Virtually Home

When Conor Oberst goes on tour during the frog season, I suffer major internal conflicts about what to do. On the one hand, I should be doing science. But on the other hand, I'm pathologically incapable of passing up Conor in concert. And by "passing up" I actually mean "not driving hundreds of miles in order to see". So when, for the second year running, Conor announced a Minneapolis show in June...I felt really guilty, but I bought a ticket to see him. Conor played the first day of the two-day event Rock the Garden, in which the Walker Art Center's sculpture garden is turned into a one-stage music festival and all the Minnesotans complain that it's too hot at 82F. It's tradition. I would have liked to go to both days, but the frogs had other ideas. I worked until 5 and then high-tailed it to the show. I caught most of Courtney Barnett's set. She's a pretty badass Aussie guitarist, and was backed by a bassist and a drummer. I...

Christine Fink of High Up Until recently, Conor Oberst was on a strange split tour, playing solo dates (supported at various times by the Felice Brothers and Larkin Poe) interspersed with Desaparecidos shows. Unfortunately, he was forced to cancel the remainder of both tours after a hospitalization for anxiety, exhaustion, and laryngitis. Hopefully he feels better soon. He was talking about a persistent cold during this Madison show. Jacob and I drove to Madison to see the show with my brother and various friends I've met at previous shows. We left after noon, and got stuck in I-94 construction traffic, so we showed up right as the doors opened. The Barrymore is a converted movie theatre with turquoise paint on the floor and twinkle lights in the ceiling (Conor was a big fan of the twinkle lights -- "That is my favorite thing I've ever seen, maybe"). The sound was great. There was no railing in front of the stage, and they had reusable beer cups you could bring ...