Earlier this week I was able to score a last minute ticket to Conor Oberst’s long sold out, intimate gig at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom. The prolific singer-songwriter, better known by his recording alter ego Bright Eyes, used the show as a showcase for songs off his recently released self-titled solo “debut”. Backed by the Mystic Valley Band, Oberst tore through his hour and a half set bringing his new material to life.

While his solo tunes still have elements of his brand of indie-folk, they have a personality of their own that lean more towards a rock sound. Choice cuts of the night included Sausalito, Danny Callahan and I Don’t Want To Die (In The Hospital) - definitely the most Bright Eyes sounding tune on the new album - as well great covers of Corrina, Corrina and Harry Nilsson’s Everybody’s Talkin’. Conor’s also released his first music video from the album, check out Souled Out…

Oberst continues his worldwide tour , which concludes back in New York for two shows at Terminal 5, with a stop at this weekend’s Saratoga Music Festival that will feature the likes of Bob Dylan, Levon Helm and Gillian Welch.

Back in February the surviving members of the Grateful Dead (sans Mr. Kreutzmann) put aside their difference and reunited on stage for a fund raiser for Barack Obama. Well, as we enter the months leading up to Election Day other half of the bands rhythm section, Mickey Hart, spilled the news to Billboard that the band is “ready to be of service” once again to the Junior Senator from Illinois. Reportedly Hart and his estranged band mates have exchanged “a few friendly e-mails” on the subject, but nothing is set in stone.

• RATM’s Zach De La Rocha has a new solo project, One Day As A Lion
• Jim James, Conor Oberst and M. Ward are teaming up for an album
• List Time: Rock Revival gives us the Best Banned Songs Ever
• Weird cover alert: The Acorns do the theme song from The Goonies
• Norwegian metal band Ungdomskulen should Quit Their Days Jobs
• NYC Taper shares the goods from The Feelies reunion gig a Maxwell’s
• LMB interviews Dean Budnick about Wetlands Preserved

Since I’m out of work early, that’s all I got for you folks. Enjoy the long weekend.

If I was to dream up a fest this summer consisting of some of the best roots singer/songwriters around, the line up would come pretty darn close to the one that was revealed for the inaugural Saratoga Music Festival. The one day fest to be held at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on August 17 will be headlined by Bob Dylan who will also be joined on the bill by Levon Helm, Steve Earle, Gillian Welch, The Swell Season, Conor Oberst & His Mystic Valley Band and Raul Malo. Not too shabby of a day a music, huh?

If a fest featuring some of the best roots musicians around isn’t for you, then maybe one of these recently announced tours will be…

• Psychedelic-popsters the Dandy Warhols reveal early fall dates (begins: 09/09)
• Icelandic atmospheric rockers Sigur Ros are back in September for another tour (begins: 09/17)
• The band with the coolest name, Thao Nguyen With The Get Down Stay Down, line up a handful of dates (begins: 06/19)
• Bust out your passport if you want to catch Band Of Horses (begins: 06/20)
• Steely Dan adds more dates to their already lengthy summer tour (continues: 06/20)
• Conor Oberst heads out on a monster solo tour with his Mystic Valley Band (begins: 07/16)
• Steve Earle lines up a long summer trek that concludes with four nights at the Judson Memorial Church (begins: 06/27)

Finally, if the line up for San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival wasn’t good enough, they recently announced a handful of additions to already stellar roster. Joining the likes of Radiohead, Tom Petty and Wilco will be Toots & the Maytals, Rogue Wave, The Walkmen, Mike Gordon, Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet feat. Bela Fleck, Vienna Teng, Howlin’ Rain, Everest, The Dynamites and Carney. The fest takes place from August 22 - 24, tickets are on-sale now.