Dear Texas, I Hate You, Love Bright Eyes

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http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/entertainment/overnight/stories/020905dnovebrighteyes.581c3.html

FORT WORTH – Bright Eyes leader Conor Oberst has become the sultan of scattershot – putting out a country-folk album and a synth-pop CD on the same day last month.

Conor Oberst worked magic with new songs at the Ridglea Theater in Fort Worth. So it was no surprise to see him shooting wildly from the hip Monday during his sold-out show at the Ridglea Theater. But at times, the bullets hit too close to home.

The 24-year-old singer started on a familiar path, peppering the show with between-song rants against the war in Iraq and President Bush. But as the night wore on and he drained yet another bottle of beer, Mr. Oberst turned surly.

"I don't know if you know this, but I hate your [expletive] state," he blurted. "I'd put a [expletive] gun to my head before I'd live in your state."

It was one of those rare moments when an audience doesn't know how to respond. Do you laugh? Boo? Cheer? Most fans reacted with awkward silence.

Later, he claimed he was only joking and tried to cushion the insult by naming Texans he admires, including Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and comedian Bill Hicks. But he couldn't leave the Texas bashing alone.

"If you came to this show tonight, you're not a normal Texan," he said after another long chug of beer. "If you were a normal Texan, you'd probably be roping steers and raping Indians."

Maybe it was all in jest – a bad attempt to impersonate Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. But Mr. Oberst's rants put a damper on what otherwise was a thrilling concert.

At times, things teetered on the edge of boozy chaos, especially during the show closer, "Road to Joy," when a roadie had to hold up trumpeter Nate Walcott so he didn't fall on his face.

But mostly, Mr. Oberst worked subtle magic with songs from I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, the folkier of his two new albums. He proved his knack for simple melodies and bold lyrics in "Lua," a lullaby about drugs, fame and living in New York City. Even better was "Land Locked Blues," one of the most stirring peace ballads written in years. Fans tried to croon along to "Blues," but Mr. Oberst stopped them as soon as they began.

"The whole singing-along thing is kind of a bummer," he said, after halting the tune. "It makes me feel like Dashboard Confessional."

Then he finished the tune and treated fans to a rarity, "When the President Talks to God," a Dylan-style folk ballad that was funny, smart and concise – everything his between-song tirades were not.

― PeopleFunnyBoy (PeopleFunnyBoy), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:14 (nineteen years ago) link

treated fans to a rarity, "When the President Talks to God,"

A rarity? Didn't this just appear on one of the albums?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:15 (nineteen years ago) link

From SA-Town to your town...right back atcha, partner.

― Matt Chesnut, Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:17 (nineteen years ago) link

no, it's a free iTunes download. in a sense it's a "rarity" because it's not on an album, but it's a free download so it's not all that rare. just to be nitpicky about it.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:17 (nineteen years ago) link

roping steers and raping Indians
???

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:18 (nineteen years ago) link

Yankee.

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:19 (nineteen years ago) link

What's this little punk ass doing dissing Bill Hicks?

― darin (darin), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:21 (nineteen years ago) link

you know the irony is this fucker comes from Nebraska

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:22 (nineteen years ago) link

whereas nebraska is an absolute MECCA of culture.

xpost!

― Ian John50n (orion), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:23 (nineteen years ago) link

"The whole singing-along thing is kind of a bummer," he said, after halting the tune. "It makes me feel like Dashboard Confessional."

So should his groupies.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:23 (nineteen years ago) link

fuck him

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:24 (nineteen years ago) link

I actually like the damn Digital album but shit if I saw him live it would be heckle fever

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:24 (nineteen years ago) link

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf600/f622/f62239k1ybz.jpg

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:24 (nineteen years ago) link

he's from fucking nebraska... if he were a real nebraskan he'd be husking corn and raping Okies.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:24 (nineteen years ago) link

oh, right...

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:25 (nineteen years ago) link

roping steers and raping Indians

It's true. Every Friday night, after the big high school football game, we pray for five hours to thank Jesus for our president and to keep our troops safe. And then we loosen our belts to find us some red poon!

― Matt Chesnut, Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:25 (nineteen years ago) link

"Texas has religion -- Bright Eyes are God!!!!"

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Shit man, I haven't even SEEN an "Indian" ("Native American" to the rest of the world) in years.

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:26 (nineteen years ago) link

we gotta get you laid!

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:27 (nineteen years ago) link

Maybe Conor can help ;)

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:28 (nineteen years ago) link

oh man what if Dashie got mad and there was this whole Saddle Creek vs. Vagrant thing and both got shot and it turned out Mike Mogis orchestrated it all.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:28 (nineteen years ago) link

he's no beastie boys, i saw them in houston once and they said "this next song is about racism, sexism, homophobia...we know all that stuff is big down here"

― duke raceway, Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:29 (nineteen years ago) link

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:29 (nineteen years ago) link

What's this little punk ass doing dissing Bill Hicks?

Huh?

[He] tried to cushion the insult by naming Texans he admires, including Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and comedian Bill Hicks.

― Vic Funk, Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Made me spit out my gum there, Matt.

― Eppy (Eppy), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:32 (nineteen years ago) link

I hope this starts some kind of Neil Young/Skynyrd type rivalry between BE and some Texas band. maybe ZZ Top. or Swishahouse.

― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:32 (nineteen years ago) link

SCARFACE

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:32 (nineteen years ago) link

Conor really is the Tupac of white people you know

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:32 (nineteen years ago) link

If the Mixtape Messiah starts calling out Saddle Creek, THIS SHIT IS ON.

― Matt Chesnut, Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:33 (nineteen years ago) link

Eisley

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:36 (nineteen years ago) link

What's this little punk ass doing dissing Bill Hicks?

Huh?

Oh shit... I guess my eyes missed the words "he admires". Nevermind.

― darin (darin), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:37 (nineteen years ago) link

He forgot Spoon!

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:41 (nineteen years ago) link

I thought that it was Mexicans that Texans raped.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 23:43 (nineteen years ago) link

they raped the jaguars!

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 10 February 2005 00:08 (nineteen years ago) link

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 10 February 2005 00:17 (nineteen years ago) link

Bless you, Mr. Blount.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 10 February 2005 00:53 (nineteen years ago) link

Like it takes all kinds of courage to say that kind of shit to your own cult.

What a punk.

― don weiner, Thursday, 10 February 2005 01:27 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah at least with the beasties they were confronting a bunch of yahoos dead on, love 'em or hate 'em.

― noizem duke (noize duke), Thursday, 10 February 2005 01:33 (nineteen years ago) link

well you know how the newly-radicalized are...always shooting their mouths off.

― shookout (shookout), Thursday, 10 February 2005 01:45 (nineteen years ago) link

cult or no, if I went to see my favorite band and they talked a bunch of ignorant shit about my hometown/state, I wouldn't have to think twice about with whom I had stronger loyalties.

― Al (sitcom), Thursday, 10 February 2005 01:46 (nineteen years ago) link

"We saw your Cowboys today. They never let Philadelphia even have the ball for a minute. It was 42 to 7 by the half. You oughtta give other people just a little chance. In football anyway."

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 10 February 2005 01:52 (nineteen years ago) link

http://hi-performance.net/stuff/crap/mouse2.jpg

― he does guitar with his mouth lmao mint (ex machina), Thursday, 10 February 2005 06:55 (nineteen years ago) link

I've still managed to have never heard a note by this guy, and I live in a college town in Texas. OK, THE college town in Texas.

He sure sounds like a fuckin' dufus, though. Something tells me I won't be ditching ZZ Top or Butthole Surfers or even Criss Cross for his stuff.

― Austin (Austin), Thursday, 10 February 2005 07:03 (nineteen years ago) link

This tawdry episode only further confirms my theory on Conor Oberst:

He is a douche.

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Thursday, 10 February 2005 07:57 (nineteen years ago) link

because after forty hours a week hearing co-workers and/or customers talk about how great george bush and the death penalty are, what we really want to do to unwind is go to a show and listen to some emo dickhead whine self-righteously about the same topics.

oh conor, you hate the president? guess what you fuck, we were hating him back in the day when he was just the governor and we're pretty damn tired of hearing about him. you're in texas at a bright eyes show. you can take it as read everyone hates george fucking bush, so give it a rest and just play your stupid little songs.

