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.