BY ELKE MERMIS
Conor Oberst has endured a slew of slightly painful Bob Dylan comparisons since he penned his very first sprawling story-song in his Midwestern hometown in the late '90s. Yeah, he's got a weird voice; yeah, he's a masterful lyricist; yeah, he's from a smallish town in the middle of the country, hates fame, whatever, we get it. But the truth in these comparisons never struck me with the sheer force that they did on Sunday night, when Conor Oberst unveiled his latest incarnation in Kansas City by the dim lights of the Beaumont Club: The Mystic Valley Band.
Spilling out onto the stage without a second to waste, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band barely reached their instruments before recklessly launching into a raucous version of "Sausalito," thrilling the crowd with a surprisingly feel-good bluegrass sound, heavy on the folk and alt-country influences.
Even though a refreshing swagger accompanied the tone of Oberst's signature quavering vocals, the band's frontman was immediately clear about his intentions, refocusing both the band and the crowd on whatever was Not Conor -- whether that be by hiding behind his guitar (literally), hiding beneath his gigantic Amish black hat, or, more obviously, refusing to play a single Bright Eyes song.
Most of this was lost on the bizarrely Bro-heavy crowd, though, who were obviously there for the catchy, rock-heavy numbers. Blowing through tracks like "Nikkorette" and "Slowly, Oh So Slowly" with a rambunctious folk-rock fury, fellow Mystic Valley dwellers Nik Freitas, Taylor Hollingswoth, Macey Taylor, Nate Walcott and Jason Boesel provided a rootsy orchestral richness that tethered Oberst's otherworldly lyrics to an earthy folk sound, ranging from crashing folk-punk to a more sorrowful strain of southern rock.
Channeling a bit of the Traveling Wilburys, a smidgen of Blitzen Trapper and even a pinch of the Drive-By Truckers, the Mystic Valley Band managed to mesmerize a rowdy, impatient crowd for almost the entirety of their hour-and-a half set. Almost.
Waves of awkward restlessness flooded the Beaumont during the Mystic Valley Band's more introspective moments -- especially those featuring Oberst alone, and acoustic. While the ex-Bright Eyes kids were about to wee in their pants (yours truly among them), at least a third of the crowd was completely nonplussed, chatting and texting while Oberst wailed epically about "baby shoes and taxidermy dreams."
Sandwiched between a pack of Hollister-clad dudes and two Ben Gibbard look-alikes, I seriously half-expected the herd of Bros to start roaring out requests for "Free Bird."
Amazingly, this didn't deter the Mystic Valley Band, though; Oberst and his band ended on a high note, closing out the set with a stellar version of "I Don't Want to Die (In a Hospital)" that reunited the crowd, screaming and stomping to his disjointed, raging folk-punk throw-down.
So, in sum: kudos to Conor Oberst, phoenix of the indie demi-gods, for creating yet another successful incarnation of his lyricism and musical prowess. And thank god, this bird can change.
Set List:
Sausalito
Nikkorette
Ten Women
Slowly, Oh So Slowly
Air Mattress
Eagle on A Post
Moab
Spoiled
Lenders in the Temple
Big Black Nothing
One of My Kind
Worldwide
Cape Canaveral
NYC -- Gone, Gone
Souled Out!!!
I Got The Reason
Encore:
White Shoes
Danny Callahan
I Don't Wanna Die (In a Hospital)
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