Former folk-rock wunderkind Conor Oberst has grown into a institution unto himself, playing in a diverse array of musical projects with a host of prominent collaborators, running two record labels, and presiding over a legion of fans so fervently devoted that novelist Jonathan Franzen likened it to "religion without the bullshit of religious dogma." more ›

The last time we saw Conor Oberst at the 9:30 Club, performing under his Bright Eyes moniker just prior to the release of Cassadaga in 2007, the mood in the room was quite different. Oberst had decided to draw a line in the sand and accordingly, refused to play anything from his extensive back catalog. His fans, however, weren't having it, shouting out requests at every opportunity (naturally, alongside screams of "I love you Conor!"). This clearly irritated Oberst and about halfway through the set, he finally snapped. “You know all those songs you’re yelling out? Yeah, we actually played those,” he sneered at the tweens in the front row. “You’re just five years too late.” more ›

Ever wonder why rock critics use phrases like “this generation’s Dylan” to describe Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes? Just to piss people off? As an easy hook for ageing rockers? There may not be another artist today so overtly and capably ripping off the rambling, verse-upon-verse epics Dylan has perfected over the years, but the expectation that comes with the "new Dylan" tag is too heavy for anyone to bear. A few of Oberst's songs... more ›

Deep in the incestuous (professionally speaking) world of indie rock, there is Rilo Kiley. Based out of Los Angeles, it isn’t that much of a surprise that the band was founded by two former child stars, Jenny Lewis of Troop Beverly Hills fame, and Blake Sennett, aka Salute Your Shorts’ Ronnie Pinksy, aka Joseph 'Joey the Rat' Epstein from Boy Meets World. More interesting is the number of popular side projects on which these... more ›

Confidential memo to any DCist reader who hasn't yet skipped out on town/been released from their desk chains on this beautiful Friday: If you love all things Conor Oberst, you may like to know that the 9:30 Club appears to have just released some extra tickets for tonight's sold-out Bright Eyes show with The Faint. Get thee posthaste here; purchase your tickets; and we'll see you tonight. more ›

MONDAY: more ›

Spring has sprung (well, sort of), and concerts in the D.C. area are in full bloom. We thought we had enough on our plate with the upcoming April and May line ups, but with some concert announcements in the past week, there's even more than we expected. more ›

If you're sitting at your desk at work, a little bored and waiting for the weekend, we recommend surfing on over to the washingtonpost.com MP3 page, where in honor of their 4th birthday, they've picked out their top 20 downloads of the year. Otherwise, check out our suggestions for weekend fun below. more ›

We were all set to recommend you some delicious concerts to attend in the first month of aught-five, but when we looked over our information, it turns out that all three of our top three shows were already sold out. The Bright Eyes (with Conor Oberst at left), Scissor Sisters, and Arcade Fire concerts, all set to take place at the 9:30 Club in January -- well, consider yourself lucky if you snagged a ticket to any of them. And if you missed out, check the end of this post; we've got a bit of a surprise in store for you. more ›