Don't Wake the Scarecrow

Toad’s Place in New Haven, Connecticut has an illustrious history and rightfully so, considering the bands who have passed through this small venue. The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, U2, Billy Joel….the list of artists goes on and on. One of the newest groups to join the list of bands that have played Toad’s is Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. The former Bright Eyes front man led his new group of 6 to an energetic and engaging night of music on the night of July 3rd, 2009.

All of the expectations I had going into the show were greatly exceeded, as Conor and the MVB played tracks from their two albums. It’s always nice to see a band that takes a recorded piece of work and turn it into something even better at live shows. Songs like “Cape Canaveral” and “Souled Out” were given unique twists, with “Cape” receiving an extended finger-picking jam from guitarist Taylor Hollingsworth (click here for video).

Being from Alabama, it’s hard not to notice Taylor’s twangy voice that fills the air during the songs “Air Mattress” and the spectacular “Snake Hill”. I was blown away by his guitar playing so much that when looking for some non MVB material online I was pleased to find that he’s been playing “Snake Hill” for years at solo performances. When it came time to record Outer South, the band’s second album, Conor was looking to his bandmates to see what kinds of songs they’ve written and I’m glad that Taylor chose to include “Snake Hill” in his submissions. It’s a memorable song that finds the narrator discussing life away from his home and why his mother warned him against leaving his place of origin (click here to see a solo performance of Snake Hill).

Conor was center stage for most of the show, taking some time to saunter over to other band members during certain songs. It seemed to increase the energy in the room each time he would be pushing his band members to rock harder. There was a small amount of stage banter, but tonight was mostly about the music. The tightly packed crowd enjoyed the fast and slow songs alike….with one standout being “Lenders In the Temple” that featured just Conor and Nate Walcott on stage, with Nate adding an ominous melody on the organ (click here for video). It was easy to see the chemistry between the two artists who have played together for years in the band Bright Eyes.

The night was capped off with a powerful version of “I Don’t Want to Die (In the Hospital)” that brought the two opening acts to the stage to join in the craziness. The band stretched this one out for a while with Conor doing a little bit of talking and interacting with the different people on stage. Overall, my first show at Toad’s was extremely memorable. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band have created two amazing albums and perform at their shows the way you expect good musicians to – by playing from their heart.

Click here to see photos from this show.
Click here to see videos from this show.

Check the videos section or click the image below to check out our new video gallery from Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band’s 4th of July concert in New York City. The band played at Battery Park in NYC on 07-04-09 and were joined by Jenny Lewis. Thanks so much to the people who contributed videos.

Quick site update….added photos and videos from the July 3rd Conor Oberst and Mystic Valley Band show in New Haven Connecticut. The show took place at Toad’s Place, famous for the big name acts who have played there. It was an awesome show and a review will soon follow.

Click here for to go to the photos page.

Click below for the Conor Oberst video page:

May 5th (Cinco de Mayo!) is right around the corner and it’s going to be a day of new releases. Two notable albums being released on Tuesday are Outer South from Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and White Lies for Dark Times by Ben Haper and Relentless7. What’s interesting about these two group’s album’s is that the frontmen are entering different territory than what they’ve been used to.

Both Conor Oberst and Ben Harper are known for other bands they’ve played in/fronted. Conor Oberst first gained fame in Bright Eyes, the band he formed in 1995. He released many albums under that name until 2007 when he began working with some different musicians on a new album. This album would become Conor Oberst and would be the debut album under Conor’s real name. It would be considered his first solo effort, but the truth is that a new band formed when recording the album. Dubbed “The Mystic Valley Band” because of a location in Tepoztlan, Mexico where they wrote and recorded between January and February of 2008. By the time they were touring they had written enough songs for a second album, which is what is about to be released on May 5th. The new album from Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will be called Outer South...listen to it below.

Ben Harper is no stranger to the music scene. He’s released 12 albums, 3 dvds, and has jammed with the best around. There’s something refreshing about seeing an artist take a new direction and try something different out. Harper planted the seeds for his new band back in the 1990′s when Jason Mozersky (guitarist for Relentless7) showed him a demo from his band. Harper was impressed and first worked with Mozersky on the 2006 album Both Sides of the Gun. Soon after a drummer and bassist were recruited (Jordan Richardson and Jesse INgalls respectively) and Relentless7 was formed. While he isn’t killing off the Innocent Criminals….Harper has stated that for now he will be focusing on this new group and their debut album White Lies for Dark Times. The album promises to show off a little bit of a harder rock sound from Harper who has been known for soulful acoustic sets.

It’s great to see two artists trying new bands and exploring different sounds. What’s even better is that both bands are currently streaming their full albums FOR FREE on different websites! Be sure to check it out and if you like it…..buy it.

Listen to Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – Outer South

Listen to Ben Harper and Relentless7 – White Lies for Dark Times

It was just announced that Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will play a handful of shows as the opening act for Wilco. Both groups are currently on tour and have dates through the summer…but now it seems that Conor and his new group will join Wilco for a week in July.

Wilco with opening act Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
07-08 Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
07-10 Wilmington, DE – Frawley Stadium
07-11 Lowell, MA – LeLacheur Park
07-17 Portland, ME – Maine State Pier
07-18 Wappingers Falls, NY – Dutchess County Stadium
07-19 Lewiston, NY – Art Park

You can find info about buying tickets and other tour dates at ConorOberst.com and Wilcoworld.net

Be sure not to miss “One of my Kind” – the hourlong documentary about the formation and initial recording sessions of the Mystic Valley Band. It’s currently available for free at Conor Oberst’s website. 

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– new song from “Outer South” the Mystic Valley Band’s 2nd album due out May 5th.