― tell us, Thursday, 10 February 2005 07:58 (nineteen years ago) link

Anyone notice the irony that this guy has ridden the "farm boy" routine to success? This is like watching contestants in the Special Olympics taunt each other.

― Conrad Norton (Cunga), Thursday, 10 February 2005 20:41 (nineteen years ago) link

Jon Williams still wins this thread.

― donut christ (donut), Thursday, 10 February 2005 20:51 (nineteen years ago) link

and I live in a college town in Texas. OK, THE college town in Texas.

You live in a town that has the same name as you? Fucking narcissist.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 10 February 2005 20:51 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm sorry, did you say something? I was distracted by the mirror-like surface of this CD.

― Austin (Austin), Thursday, 10 February 2005 20:55 (nineteen years ago) link

I've never knowlignly heard a note from Mr. Oberst but this episode considerably lessens the chances I ever wil

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 10 February 2005 21:00 (nineteen years ago) link

Skipping 22 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Bottom ten, maybe. But Austin is probably one of the 10 coolest cities in the US.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 11 February 2005 00:07 (nineteen years ago) link

no state that big that effectively has no winter can be that bad. (x-post)

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 11 February 2005 00:07 (nineteen years ago) link

and your pick of any state with endless stretches of nothing.

Like Texas?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 11 February 2005 00:07 (nineteen years ago) link

Endless stretches of nothing is underrated.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 11 February 2005 00:08 (nineteen years ago) link

Like Texas?

California even. Of course the difference is that after travelling for hours through endless stretches of nothing you finally arrive at something without having crossed a border.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Friday, 11 February 2005 00:13 (nineteen years ago) link

Endless stretches of nothing is underrated.

I liked ESN's earlier stuff better.

― Matt Chesnut, Friday, 11 February 2005 00:14 (nineteen years ago) link

http://insectlaws.tamu.edu/11211617.gif

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 11 February 2005 00:19 (nineteen years ago) link

I wouldn't trust exiles either. Hey, I don't know if I'd move back to rural IL anytime soon, and there are some "red state" proclivities in the area I grew up in, but fuck anyone from there who would leave and talk shit about what a shithole rural IL is.

One of my best friends here is from near Austin (and other parts of the state at other times), left-wing tendencies, probably going to move to Europe one of these days, and she loves Texas whilst hating Bush. She goes back all the time because she misses it so much. She told me once she gets tired of defending Texas because of Bush and for other reasons related to the misguided perspective of outsiders and "elitist assholes" who think everything outside of Austin is a wasteland.

― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 11 February 2005 00:20 (nineteen years ago) link

I wish someone would tell New York to go fuck itself once in a while. It might do it some good.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 11 February 2005 01:07 (nineteen years ago) link

indeed

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 11 February 2005 01:11 (nineteen years ago) link

% of Nebraskans voting Bush: 66.29
% of Texans voting Bush: 61.10

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 11 February 2005 01:12 (nineteen years ago) link

"But as the night wore on and he drained yet another bottle of beer, Mr. Oberst turned surly"

can't wait for the recovering alkie album, sure to come down the line. or book:
"Once from a stage in Fort Worth I pilloried the great state of Texas. I was tired of the road, tired of having to play some dumb shit I came up with off the top of my head, and especially of the trick where I just repeated a portentous phrase over and over, sometimes even three or four or fifteen thousand times, every song.
My drummer was really good though. I noticed he seldom drank.
Then of course I met Bono..."

― noizem duke (noize duke), Friday, 11 February 2005 01:20 (nineteen years ago) link

Conor Oberst = '05's Ryan Adams?

― cdwill, Friday, 11 February 2005 01:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I'd rather hear Dashboard Confessional

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 11 February 2005 01:33 (nineteen years ago) link

Ryan Adams was far more entertaining than Oberst.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 11 February 2005 02:23 (nineteen years ago) link

http://members.cox.net/alyceanna/images/zxc-077.jpg

― daria g (daria g), Friday, 11 February 2005 03:30 (nineteen years ago) link

This is Texas
This is badass
This is chain-gang
This is mustache
I am Texas, I am Texas, I am Texas, I am Texas

― daria g (daria g), Friday, 11 February 2005 03:32 (nineteen years ago) link

http://img228.exs.cx/img228/777/austin.jpg

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 11 February 2005 04:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I have lived in Austin for the last 11 months. I still have not been outside the city limits.

