Regular readers of Rock NYC will be used to my Conor Oberst fanaticism. If I hero worship anybody in the modern pop world it is Oberst. He is simply and obviously the greatest songwriter of his generation.
But Goddamn -he insists upon playing the songs he wants to in concert instead of the songs I want him to. Who wants to hear him covering “Kodachrome” when he hasn’t played “Train Under Water”? Or “Let’s Not Shit Ourselves”?
Of the sevral (not many) times I’ve seen him live he only once gave me a dream set -at Town Hall in 06? 07? something like that. Otherwise he plays what he has just recorded and throws in some covers. The upcoming Monsters Of Folk concert would be much better if I was getting a Bright Eyes/Conor set…
I had asked Marie Lynn to write this post but she is obsessing over a new guy and I can’t get her attention for more than a moment or another. I introduced Marie Lynn to Conor circa “Lua” and she is as crazy about him as I am. Crazier. Because she fancies him and I miss out on that tension.
That also means she is more given to love songs like “First Day Of My Life” while I want to hear “When The Brakeman Turns My Way”.
Anyway, here is my live dream Conor/Bright Eyes set list. In a recent interview Conor said he is gonna do one more Bright Eyes album before moving on. I hope he does the album and I hope he doesn’t move on completely, but I’m guessing that means Bright Eyes will be touring again at least one more time. So, Conor, use this bloody song list…
June On the West Coast
Two Straws
When The Brakeman Turns My Way
Make War
Nothing Gets Crossed Out
I Got The Reason
Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man
A Perfect Sonnet
Hot Knives
Take It Easy (Love Or Nothing)
Eagle On A Pole
A Line Allows Progress, A Circle Does Not
Breezy
Man, Wife, the Latter (Damaged Goods)
Tourist Trap
One Of My Kind
Cape Canavaral
Train Under Water
At the Bottom Of Everything
1st Encore
Let’s Not Shit Ourselves (To Love Or Be Loved)
2nd Encore
Say Please
Let The Distance Keep Us Together
Road To Joy
Lua
3rd Encore
Everything Must Belong Somewhere
Lime tree