Six talented people on one stage, a Mexican feeling and a lot of good music can describe this evening. No, I'm not doing a concert review about Calexico again. Like I mentioned in my last blog entry, Isabel and I have gone to a concert of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.
They played their show at the Warfield in San Francisco. This music venue had been renovated a few weeks ago and is now again open to the public. The interior room reminded me some of the Sistine Chapel: mural paintings on the ceiling, baroque walls and a lot of candelabra.
It's a fact that this show is not a Bright Eyes concert, it's Conor Oberst's solo project. This fact irritated some members of the audience. But all in all you can hardly hear the difference between the Mystic Valley Band and Bright Eyes - the sound's almost the same. But the "false labeling"-band was more down-to-earth. More guitars, no "extraordinary" instruments like violins or xylophones - like Conor Oberst used during Bright Eyes shows.
A mixed audience of younger and older people created a great atmosphere. The concert was sold out. The security measures were exaggerated - I felt like I was taking part in a military drill. Security lines and incompetent doormen spoiled some parts of the evening.
The Mystic Valley Band played almost all the songs of their new album "Conor Oberst" which has a Mexican touch and creates some kind of an "on the road"-feeling. But maybe it's because Isabel and I listen to this album when we're driving in our car.
People who expected some Bright Eyes songs got disappointed - they played not a single song of Conor's "former band". Who would have known that?
All in all it was a great, two hour show with a refreshed and well-rehearsed Conor Oberst and some his Saddle Creek family members. Conor once again showed that the music is the best way to express himself - either as Bright Eyes or as the Mystic Valley Band.
They played their show at the Warfield in San Francisco. This music venue had been renovated a few weeks ago and is now again open to the public. The interior room reminded me some of the Sistine Chapel: mural paintings on the ceiling, baroque walls and a lot of candelabra.
It's a fact that this show is not a Bright Eyes concert, it's Conor Oberst's solo project. This fact irritated some members of the audience. But all in all you can hardly hear the difference between the Mystic Valley Band and Bright Eyes - the sound's almost the same. But the "false labeling"-band was more down-to-earth. More guitars, no "extraordinary" instruments like violins or xylophones - like Conor Oberst used during Bright Eyes shows.
A mixed audience of younger and older people created a great atmosphere. The concert was sold out. The security measures were exaggerated - I felt like I was taking part in a military drill. Security lines and incompetent doormen spoiled some parts of the evening.
The Mystic Valley Band played almost all the songs of their new album "Conor Oberst" which has a Mexican touch and creates some kind of an "on the road"-feeling. But maybe it's because Isabel and I listen to this album when we're driving in our car.
People who expected some Bright Eyes songs got disappointed - they played not a single song of Conor's "former band". Who would have known that?
All in all it was a great, two hour show with a refreshed and well-rehearsed Conor Oberst and some his Saddle Creek family members. Conor once again showed that the music is the best way to express himself - either as Bright Eyes or as the Mystic Valley Band.
Listen to their songs at http://www.myspace.com/conoroberst
No comments:
Post a Comment