Dawes and Conor Oberst played a pair of shows at Chicago's Metro as part of a unique tour that featured the Los Angeles folk rockers pulling double duty, both opening and backing the Bright Eyes frontman.
As openers, Dawes provided a satisfying 10-song set that included all their most well known songs from 2013's Stories Don't End like "Most People," the bouncy "From A Window Seat," and anthemic "When My Time Comes."
After a short break, lead singer Taylor Goldsmith, his brother drummer Griffin, bassist Wylie Gelber, and keyboardist Tay Strathairn returned to the stage along with Conor to assist on a myriad of Oberst's tunes sampled from his Mystic Valley Band, Bright Eyes, and solo catalogues.
As usual, many of the highlights came from songs from Bright Eyes' 2005 seminal release I'm Wide Awake It's Morning. "Old Soul Song (For The New World Order)," "Poison Oak," and "Another Travelin' Song" all shined with the folk rock pairing.
The evening ended with an encore consisting of "Hundreds of Ways" and two Mystic Valley Band songs, "Cape Canaveral" and "Roosevelt Room."
The collaborative nature of the tour proved to be a real treat, but remains in short supply. With only a few more stops left on the tour, the final shows promise to be special, with stops including Oberst's hometown Omaha, Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium and New York City's Summerstage in Central park in July.
SIMILAR SONGS
