It's always a treat to see bands that ushered me into a completely new world of music at a young age. Both Cursive and Bright Eyes released some of their most beloved albums during my high school years (The Ugly Organ and I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning / Digital Ash in a Digital Urn respectively), undeniably establishing themselves as bands that would become staples not just in my life but for a huge chunk of my generation. And judging by the packed Salt Shed earlier this month, that assessment was an understatement.
Normally you'd expect a smaller crowd for an opener but that certainly was not the case. Especially when that opener is Cursive, you simply can't help but feel like it's more of a double headliner sort of show. Tim Kasher embodied the duality of that perfectly, giving his props to Conor Oberst (his friend, former classmate, and occasional bandmate) throughout the set and even commenting on the vastness of the venue: "This isn’t Bottom Lounge. This isn’t Empty Bottle." But Kasher also commanded the stage like it was all his own, feeding off the devoted crowd's energy. Having seen him just last year at Riot Fest, I was expecting nothing short of greatness and Kasher delivered.
The setlist was a great dive into Cursive's catalog with plenty of old favorites like "The Martyr" and "Art Is Hard" meshing well with tracks like "Bloodbather" and "Dark Star" from the band's latest album Devourer. But of course "The Recluse" got the most attention in the set as it's that one track that transcends Kasher and Cursive and is as iconic as iconic gets. Even the most deep-cut fans cannot deny its power.
Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes had a pretty high bar to meet after that set and it was no surprise that they came to the stage ready to meet it. Much like Cursive, Bright Eyes' setlist was a great journey though the highest highs of their discography. Starting off with a one-two punch off last year's Five Dice, All Threes, "Bells and Whistles" and "El Captain" got the crowd hooked before Oberst pulled out "We Are Nowhere and It's Now." The I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning track exudes a strained optimism in a time when personal turmoil that feels all the more relatable as time moves along.
The highlight of the night was the back-to-back pairing of "First Day of My Life" and "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)". The songs are implicitly tied together as the appeared on simultaneously released I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning & Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and seemingly speaking of the same day. A rainy day turned sunny seems to be the fork in the road where "First Day of My Life" leads to a a new and mutually loving relationship while "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" goes down a path of one night stands and emotionless hookups.
The set featured a nice addition as Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff performed along side Oberst for "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed), the intimate and tender "lua", and later one in the encore a cover of Blondie's "Dreaming". The pair played off one another beautifully, especially on "lua" as they traded off verses and embodied the song perfectly.
While the night certainly hearkened back to my youth, it made me incredibly happy that these acts are as strong and impressive as ever.
All photos by Julian Ramirez.