To those with enough stamina on the eve of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’ second day Conor and company treated a sold out Fillmore to a set that lasted into the early morning hours. Conor could be found in rare form spitting, cursing, and commenting on current affairs. Jim James played prior to Conor with a full set that embodied all of his trademark soaring voice and impassioned ballads. The banter shared by Conor, Jim James, and M. Ward both in the park and at the Fillmore was filled with intimate jokes, sarcasm, and candid joy.

“The music was fine, but what really impressed me, was how much he thanked me,”

said Conor of his long time collaborator Jim James’ set at the Fillmore. Conor closed both his set at the festival and the Fillmore with a Bright Eyes classic, “Train underwater”, followed by a new song “Napalm”. Both were performed with a snide fury and vulnerable wail indicative of Conor’s style.

The current embodiment of the Conor Oberst experience sees him alongside an entirely new group of collaborators. Most notably, Tay Strathairn on the keys (formerly of Dawes). In this partnership, Tay played with a fervor and bravado long since missing in his Dawes performances. After citing creative differences as the reason for parting ways with Dawes mid-tour, Tay could be found playing dueling piano with Conor over a raucous ballad or soulfully adding organ to classics like “four winds”.

Conor’s current tour was in support of his newest solo album, “Ruminations”. An album full of sparse instrumentals, and tender vocals. “Winter in Omaha can have a paralyzing effect on a person but in this case, it worked in my favor.” says Conor of his album recorded in the winter of 2015 and written on the heels of an illness causing him to cancel several dates with Desaparecidos. Ruminations feels like the product of an anxious and busy mind testing it’s propensity for songwriting when left with little else to occupy it. In songs like “you all loved him once,” and “next of kin,” Conor croons over what feels like songwriting exercises with a touch of his own angst.



In the song “Classic Cars”, Conor Oberst howls

“If I get out of California, I’m going back to my home state to tell them all that I made a mistake.”

One might be surprised to find that the very man who wrote those words has for the last five years played the closing slot on his own stage at San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Conor, a lifelong loyalist to his native Omaha Nebraska can be found curating and closing the “Conor and friends” stage. I’ll keep coming as long as they’ll let me” says Conor of his future with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. You can rest assured that come October 2017, thousands will be savoring the golden gate sunset and singing along with their favorite midwestern son.

Written by Zachary A. Cline

Conor and Company Performing on the Conor and Friends Stage At Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Conor and Company @TheFillmore Conor and Company @TheFillmore Conor and Company @TheFillmore Conor and Company @TheFillmore Conor and Company @TheFillmore Conor and Company @TheFillmore