REVIEW: Bright Eyes Reunites With Lullaby for the Working Class at Variety Playhouse
The folk outfit had an intimate night with fans soundtracked to deep cuts from their legendary catalog
When Bright Eyes announced they would be touring with Lullaby for the Working Class—the group that built the connections and laid the groundwork for their sound and style today—in some of America’s most intimate venues, I was excited to say the least. I’d seen them play The Tabernacle in Atlanta in 2025, and that tour felt right at home with the overall energy of their records: a mix of high power and quietly somber songs from their lengthy discography, running through almost if not all the hits. Their set at Variety Playhouse this past weekend took a 180°: a personal, for-the-fans performance, soundtracked to their deep cuts and album tracks from over the years.
Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, Nate Walcott and co. hit the stage and opened with back to back tracks from LIFTED or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground. To any Bright Eyes fan, they’d expect the standard, post-2020s comeback setlist picks of something like “Lover I Don’t Have To Love” or “Method Acting.” We were pleasantly surprised with songs such as “Don’t Know When But a Day is Gonna Come,” “False Advertising,” and “Make War” from the 2002 record. These choices and more proved how dedicated this tour has been to those in love with the Bright Eyes back catalog. Cassadaga’s “Hot Knives” and “Classic Cars,” Digital Ash in a Digital Urn’s “Arc of Time (Time Code),” and B-sides galore from the group’s early catalog filled the walls of Variety Playhouse with their stellar live backing band.
Speaking of which, both the headliner and opener contained the same lineup. Oberst played xylophone and guitar at the beginning of the night, and Lullaby frontman Ted Stevens (who is also the guitarist for Cursive) sang backup with guitar. Everyone’s connection to each other enhanced the bond with their packed audience. Switching instruments and moments in the spotlight, everyone from the strings section, the horns, and all the way to the percussion felt like they were the star at one point or another.
Bright Eyes continues to be the inspiration for generations of new songwriters. The crowd, mostly leaning older, still has the air of a group capable of creating art as great as what they witness. Community and finding each other in the lonely are themes featured in the lyrics of the band's work, so being in a packed room listening to the honest feelings of one of my generation’s key figures made this wide world feel a little closer.
