Bright Eyes at the Norva, 10 November 2007

Bright Eyes at the Norva, 10 November 2007

Conor Oberst and company presented passionate and spirited renditions of several recent songs, though they didn’t shy away from their pre-2005 catalogue (most of which I didn’t recognize). Especially impressive were “No One Would Riot for Less” and “If the Brakeman Turns My Way” from Cassadaga and “Lua” from I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. “First Day of My Life” was noticeably absent, but that left room for new songs (such as, I’m guessing, “Roosevelt Room”). Mike Mogis’ pedal steel guitar was hauntingly beautiful, and Nate Walcott’s piano, organ, trumpet and flugelhorn effectively filled out the sound, making up for the lack of the full orchestra present on recent albums. Considering the sensitive and poetic nature of Bright Eyes’ music, this was a surprisingly upbeat and fun concert.