Conor's New Projects

[SoonIWillDisa?pear]

This was originally brought up in the "Postman Song" thread, but it excited me so much that I decided to make a new thread.

Oh yes! Here are the scoops that are making their rounds through the interwebs:

Omaha City Weekly:
"Also with recording plans for the winter is Conor Oberst. Beginning in the new year, Oberst is slated to begin recording two new albums — one a solo record in Mexico (?) with Jake Bellows playing a role and another with a new band being formed with M Ward."
http://www.omahacityweekly​.com/article.php?id=4286 (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Minneapolis Star Tribune:
"Normally, you can use his name and Bright Eyes interchangeably. But Conor Oberst only wants what’s on his birth certificate used to advertise his very-special two-night stand at the 400 Bar on Dec. 29 and 30 (*note change in dates from previous announcement). Tickets go on sale for $20 this Saturday (Nov. 24) just after midnight at www.ticketweb.com, and you can bet they’ll go fast.
Word from 400 Bar management is that Oberst wants it explicitedly known these won’t be Bright Eyes shows – i.e., he won’t be doing any of those songs! He will be playing new material with a different backing band. Oberst doesn’t have any tour plans, these shows are a one-time-only deal — undoubtedly helped by the fact that he’ll be home for the holidays in Omaha, and 400 co-operator Bill Sullivan has off-and-on been Bright Eyes’ tour manager for the past half-decade."
http://www.startribune.com/blogs/poplife/?p=497

discuss

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Is the source saying he will actually make a solo record really credible?

I want to know before I get excited. It just sounds too good to be true. Especially this soon.

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And the M. Ward side project. Which is also exciting. Just not as exciting.

Anyway...

[breadandfruit]

Is the source saying he will actually make a solo record really credible?

Well Tim McMahan (lazy-i), who is a credible reviewer of the Omaha music scene, uses the Omaha City Weekly article as a source (http://www.timmcmahan.com/lazyeye.htm - scroll to the Nov. 20 entry that begins "Blue Scholars tonight"). Which I don't think he would do if it weren't credible. This is his full little blurb:

"According to an item at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune website, Conor Oberst will be performing for three back-to-back nights at The 400 Club in Minneapolis -- not as Bright Eyes, but only as Conor Oberst. According to the Trib article (here), "Word from 400 Bar management is that Oberst wants it explicitly known these won't be Bright Eyes shows – i.e., he won’t be doing any of those songs! He will be playing new material with a different backing band." Is that the band with M Ward or the solo project with Jake Bellows that Omaha City Weekly's Hildy Johnson referenced in last week's issue (here, scroll to the bottom of the page)? Guess we'd have to go to Minneapolis Dec. 27-29 to find out."

[Glitterpop]

Well, the dates have been changed to Dec. 29th & 30th and I was able to buy tickets to the shows, so, yeah, it's real.

[breadandfruit]

Look what it says on Ticketweb (re: the solo Mpls shows) - "NO AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING ALLOWED."

I mean, I respect that since he's trying something different he doesn't want it leaked all the hell over the place before he can do whatever he plans to do with it (record, whatever). Plus, it sounds like they want the shows to be really chill, what with the small venue and the 21+ crowd. So no camera-phones waving in the air makes sense I guess.

But, awww, really? :(

[SoonIWillDisa?pear]

But, awww, really? :(

lol! I'm with you on that. I understand why they wouldn't want it to leak though too. I'm still gonna keep my fingers crossed for a bootleg.

[breadandfruit]

I'm still gonna keep my fingers crossed for a bootleg.

Yesssss.

[breadandfruit]

Review of the first 400 Bar show (12/29) from the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/12926476.html

Anybody else find any news/reports/reviews/info/gossip/andsoforth?

[SoonIWillDisa?pear]

a 90 minute set. very nice. : )

[Glitterpop]

I was actually there both nights, so what do you want to know?

[breadandfruit]

I was actually there both nights, so what do you want to know?

Ohh, yay, tell us everything! What was the music like? Are the songs continuing to be topical/political like Roosevelt Room? Or what were they about? What info did you get on future recording/band plans? I just read in another forum that there's actually no solo project with M. Ward or Jake Bellows? Can this be true?! Brings a little tear to my eye if I am being totally honest with you. Dish! :)

[Glitterpop]

The music was great. It was less country sounding, more blues / jazz. The lyrics were more mature but still had that Conor touch. Plenty of death, sex, drugs. He said the songs were all in the general theme of escapism. Lot's of space references. He said he wanted to go to space camp but never made it. Nothing political in the lyrics but he did say he was playing a few songs tonight in a bowling alley in Iowa in support of Barack. He said M. Ward and Jake Bellows are his buddies and he asked a lot of people to play on his new album but he isn't sure who will actually play, but it is being recorded in Mexico starting in a few days. I have some lyrics but I have to go catch my plane now. There are definitely some future classics in the new stuff.

[Glitterpop]

here is a link to some pics
http://blogs.citypages.com/ctg/2007/12/over_the_weeken_2.php

[breadandfruit]

Plenty of death, sex, drugs.
:lol:
He said he wanted to go to space camp but never made it.
Hahaha!
Nothing political in the lyrics but he did say he was playing a few songs tonight in a bowling alley in Iowa in support of Barack.
Aha! http://iowa.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/organizing/4vp4x
Is he doing more of these, do you know?

He said M. Ward and Jake Bellows are his buddies and he asked a lot of people to play on his new album but he isn't sure who will actually play, but it is being recorded in Mexico starting in a few days.
Aw, I'm a little disappointed, but it's great he's recording so soon!
I have some lyrics but I have to go catch my plane now.
Oh cool, will you post some when you get a chance?
(thanks for all this info! And, er, sorry to bombard you with questions! But you know how it goes :) )

[Mister Grieves]

a guy on the arcadefire.net forum posted the first night's bootleg. Great quality. That's My Fault is a great fuckin' song.

[pbfreak617]

YESSS

[musicismysavior74]

does anybody have the recent show in mp3 files?

[SoonIWillDisa?pear]

yea. right here (http://www.blamonet.com/vb/showthread.php?t=111297&page=2). scroll down to the bottom, it's the most recent show the list.

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Danny Callahan. Beach bum. Cape Canaveral.

Favorite songs right now. But some others are sinking in.

[SoonIWillDisa?pear]

i've only listened to that show about 3 times. I'm going to try to avoid it until the studio album(s) pop up. don't wanna ruin those. must contain the element of surprise.

[Glitterpop]

Ohhh but it is sooooo good and they probably won't record all those songs and they will probably sound much different. I can't STOP listening to it!

[ddam007]

Before I download, just out of curiosity, how is the audio quality?

[SoonIWillDisa?pear]

good! :cool: