Bright Eyes lead singer Conor Oberst is legendary for crafting introspective tunes that put the Omaha indie-folk sound on the map two decades ago with Saddle Creek Records.

Now 43, the prolific Oberst is self-deprecating and self-aware, self-described as pessimistic at times, and has openly discussed his struggles with depression. Themes of love, loss, and fear of the future pepper numerous albums. Left to his own devices — and demons — he has written some of our generation's most pretty, poetic, and poignant lyrics. His songs harness the wind whipping through the plains that shaped him. It breathes through his catalog with twangy Americana-style guitar and bittersweet trumpet, and Oberst’s restless energy is channeled via bounding electric keyboard, twinkling piano, and airy choral arrangements.

Also, Oberst is known for erratic tour behavior. (In 2022, he cut off a Texas show after two songs and walked offstage.) A sold-out First Avenue crowd hoped for the best Thursday night as Stranger Things actress and singer-songwriter Maya Hawke took the stage to gently warm up the crowd.

The term “nepo baby” is getting a lot of use lately, but the daughter of actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke is not without her own talents separate from her famous family. Maya Hawke was just here in March at the Fine Line to show off her second album, Moss, released in 2022. It’s a vivid work packed with a quiet, contemplative vulnerability that explores her stepping into the complexities of young adulthood and the lookback that comes with it. Her acting experience no doubt made her comfortable with the many eyes on her, and her affable commentary flowed freely throughout her set. Before launching into “Crazy Kid,” a song about age gaps in relationships, she sarcastically quipped that everyone should try it. Later, she said they were doing three world premieres for the First Avenue crowd. She was about to say more, but charmingly kept a lid on the details to not give too much away. Before a new song about young love, she told a story about her affection for old arcades and the game Arctic Thunder that “vibrated nicely in a self-discovery kind of way.” 

Joining her on this tour are bandmates Will Graefe and Benjamin Lazar Davis, who provided haunting harmonies to accompany Hawke’s delicate, breathy vocals. Although playing an acoustic-electric guitar, Graefe deviated from the classic sound and layered pedal effects that lent some tracks a spacey, haunting, and otherworldly effect. This additional texture was a welcome addition to the otherwise gentle and folksy set. Hawke was well received by the crowd, drawing whoops before her hit “Sweet Tooth,” She commented on her joy at folks singing along to songs that had only been performed once. Her gentle indie sounds made for the perfect intro for Bright Eyes’ performance.

Oberst appeared at the First Avenue stage with longtime bandmates Mike Mogis on guitar and pedal steel and Nate Walcott on keys and trumpet. He also brought along Saddle Creek duo Azure Ray, Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor, to round out the touring crew. They ripped through three songs, “An Attempt to Tip the Scales,” “Gold Mine Gutted,” and “We Are Nowhere and it’s Now.” Oberst took liberties with a closing lyric — written when he was a teen — instead of questioning whether a pin from a friend would give him luck or not, he changed it to an assurance that his adult self knows it does not. The enraptured crowd was mostly silent until this line, but many who could be just as familiar with the feeling of letting superstition go with age whooped with approval. After the song wrapped, Oberst launched into the first of many segments of banter over the night, expressing his appreciation for First Avenue and Minneapolis and calling out friends in the crowd.

After two songs from the latest album, 2020’s Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, he gave a little backstory to a Simon Joyner cover about a local Omaha drumming hero, “Double Joe.” Mogis’ pedal steel added an air of nostalgia that lightened heavy lyrics like “home is where you hang out, not hang yourself.” Later they performed another cover, this time Azure Ray’s hauntingly beautiful “November,” with Taylor on drums taking over singing on the second verse. They were tight throughout the set.

Oberst swapped between acoustic and electric guitars and grabbed his harmonica when needed — although he forgot it at the beginning of “Hit the Switch.” Meanwhile, Fink’s bass thrummed a steady rhythm, Taylor kept the time, Mogis’ pedal steel was heartfelt, and Walcott’s keyboards and searing trumpet peals could call up wistfulness, joviality, or gloom.

Standout tracks of the night were the Americana-meets-Depeche Mode song “Shell Game,” a catchy track that features ‘80s style synths. They performed a pristine rendition of “Train Under Water,” and the “new” version of “Jejune Stars,” one of the many re-recorded tracks Bright Eyes has been archiving with the anecdote that old songs feel new again to him and the band.

Although long-winded with his between-song banter, he was generally well-behaved. His signature soft lisp and staggered cadence of speech made it difficult to tell if he was already a little tipsy when he took the stage. The 21-song set, including encores, lasted just over two-and-a-half hours because of the additional banter that covered topics from a poorly performing Hydroflask to rallying against “old white men in Texas” trying to control abortions, drawn-out stories about living in New York, and getting left behind on tour. More energetic topics on Oberst’s mind included Elon Musk, corporate greed, and our bumbling ex-president. His last words before launching into the final song of the night, “Road to Joy,” were “F*ck Elon, f*ck Twitter, and f*ck all of you motherf*ckers,” which would have been a perfect cherry for a song that criticizes the government, but he flubbed the second verse and an excited fan got to fill in.

None of this took the wind out of the sails of the dedicated crowd, though, and they ended with a vibrant and energetic finish that built into a cacophony and dissipated. Wrestling with a lifetime under the indie microscope cannot be easy for anyone. Minneapolis loves the complicated frontman — and the sentiment was expressed mutually throughout the evening. The patient and supportive crowd left the Bright Eyes show satisfied Thursday night. 

Bright Eyes & Maya Hawke

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SETLIST
An Attempt to Tip the Scales

Gold Mine Gutted

Down in a Rabbit Hole

We Are Nowhere and It's Now

Forced Convalescence

Mariana Trench

Bowl of Oranges

Double Joe

Make a Plan to Love Me

Jejune Stars

Contrast and Compare

Four Winds

Persona non grata

Shell Games

Train Under Water

Hit the Switch

November

Another Travelin' Song

ENCORE

Poison Oak

Wrecking Ball

Road to Joy