Yeah, I went Amex presale on Conor’s July 29th at Central Park but that doesn’t mean I love him the way I used to. In 2008 I went to Connecticut to catch Conor pushing his first solo album because the New York show was a free concert in Battery Park and I didn’t feel like the fight to get in. Same year I caught him doing a tiny show at Other Music, and I haven’t missed him since then, like at all.
But the last two shows, the Bright Eyes at Radio City gig and the solo Carnegie Hall show where he pathetically sat all the way through it, were disappointments.
The truth is Conor peaked with the best album of the 00s Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, and except for his other flat out masterpiece Conor Oberst, it has been downhill ever since. On this Spotify list of 21 songs, four of them are post 2009. I’ll review em at a later date but for right now, just listen to The People’s Key. I have. Long and often and still hear no more than one great (“Jejune Stars” -so good Mary Magpie named her band after it) and one good (“Shell Games”).
And I don’t know if you can get your hands on this, but if you can find the demo of “I Got The Reason # 2 -a live version of a song so great he couldn’t destroy it on Outer South, though he sure tried hard enough. This is where you think Conor’s instincts head South, the soaring keyboards right off Blonde On Blonde just doesn’t do it and he misses with the key and the Outer South isn’t as good; and it is still great.
But that’s the problem with Outer South. It’s just not as good as it could be, it pales next to the first solo album. And then, whatever young Conor was -and what he was was an indie god nailing teen girls from one end of the US to the other, at least he seemed like he might be one of us. The two times I met him, he was was very nice. Suddenly he was dating film stars and going to rehab and then making snotty comments about not reading his reviews and finally his horrendous put down of 16 year old girls. Hating social media because people are spiteful on “FB” is like hating movies because you don’t like “Ride Along”.
Whatever the reason, Conor Oberst is becoming the Elvis Costello of indie Kings. After years and years of ruling the earth, of being such an obsessive songwriter his girlfriend at the time, Maria Taylor, wouldn’t let him drive when they went out, he became… I don’t know what he is? A dick, whose latest song, “Hundreds Of Ways” may be many things but it sure ain’t “Say Please”
Dude, it’s Conor. At one of his concerts he had a big yellow umbrella and no one could see him from the balconies and someone yelled for him to remove it. Conor said fuck no. He acts like a brat but it’s part of his persona, and it’s also a defense to have privacy. Creative people, like Conor have a lot going on in their minds. It’s like when I used to study Amy winehouse. Lots of creativity but also a lot of depression and destructive behavior. She wasn’t always nice or presentable but she was beautiful and extremely talented. Maybe I’m wrong about all this but this article just did not hit me right. That’s never how I’ve seen him. You’re a very talented writer and this is a good article but I kindly agree to disagree. Also I’m not trying to be rude, it’s just my thoughts on the subject because it’s so near to my heart. Good luck on your blogging keep up the good work. It’s always good to question things and start discussions.