A pair of indie rock heavyweights made their way to Buffalo RiverWorks on Friday, April 11, as Bright Eyes and Cursive performed in the Queen City. Both natives of Omaha, the long time friends, and one time label mates have collaborated with music and tours on several occasions over the years.
Chilly April temperatures and a cold rain did not deter fans from lining up early, and extensively, prior to doors opening. Bright Eyes, who returned from a nine-year hiatus in 2020 is currently touring in support of their latest release, Five Dice, All Threes. The band, which features a core three members of Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott, is known for pairing deep and dark lyrics with layers of dramatic music and sounds.
Cursive opened the evening to an excited roar from the already filled music hall. They launched into the catchy “Up and Away” off their 2024 release, Devourer. “We’re going to play some new songs, and some old favorites”, singer Tim Kasher proclaimed early in the set. The band kept a high energy pace through out their fourteen song set, and it was clear the majority of those in attendance were not only familiar with the band, they were long-time fans. As the set was nearing a close, the band brought Conor Oberst to the stage to join on a mash-up of “The Recluse” (Cursive) and “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” (Bright Eyes), which saw Kasher and Oberst trading lyrics.
After a set-change over, a cryptic spoken word introduction was piped through the venue’s PA. With that, Oberst and his bandmates took to the stage and opened with the catchy “Bells and Whistles”, a song Oberst had previously described as “A modern whistle while you work song”. The song’s catchy chorus had the audience jumping and swaying along from its opening notes.
The evening featured a well-crafted setlist, spanning across the band’s thirty year history. Older tracks like “I Won’t Ever Be Happy Again” and “Method Acting” flowed seamlessly with “Tiny Suicides” and “Rainbow Overpass”, off the band’s latest release. Oberst would return the favor from earlier in the night and bring Tim Kasher to the stage, with the two performing “Nothing Gets Crossed Out”, off 2002’s Lifted….
The concert served as a homecoming of sorts. Bright Eyes’ instrumentalist Miwi La Lupa was a native of Buffalo and was joined by his nephew Tyler (who played trumpet) on “El Capitan” early in the set, while many friends and family cheered from the audience. Oberst would also introduce Nate Walcott as being from Homer, NY later in the set.
Between songs, Oberst would preach a message of love and unity. That message would spill in to the crowd, literally, as Oberst would leave the stage and sing the final song, “One for You, One for Me” from the barricade separating the audience from the stage. As Oberst belted out the lyrics, he made his way along the front row, giving hugs and handshakes to lucky concert goers. It was an uplifting way to end a great night of music and message.
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