Conor Oberst’s sad songs make us feel happy at LA’s Greek Theatre

Conor Oberst with Julien Baker //
Greek Theatre – Los Angeles
May 13th, 2017 //

As the crowd filled into the Greek Theatre during Julien Baker’s opening set last Saturday, the young singer softly said it best: sad songs simply make us feel happy.

This is what keeps fans coming back to see Conor Oberst year after year, this most recent time in support of his latest release Salutations. This is what quieted the crowd low enough to hear a sniffle or two during songs like “Lua”, which is now 12 years old and still inciting a cheerful uproar as it crescendoed midway through.

And for anyone who has been comforted by Oberst at some point during the last 20-plus years of his career, this was the truth that will keep us listening for 20 more.

Setlist:
Afterthought
Four Winds (Bright Eyes song)
Time Forgot
Too Late to Fixate
Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out
Eagle on a Pole
Barbary Coast (Later)
Well Whiskey (Bright Eyes song)
Mamah Borthwick (A Sketch)
Anytime Soon/Overdue
Map of the World (Monsters of Folk cover)
Lua (Bright Eyes song)
Jack at the Asylum (The Felice Brothers cover)
Salutations
Artifact #1
Poison Oak (Bright Eyes song)
A Little Uncanny