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Bottom of the Hill September 27, 2000 Reviewed by Craig Phillips Matt Suggs opened. Matt Suggs seems like a poor man's Jeff Buckley, or even Damien Jurado, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. His songs tend to blend into each other (a nice way of saying they all sound the same), but the folksy, heartfeltness has it's charms. Particularly in the song "She Kept Time to the Teardrops," which is probably his prettiest, catchiest song. He's got a nice troubadour-like feel -- with a bit of strengthening, Suggs could be someone to watch. On this night, he was just someone to occasionally hear while waiting for a beer. The second act was the kind of background, space-house music that would be perfect if played while recovering from a hangover on a quiet Sunday afternoon, but placed as they were late on a weekday night, in between two folk rock acts, Her Space Holiday were way too somnambulent for the antsy crowd. I give them a "Z"( as in the letter that pops up in a cartoon bubble over your head while you're sleeping). That said, however, HSH's sonic wanderings are intriguing, and I think I'll give them another chance. Bright Eyes, as Conor Oberst likes to be known -- oh wait, he actually has a band behind him. Okay, let's say "Conor Oberst and Friends" (which sounds like a cable variety show), and acknowledge that it's more fun to talk about the "20 year old wunderkind" than to talk about the rest of the band. And there's no doubt that he's one-of-a-kind. Where'd all this heartbreak come from? How'd he get so ferocious and wise at such a young age? Songs like "Touch" and "the difference in the shades" are like mini-movies, with tempo and tone changes, and lines like "we'll stay like this, all gold and green/the light collects and projects your heart on a movie screen/and if you close your eyes/we will always be the way we were that night you crawled inside of me and you slept in my blood." The show at the Bottom of the Hill revealed a more mature Conor than seen in previous shows. He didn't act as nervous and quivery. Technical difficulties that arose (of which there were quite a few) didn't faze him a bit. He actually spoke to the crowd between songs. Okay, he mumbled to the crowd, but they still ate it up. He was calm, he had stage presence, the girls are mesmerized by him. Comparisons to Kurt Cobain or Van Morrison (_or insert another explosive singer-songwriter here_) seem a bit overblown -- I think he needs to take himself a little less seriously, which may come with time -- but there is no doubt Oberst is talented, and can deliver the goods live. He even played some older tunes, including the lovely "February 15th." The weird thing about Bright Eyes is, as groovy as the songs are, one rarely leaves a show to find themselves singing the songs later on. They'll never be played at someone's wedding, with dozens of drunken, dancing guests mouthing the lyrics and tearing up with nostalgia. This speaks well of Bright Eyes. I had what I thought was a great idea for a double-bill: Bright Eyes and Neutral Milk Hotel, as both share a penchant for melodramatics and beautiful, heartfelt songs. But then I realized this would be overkill, too much lyrical power in one night might make people's heads implode. (Maybe this would explain the booking of Her Space Holiday: a little calm before the storm.) |