Bright Eyes: Live From KCRW HQ

When Bright Eyes released I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn on the very same day in January 2005, the dual release cemented the Omaha trio as one of indie music’s defining acts. In celebration of the albums’ 21st anniversary, Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott stopped by the KCRW Annenberg Performance Studio for an intimate live session revisiting songs and rarities from both landmark records. Arriving on the heels of 2002’s breakthrough Lifted… Or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, the two albums showcased opposite poles of Bright Eyes’ restless creativity. With songs like “First Day of My Life” and collaborations featuring Emmylou Harris and Jim James, I’m Wide Awake leaned into raw folk and heartland rock, while Digital Ash explored darker, more atmospheric terrain inspired by UK post-punk and collaborations with artists from The Faint, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Postal Service, and Rilo Kiley. The ambitious release expanded the possibilities of independent music in the mid-2000s, and two decades later its influence can still be heard across contemporary folk, emo, and alternative music. Revisited live at KCRW, the songs still carry the same emotional immediacy and restless experimentation that made the albums so enduring in the first place, revealing just how deeply they continue to connect with listeners a generation later. 0:17-4:15 Gold Mine Gutted 4:16-9:05 We Are Nowhere and It's Now 9:06-13:25 Down in a Rabbit Hole 13:26-20:18 Messenger Bird's Song 20:19-24:36 The Arc of Time (Time Code) 24:37-31:13 Train Under Water 31:14-37:35 Amy in the White Coat 37:36-42:10 Lua Band Credits: Conor Oberst, Singer / Guitar Mike Mogis, Guitar Nate Walcott, Keys Maria Taylor, Drums / Singer KCRW Credits: Adelaide Sandstrom, KCRW Music Senior Producer Jack Arthur, Lighting Designer Hope Brush, Lead Recording Engineer Katie Gilchrest, A2 / FOH Nick Lampone, A2 / FOH Beau Delmore, Video Director Carlos Medina, Camera Op 1 Tohar Zamir, Social Media Lead Rommel Alcantara, Photographer Alejandro Cohen, KCRW Music Director Ariana Morgenstern, Executive Producer Enjoy this session? Support KCRW's mission to share music with the world. Our non-profit radio station in Santa Monica, California has supported musicians and DJs for more than 40 years. Help us continue our music programming by donating whatever you can: https://kcrw.com/give http://www.kcrw.com Music | Culture | News | NPR