Venue: Melkweg The Max, Amsterdam
It had barely been 4 months since the previous Bright Eyes concert I had attended and although it may seem like a short period of time, one important event had occurred in those 4 months; the release of the new album Cassadaga. I was, like everyone else, curious as to how the new songs would be different from last time, including some that they hadn't played.
First, however, I had Jaymay to look forward to. I had listened to a few of her songs prior to the concert and I had been mildly impressed. Walking onstage with only an acoustic guitar, she appeared to be very shy and a little surprised when people applauded after her songs. She played and sang well, but despite a short set, repetitive songs and clever lyrics, she didn't manage to keep the attention of the crowd on herself for very long. This is when I realized that being a successful solo artist is a very hard thing to accomplish.
[Rating: 2.5/5]
Even though Jaymay hadn't used any of the equipment on stage except for a single microphone, the wait for Bright Eyes was really long, the roadies tuning one guitar at least 10 times. I had noticed during the wait that there was a lot more equipment than the concert in March, which made me very excited. Finally, the lights turned off and the wait was over. A backdrop was projected from where the sounddesk was, making it hard to see anything in detail but luckily turned out to be temporary as the intro to 'Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)' started playing through the speakers. Shortly after, two cellists, a viola player, a violin player, a saxophonist and a flautist made their way onto the stage, followed by the bassist, two (female) drummers and finally, the 'official' members of Bright Eyes; Nate Walcott, Mike Mogis and Conor Oberst. After Clairaudients came the new single Hot Knives and was played so beautifully (with the distorted acoustic guitar tone) that I actually fell in love with it, having hated the album version because of that same tone. Even though the previously played tracks off Cassadaga hadn't been changed a great deal, the presence of a bigger band made the songs sound much richer while keeping the clarity of the individual instruments, thanks to the great mix.
One interesting feature was the visual effects that were projected at the wall behind the band. Someone at the back (Conor mentioned the name a few times but I can't remember it now) was doing various things to make a psychadelic background such as dripping different colored ink into some water while stirring it or playing around with colored beads.
Everybody has commented on Conor Oberst's new attitude on stage, acting as a sort of confident bandleader but he was at a whole new level this concert. He (and the rest of the band) played flawlessly, executing the transfer between sections perfectly while still putting on a great show for the crowd. This time, unlike the last, quite a few old fan favorites were played, including a full band version of First Day Of My Life, which, needless to say, was magnificent. If only it could be recorded... After the short encore break, the two drummers came back on and played the intro to 'Gold Mine Gutted', to great applause, with Conor on his matching white piano following shortly after. Arienette, one of my favorites, was also featured in this encore.
Unfortunately, the last song had come and all but the 'official' 3 left the stage as they started the intro to 'A Song To Pass The Time'. I thought it was a great song to end with, very soft and relaxing, a great way to cool down and realize that you'd just seen an amazing show. After waiting for the applause to die down and being given a set list by one of the fans, I made my way to the exit, sure that this was the best Bright Eyes gig i'd seen yet.
Set list:
1. Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)
2. Hot Knives
3. Middleman
4. First Day of My Life
5. Four Winds
6. I Won't Ever Be Happy Again
7. The Calendar Hung Itself
8. If The Brakeman Turns My Way
9. No One Would Riot For Less
10. False Advertising
11. I Believe In Symmetry
12. Lime Tree
13. Gold Mine Gutted
14. Southern State
15. Arienette
16. A Song To Pass The Time
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