no lies, just love.

Conor Oberst- a beautiful man with bright eyes and dark words. His sonnets held my hand through the best and, more significantly, the worst of times... They offered a friend when mine had all turned their backs, sanity when my I feared my mind was lost, emotion when I believed all hearts were actually made of stone- and most importantly, words I could relate to, words that made me feel less alone. His soft verses also aided in the celebration of life and love, rather than merely the loss of hope in them. His melodies healed.

Ever since my discovery of Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst has been my idol, somehow always managing to siphon his heart onto that paper. He is a man with enough courage to put his heart to music, allowing the world to put a stethoscope to his chest everytime headphones were donned-- it proves that actually being genuine and truly embracing emotion can take you far, eh? Unlike quite a few men I know.

Anyway, the fact that I was in the same room as this beautiful artist last night was enough reason for my stomach to brim with butterflies. But as soon as Mr. Oberst began his two hour set I didn't know what to do with myself. I felt like I had been tossed into the smoky seventies witnessing a Johnny Cash performance. Conor used his newest project, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, to blend his carefully constructed verses, delicately strung together into harmony, with the acoustic twang of the Mystic Valley Band, named after the Mexican mountain valley the band lived and recorded in for a month.

I'm no music critic, but I can surely tell you that the haunting voice Conor is known for paired with the new music style he has embraced is definitely a beautiful couple. He will never write a song that doesn't take my breath away- just by the utter perfection of the metaphors, stories, emotions... the mystery. It is the deepest of poetry set to tunes you can dance to. What more could you ask for in a musician?

End of my obsessive rant ;)