Bright Eyes
State Theater, Minneapolis, MN
April 25, 2007

Just 15 days post-Cassadaga release, Bright Eyes returned to Minneapolis’ State Theater and promptly pwned it with an ornate set, live backgroundist and new and old songs that shook the sold-out audience to its soul.

Although stiff and shy at first, Conor Oberst needed a mic change and glass of tequila to loosen up — sharing at one point, “Minneapolis is one of my favorite cities…and I’m not just saying that. We played here awhile back, and I always had good memories about it.”

The group’s last stop in town was a set of double dates to promote 2005’s electronic Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, but earlier that year BE and Coco Rosie brought out the State’s luster with tracks from “Lifted” and “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning.”

Our favorite song of the night was “Gold Mine Gutted,” with Oberst alternating between an ivory, faux flower-bedecked piano and pacing the stage with mic in hand like a rapper laying it out just so for his homeys.

Setlist:

• Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed)
• Hot Knives
• False Advertising
• No One Would Riot For Less
• First Day of My Life
• I Believe In Symmetry
• Middleman
• Classic Cars
• Gold Mine Gutted
• Cleanse Song
• The Calendar Hung Itself
• Lime Tree
• Encore:
• Make A Plan To Love Me
• Four Winds
• Road to Joy

Brooklyn folk buzz band Oakley Hall played a solid opening set.