sojourn.

Why this particularly configured congregation (Conor, Mike Mogis, Nate Walcott, drums, keyboards and horn players) brings out the best in Conor Oberst, we’ll leave for the musicographers to decipher.  Suffice it to say that at the Santa Barbara Bowl on September 25th there will be beauty and brightness.  There will be so much brightness that you will think at times that you’re listening to circa-70s Cars on a song or two.  Don’t miss it.

Below are more pictures from the April show, the set list, and a couple of videos to check out.  We’ll see you on the 25th.

All photos and videos by Lefort