Live Review: Conor Oberst, The Felice Brothers

Ragtag New York outfit The Felice Brothers seem in jovial spirits as they kick off proceedings tonight in front of a substantial early crowd, their old time aesthetic well and truly intact.

Chief architect Ian Felice’s Bob Dylan-esque croak dominates proceedings although his brother James is the spiritual compass, lighting up the stage whether behind the keys or rocking his huge accordion, and especially when singing the jaunty Whiskey In My Whiskey. Fiddler Greg Farley constantly coerces the crowd to fire up and get involved, and this sense of community perfectly augments great songs like Cherry Licorice and the languid The Mating Of The Doves which rounds out their set.

It’s somewhat weird to see the same band file back onto stage after the break – this time joined by a black-clad figure with a stringy fringe protruding from beneath a floppy back hat – but tonight The Felice Brothers are also backing their longtime friend Conor Oberst and the partnership works immediately as they open with Time Forgot, the singer dripping with conviction and sincerity from the get-go.

Despite having a strong solo catalogue now Oberst’s set is practically dominated by tunes from his much-loved alma mater Bright Eyes, tunes like Four Winds, We Are Nowhere And It’s Now, Well Whiskey and Napoleon’s Hat perfectly nestling alongside solo tunes such as Artifact #1 and even songs from his side-project Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band like Moab, Ten Women and Cape Canaveral.

Oberst is verbose but has a captivating way with the language, while The Felice Brothers seem utterly invested in bringing these songs to life and the bulk of the devoted throng are either utterly transfixed or belting along with their hero with great gusto. It’s completely endearing the way that the singer is so erudite when delivering his tunes but then kinda mumbles shyly between tracks, and when the band files off so he can offer a solo rendition of Bright Eyes’ staple First Day Of My Life the large venue is swathed in perfect silence. The full ensemble returns for the enticing Hundreds Of Ways and the questioning Southern State, before Oberst relinquishes the reins to Ian Felice and joins in on an affirming version of The Felice Brothers’ own Butch Cassidy. They finish with a pair of Bright Eyes tracks – the meditative Laura Laurent and the intriguing Soul Singer In A Session Band – then heartfelt solo tune Easy/Lucky/Free, before being coaxed back (despite their “psychedelic jet lag”) for the epic An Attempt To Tip The Scales, John Prine’s gorgeous Long Monday, Another Travelin’ Song and Milk Thistle. Two fine acts at the top of their respective games, what’s not to love?