― Disco Nihilist (mjt), Friday, 11 February 2005 04:39 (nineteen years ago) link

West Berliners used to say the same thing.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 11 February 2005 04:47 (nineteen years ago) link

You should get out to Enchanted Rock when the weather improves. It's really lovely there.

― Austin (Austin), Friday, 11 February 2005 04:51 (nineteen years ago) link

I find the "Austin is different from the rest of Texas" meme tiring. Austin is boring. The music scene isn't appreciably better than elsewhere in the state. The arts scene isn't. Sixth Street - a bunch of middle-class white kids drinking heavily? Seen it. But at least you pay a lot more for the privilege of living in Austin.

I'd rather live in Denton, El Paso, parts of Ft. Worth, even Dallas over Austin. If Houston wasn't dirty and humid, it would place higher.

Is Austin preferable to, say, Waco or some little scary town on the LA border? Yes. That's not saying much.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 11 February 2005 04:55 (nineteen years ago) link

miloz OTM.

― Matt Chesnut, Friday, 11 February 2005 05:23 (nineteen years ago) link

Whiskeytown>>>>>Ryan Adams>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Bright Eyes

― Un investigador del siglo XXI (AaronHz), Friday, 11 February 2005 05:43 (nineteen years ago) link

investigador otm

i'll be happy to curse NYC from the stage, if you want, Hurting. Next time I'm there to play, which will probably be early March, I'll say how much I despise New York - the smarmy delicate bitch of all states. A playground for the shallow, rich and very stupid alike.

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Friday, 11 February 2005 07:00 (nineteen years ago) link

"If you came to this thread tonight, you're not a normal ILXan," he said after another long chug of Diet Mountain Dew. "If you were a normal ILXan, you'd be shopping at Amoeba® with your roommate's debit card."

― MV, Friday, 11 February 2005 15:07 (nineteen years ago) link

"Dear Conor,

;o((((((((((

― eman (eman), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:19 (nineteen years ago) link

"Dear Conor,

;o((((((((((

<3
Texas"

― eman (eman), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:21 (nineteen years ago) link

Oberst's rant was ignorantly put, and he probably is a douche and all, but what he said about Texas is basically true. Worst state in the union, by far.

-- MV (yello...), February 10th, 2005.

You sir, are a god damn idiot.

― David Allen (David Allen), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:24 (nineteen years ago) link

You know, that synth record isn't all that synth, nor all that different from the first album. I guess the rock-criterati don't go further than the fourth song...both surprised me in a good way. I didn't like Bright Eyes before these albums, but I'm digging on them now.

― Brett Hickman (Bhickman), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:26 (nineteen years ago) link

I could do without East Texas, let Louisiana have Deliverance-lite country.

Dude, I don't want East Texas or West Louisiana. Anything west of Acadiana and north of Baton Rouge can fuck off. Shreveport = a little bit of hell.

I'm shocked that people are shocked that Conor Oberst would say something so mind-bogglingly stupid. It's Conor Oberst.

― adam (adam), Friday, 11 February 2005 15:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Oberst's rant was ignorantly put, and he probably is a douche and all, but what he said about Texas is basically true. Worst state in the union, by far.
-- MV (yello...), February 10th, 2005.
You sir, are a god damn idiot.

-- David Allen (earwhig...), February 11th, 2005.

Well, you, sir, are a Texan.

― MV, Friday, 11 February 2005 17:18 (nineteen years ago) link

I live in New York actually. Weird irony, there.

― David Allen (David Allen), Friday, 11 February 2005 17:20 (nineteen years ago) link

Then he finished the tune and treated fans to a rarity, "When the President Talks to God," a Dylan-style folk ballad that was funny, smart and concise

WHAT A SMRAT FUNNY CONCISE TREAT THAT IS

― eman (eman), Friday, 11 February 2005 17:36 (nineteen years ago) link

x-post

Look, here's the test question: Which state's absence from the union would most improve the USA? As I said, not even close. Texas:USA::USA:Earth

― MV, Friday, 11 February 2005 17:38 (nineteen years ago) link

Milo OTM re: Austin.

Nobody would give a fuck about Austin if it a) didn't host SXSW and b) if the hipsters who "love" Austin were there on their own tab.

And I actually like the place. It's just overrated.

― don weiner, Friday, 11 February 2005 18:26 (nineteen years ago) link

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000257A1.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I'm all for Texas.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Friday, 11 February 2005 19:19 (nineteen years ago) link

austin might be overrated nationally but it is by far the best city in texas to live in. maybe san antonio comes close, nothing else does. houston and dallas have better fine arts, but that's good for a road trip half a dozen times a year... not a reason to live there. whoever put el paso in the running up there is batshit crazy. if galveston hadn't been wiped off the map by a hurricane 100 years ago, it would probably be #1 now.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 11 February 2005 19:22 (nineteen years ago) link

I MISS TACO CABANA

― noizem duke (noize duke), Friday, 11 February 2005 19:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I like El Paso (admittedly, I've never had to live there). Best climate in Texas, right on the border, relatively low cost of living for a 1mln+ city, minor league baseball.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 11 February 2005 19:44 (nineteen years ago) link

houston and dallas have better fine arts, but that's good for a road trip half a dozen times a year... not a reason to live there.

That's an absolutely ludicrous if your job (or your spouse's job) involves the fine arts!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 11 February 2005 19:49 (nineteen years ago) link

well if your job dictates where you live it doesn't really matter which city in texas you like best, you'll be living where the job is. guess why i'm living in houston right now and not austin :)

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 11 February 2005 19:55 (nineteen years ago) link

That twee little fucker, I hope Guy tracks him down and kicks his ass for being so bold as to imply GC's an influence on Oberst's jivey crap. Ryan Adams sucks too. You guys go watch the Heartworn Highways DVD and get back to me if you think any different>>L

― Lee, Friday, 11 February 2005 23:30 (nineteen years ago) link

WORD

― noizem duke (noize duke), Friday, 11 February 2005 23:35 (nineteen years ago) link

im so confused. i clicked on a link on the village voice website, and now im back here, to ilm.

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 13 February 2005 00:46 (nineteen years ago) link

two months pass...

"So you won't mind if I say fuck you and where you're from and everyone from where your from"

Conor Oberst never said anything about insulting those residing in Texas. And by the way look at the facts, it is true that Texas is a pretty awful state, and that Conor had been drinking, perhaps he was a little, if not, not at all aware of the words that he "blurred" out. I personally have nothing againts Texas, except that I do honestly have to agree with the fact stated before.
Besides, most of you Texan residents - that came across this article, read it, then got all worked up about someone actually having the nerve to say to you the FACTS (once again)- are probably and most likely obliviated to Conor Oberst's music and great lyrical abilities, he was actually stated one of the most genious of our era. So if you have no idea on who he is and have something negative to say, best if you dont say anything at all, and all those Texans here that are aware of Conor 's talent, I respect you and I'm telling you there's no need really to try and defend your state, it's pretty much worthless to do so..Oh, and the person that said he/she'd rather listen to Dashboard Confesional, do you not have ears and a brain working well enough to know the difference between good and not so good music?

― E-M, Wednesday, 4 May 2005 21:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Once more, THESE ARE THE FACTS.

― The Father of Honky-Crunk (Matt Chesnut), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 21:39 (eighteen years ago) link

seventeen years pass...

Oberst walks off stage after two songs in Houston, band has fans do live karaoke before show is cancelled.

https://www.spin.com/2022/05/bright-eyes-conor-oberst-houston/

― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 23 May 2022 23:56 (one year ago) link

Every now and then he falls apart.

― peace, man, Wednesday, 25 May 2022 12:56 (one year ago) link

Conor Noberst

― papal hotwife (milo z), Wednesday, 25 May 2022 17:27 (one year ago) link

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