Conor Oberst, Dri

Like many Bright Eyes fans my first impression of The Mystic Valley band was; It's a good album, not quite Bright Eyes, but nonetheless a solid album. I had previously seen Bright Eyes twice before and considered them some of the best shows I'd seen. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw at the Crystal Ball room Oct. 25th in Portland Oregon. The Mystic Valley band simply put is not a studio band. Conor is at the top of his game full of intensity connecting to the crowd all the while never missing a beat, singing perfectly on key (which has been an issue for him in the past when he gets too excited). I feel like this band is moving forward from the Bright eyes era and the best is yet to come. Over half the set were new songs, not featured on the album. This is an exciting time for a new band full of energy and truly passionate about what they're making.