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Conor Oberst at Asbury Hall (09/14/17)

September 18, 2017

For his first show in Buffalo in quite some time, all in attendance at Asbury Hall this past Thursday got quite the unique experience out of Conor Oberst’s live show. Anyone that has listened Bright Eyes or Oberst’s solo work knows that he has seriously struggled with alcoholism in the past, and Buffalo may have brought out the worst in him. From the moment he came out onto the stage, he was clearly intoxicated, slurring his speech, forgetting the words and verses to songs. He managed to fight through most of his planned set, performing solo material, as well as countless Bright Eyes songs, including fan favorites “Lua” and “First Day of My Life.” His band mates nervously looked on as he reached his breaking point, stumbling off stage two songs before his encore. Just like that, the curtains closed and the house lights came on. While the reaction of the audience seemed pretty mixed, disappointment seemed to[...]

Tonight: Conor Oberst

September 14, 2017

After a bit of a prolonged local absence, Conor Oberst, sans his Bright Eyes moniker, will be returning to the Buffalo area tonight to perform within the acoustically rich walls of Babeville’s Asbury Hall. The Saddle Creek all-star has been touring in support of his latest record Salutations, the full band follow-up to last year’s bare bones Ruminations. The former reworked a number of the 2016 release’s tracks in addition to adding a handful of new songs to fill out the collection. Opening up for Oberst will be one of NPR’s current obsessions, the breakthrough folk singer Phoebe Bridgers. Tickets are still available to grab at the door for $30 or $35 dollars. Music is set to kick off at 8pm.

Conor Oberst – Salutations

April 7, 2017

Apparently, last year’s Ruminations was just an appetizer, as Conor Oberst is back with a new, fuller record (both in sound and length). The over-an-hour-long Salutations sees him shift from solo acoustic guitar/piano sparseness to rounded out, full band arrangements. The album includes reworked renditions of all ten tracks from Ruminations, in addition to seven brand new songs. There is a stark contrast to these songs compared to last year’s counterparts. Ruminations was stripped down and bare, and felt almost like a cry for help in its startling isolation. Instead, Salutations is amblin’ Americana rock, finding company with organs, strings, accordion and percussion, as well as additional voices. Songs like “Tachycardia,” “Next of Kin” and “Mamah Borthwick (A Sketch)” turn into swooning ballads, while “Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out,” “Barbary Coast (Later)” and “A Little Uncanny” become torch-bearing anthems. There are also the seven additional new songs, essentially another[...]

Staff Picks: Favorite Albums & Songs (so far) – Part 1

June 26, 2014

With 2014 at its mid way point, the staff here at buffaBLOG has gone over the first six months of the year and picked our favorite tracks and albums. Variety is always nice on lists like this; it shows that we have been blessed with a rich and diverse year of new music, and for the most point, it is reflected on today and tomorrow’s Part 2 lists. Bill Wright Album: Liars – Mess For 15 years, Liars have been tweaking, reworking, and pivoting their sound.  But if there is one thing that has remained constant over the years, it’s that they have always been a little weird. Their front man is even named Angus ,which is a weird name if I’ve ever heard one (apologizes to all the readers out there named Angus). This year, Liars put out their “electronic” album, a record that takes all the beeps and boops they[...]

Conor Oberst’s Upside Down Mountain

May 16, 2014

There’s a mountain in southern France called the Pic de Bugarach. It’s a bit of a geological anomaly because rock samples taken from its peak have actually proven to be older than samples taken from lower elevations, earning it the nickname “Upside Down Mountain.” Geologists have come up with a perfectly reasonable explanation for this, involving “thrust faults” and “horizontal compression,” which I can only vaguely pretend to understand. If you Google Pic de Bugarach, however, you’ll find that others have come up with far more scientifically dubious (but more interesting!) explanations involving aliens, spaceships, and the apocalypse. It shouldn’t be terribly surprising then that Conor Oberst has titled his new album after the nickname for a mountain worshiped by esoteric New Agers. Ever since Bright Eyes released Cassadaga in 2007, Oberst has shown significant interest in spirituality. The lead tracks on the last two Bright Eyes Albums featured cryptic[...]