Conor Oberst, Phoebe Bridgers, and Miwi La Lupa at Pageturners, 11-2-16

Miwi La Lupa's opening set

Phoebe Bridgers is a singer-songwriter out of Los Angeles, whose first single, "Killer" was released on a 7" she cut on Ryan Adams' label, PAX AM. She's been working with Mike Mogis in Omaha, presumably on recording her first full length. Her songs are beautiful - she has an incredible voice and a unique delivery. Her guitar work is great, and her songwriting is sad. Basically she's everything I want in a musician. Conor evidently agreed, saying that her being in town was the inspiration for this show. He wanted us to hear her.

I was stopping through Omaha on the way to my cousin's memorial service in Tulsa, and I needed something to lift my spirits. Paradoxically, it was a night in a dark bar, listening to sad music that did it. The world just melts away, right?

The night was pretty magical because of the setting. Pageturners is one of my favorite bars in the world, in part because of the ambiance. It has dark wood paneling, a sunken bar, leather chairs. The black and white portraits of some of my favorite authors (Kurt Vonnegut) and my favorite musicians (Gillian Welch, Felice Brothers) look down from high on the wall. The wallpaper is sort of an old-timey, graphic floral design, in blue. There are good beers and craft cocktails. There is also the South Dundee Jam, if you're feeling unpretentious -- a can of Busch Light and a shot of green chartreuse. Cans of Tecate are always $2. But to make it even better, many of the musicians I admire most in Omaha hang out at this bar. And it was Game 7 of the World Series - the two teams with the longest World Series droughts in Major League Baseball were competing. The Cubs had a chance to make

Phoebe Bridgers at the exact moment the Cubs won the World Series

history.

We watched the baseball game through the 9th inning, when a tie game sent it to extra innings and a deluge of rain stopped play. The guys from Flowers Forever and Icky Blossoms were at the bar with us, which was fun (I'm a big fan). Phil, the owner of the bar, stepped up onto the little stage at the front and asked for a show of hands -- who would be bothered if they started the show? It was already around 11 pm and everyone agreed the music should start. The game stayed on, but on mute now.

Miwi was up first, playing songs from his catalog on Conor's guitar. It was a very short set -- 5 songs -- including "I Yield". The song has always been a poignant meditation on how to live in this still-prejudiced world, including an advisory to practice self-care. Now, in the aftermath of the election, it's bittersweet to think back on his rendition. He told us a story about having played a show during Game 7 of the NBA Finals this year, so he was prepared for playing to a distracted crowd, but I think most people were attending to the music. Miwi played beautifully, and afterward I got to speak with him. He was exceptionally kind. We discussed his recent move to Omaha, and what live for a Buffalo native is like in the midwest. He described it as
slow and intentional. I can get behind that.

Conor on piano and harmonica, Miwi on bass and vocals

Phoebe was up next, and by this time, the rain delay was over and the game was back on. People were keeping one eye on it, from time to time, but there was minimal noise. Conor stood right in front of the stage and listened raptly. It was cool to see him being a fan. Phoebe's set was also a brief 6 songs, split between electric and acoustic guitars. Her song "Georgia" was my favorite, and I can't wait for more of her music to be released. She said she was somewhat distracted by the game, wondering how it was going. Conor assured her she was better than the game ("Bunch of grown men in children's outfits") and I agreed. She was captivating. She was in the middle of an electric song when the game ended, looked over, smiled really wide, and kept playing. Phil calmly turned the tv off, and we all got back to the music.

The set change was really brief, since everything was already set up. Conor and Miwi are playing all the shows on this tour as a duo. It's a really minimalist sound, compared to the more collaborative and produced Bright Eyes and Conor Oberst releases we've expected. Every song has either a piano or a guitar, with a harmonica. Live, they've added Miwi on the bass and backup vocals, which gives everything some added depth and harmony. I was a fan of the new arrangement.

It was majority new songs from Ruminations, with cuts from People's Key (2011), Conor Oberst (2008), and I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005). The setting was perfect for the intimate nature of the new releases. Conor seemed a little nervous about it, calling the show a dry run for the rest of the tour. His feet kicked a little nervously under the piano bench. It played really well live, especially the adjustment of the delivery and line length in "The Rain Follows the Plow". The highlight for me might have been "Lenders in the Temple", because the really stripped down acoustic version of it was right on, and because it felt so raw and pertinent. "You All Loved Him Once" seemed to take the air out of the room. It felt like an indictment (I hope it wasn't).

Phoebe and Mike Mogis joined Conor for "Lua" and "We Are Nowhere (And It's Now)". Mogis' mandolin playing always makes my night, and it was great to see him playing with Conor again. Phoebe did the vocals that Emmylou Harris does on the record, and holy hell, does she have a beautiful voice for it.

It was a hell of a place to be on the night the Cubs won the series.

Conor's setlist:

Conor on guitar, Miwi on bass and vocals

Tachycardia
Gossamer Thin
Ladder Song
Barbary Coast (Later)
Counting Sheep
You All Loved Him Once
Lenders in the Temple
Lua
We Are Nowhere (And It's Now)
The Rain Follows the Plow
'Til Saint Dymphna Kicks Us Out