The Greatness of Conor Oberst's Performances and Overall Existence

This was the third time I have seen Conor Oberst. The first time was in November of 2006 when he was with Bright Eyes. Spectacular. Mind-bending. Perfect. At this time, Conor was still in his angst-filled early 20s and though his music and words from that period are beautiful, there show was filled with sadness. I cried for most of it, but still felt a sense of enlightenment afterwards, like I had just discovered a a truth that no one else had. The particular songs he played were filled with personal problems like depression, alcoholism, his anger with God and a sense of alienation from those around him. This is very indicative of his teenage years and were, at the time, very easy for me to relate to. That was the reason I started listening to Conor all those years ago: he was saying what I could not. As his music progressed and matured with the release of Digital Ash in Digital Urn, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Cassadaga, his poetry became less centered around his life and more about universal feelings and issues. His view of God also changed and he seemed more agnostic than anything. This change also coincided with my maturation.  I was extremely impressed by the rest of the members of Bright Eyes who made up the orchestra on stage. Perfection. Each note in its place, each word slurred to perfection by the drunken poet.

The second time I saw Conor was this past summer in Battery Park when he was with The Mystic Valley Band. This sound is very different from Bright Eyes. But still perfect. It is more rock and roll, but still folk. In fact, some songs, especially those written and sang by Taylor Hollingsworth, even have a tinge of country in them. But old country. With this new musical formation, Conor's words became more descriptive and more metaphorical. Certain lyrics about the possibility of a God sounded more positive. Unlike Bright Eyes, Conor incorporated songs written and performed by other members of the band. This was also a sign of maturation that I found I could easily relate to. Rather than Conor sitting on a chair or wallowing around the stage like in the Bright Eyes show, he was dancing and jumping and shaking his butt which made the atmosphere of the show much happier and instead of simply crying of the enamoring beauty of Conor's words, I was also crying because of the joy that surrounded me.This show was particularly great because it was not in a sit-down styled theater but rather a huge crowd of other young adults passionate about this great band. I felt a great connection to those around me and I was pleased to realize that I am not the only one bat-shit crazy over Conor.

Last night was just as perfect. This time Conor was playing in Monsters of Folk, a collaborative group made up of  Jim James, M. Ward, Mike Mogis and Conor. All of these men are extremely talented poets and musicians. The show was not centered around one of them, but rather, they all took turns singing and playing different instruments. And, as a change, they all wore matching suits (Conor has never matched anyone before). This is a symbol of their equality in the group. I expected Conor to be great, which he was, and I was thrilled when they played some old Bright Eyes songs. I was blown away by his performance, especially when he was dancing and looking adorable. But I was extremely impressed by the performances of M. Ward, Jim James and Mike Mogis. I have not heard much Jim James but he has an amazing voice, which is reminiscent of old country, and a great way with words. I plan on listening to his most popular musical project, My Morning Jacket. M. Ward was great too. His voice is so electrifying and probably the most unique of the group. Very sexy. Though Mike Mogis did not sing, he played the slide guitar more many of the songs and also a smallish guitar thing I have never seen (very ukulele like). He is a great musician and also very attractive.The energy of the audience was magnificent. There were people around me screaming equally as loud as I was (which is very hard to do) and jumping and cheering. There was this one guy in front of us who, whenever M. Ward or Jim James played a song, screamed and jeered and you could see the passion swirling around him. It was a great feeling to see other people as passionate as I am about this music. It is comforting and makes me feel less alienated. The entire experience was exactly what I had hoped for. Julie and I waited outside the doors where we (and several other bat-shit crazy fans) thought the band would be exiting the building. But alas, we were dooped by Conor and M. Ward who magically slipped out the front when no one was looking. We were so close. But we did see Mike Mogis and Jim James for a brief second before they jumped into their tour bus. I was kind of disappointed. But we did meet some interesting people while we waited there for almost two hours on a street in Philly. This includes a homeless man who reeked of alcohol and told Julie and I that we were beautiful then proceeded to kiss our hands. Yes, for real. I should try to look less approachable when I am in cities. But anyway, it was great and I would let a million homeless people kiss my hands if it meant I could see Conor.

I strongly recommend for everyone to listen to as much Conor as possible. I would suggest songs but I love all of them and could never choose.