Conor & the Mystic Valley Band add 2 more NYC shows

terminal 5 ahahahahahaha

Good. Why can't they book all the shows I don't care about at Terminal 5.

well i've never been to terminal5 so i guess this is as good an excuse as any

that dude is a shitstain.

just as whiny and talentless as he was when he was famous for being fourteen

is terminal 5 obscenely huge? also why doesn't he play the mhow grr

conor is brilliant. you people talk shit because of how popular he has become. i really doubt you have the ability to write anything nearly as creative as him but you think your little blog posts sure are clever don't you? pick up a guitar and a mic and try for yourself.

i might have to go. love me some Conor.

getting tickets to both shows and i already have tickets to the bowery show. fuck.

"love me some Conor"

I have people that say "love me some"

you own people? that's kind of illegal

you hurt 3:01's feelings!

3:01 is a warrior!

he stands up for our oppressed grossly overpaid pretty boy emo popsters!

love me some clever blog posts.

3:13: just because little 14 year old girls now all love bright eyes and all portray conor to be what you say he is doesn't mean that is what he is. and grossly overpaid? oh and emo doesn't even exist. it's just a made up term to describe new pop punk. and to say that's what bright eyes is just ridiculous.

Surf Taco represent son!

excuse me, it's always been 14-year-olds who've loved Bright Eyes! *Especially* back when he was 14 himself.

how can you deal with that contrived phony whine?? it's crap dude, plain and simple. The guy is a hack, making stock emotional cliche for delicate teenyboppers and lonely cubical dwelling middle aged women.

Maybe he once had a hint of talent and could be excused for that awful fucking affectation because of his youth, but he's definitely overplayed that card by now.

is jenny lewis opening?

don't you think you saps have made this guy rich enough already?

pick some other random songwriter dude and spread it around!

Lou Reed, Thurston Moore, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Stipe, and Steve Earle are all big fans/supporters of Conor Oberst. But if insecure, anonymous BV commentators don't like him then he must be crap! You kids will evenutally get older and realize that it's OK to like something just because it's popular. Nobody cares who you listen to, trust me.

why should it matter what kind of audience a band attracts?

grandpa, nobody cares who you listen to either. Popularity and who listens to someone's music, never prevented me from liking a talented musician. There are hundreds of musicians I listen to and appreciate. I have listened to Bright Eyes enough and I don't appreciate him or his music. Go out to lower east side venues. At any given night, you'll catch several no name singer-songwriters that have more talent than this guy.

i love conor hes pretty

look the kid isn't the next john lennon or anything but he is a damn good songwriter. that's not an opinion but a fact. you can't listen to his catalog and say he isn't lyrically gifted. and to say he has no talent is just a completely ridiculous statement. there are plenty of bands im not a fan of but i still respect them as musicians. i'm not into john mayer's songs AT ALL but that doesn't mean the dude can't play a mean ass guitar. the bandwagon went the way of hating on Conor and you're just another one who jumped on.

surf taco rules

no, I actually think he's garbage, not joining in some trendy hate parade.

the guy is selling out two nights at a 5000 capacity venue, I don't think the bandwagon has turned against him.

he will be forgotten in a few years. I hope he invests all that cash into something solid.

Lou Reed, Thurston Moore, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Stipe, and Steve Earle, among other famous old dudes, have personal assistants to tell them which young up-and-comers to say they listen to. This is so they look relevant.

Same as Bowie attaching himself to Arcade Fire, and before that to NiN in the 90s, or the same as when Neil Young put out a terrible terrible record with Pearl Jam(!)

It means jack shit about whether the young people are talented.

I sure as fuck hope that the photo BV used for this thread isn't an official Conor Oberst press photo. If so, what a narcissistic douchebag!

has this album leaked?

anon @ 4:29: you are ridiculous. Are you 12 years old?

if you can say he is garbage, well that's just in bad taste. you just don't know enough about music to understand that he is a creative songwriter. simple as that. he has help in selling out 5000 capacity venues now because of the mainstream. but also because there are people out there who do recognize good music and songwriting. i'm talking about that trendy hipster bandwagon that's rolling around.

4:36, I don't get it. what's even remotely childish about what the other guy said? It's a fact, old rockstars attach themselves to younger ones to stay in the game. This sounds farcical to you?

You're either really naive, or else you're Conor Oberst's press agent.

Oberst has some good songs and some bad songs. Dude is pretty alright. We're not talking middle eastern politics here.

And people have been saying that he's going to be forgotten since his first album, and his parade just keeps getting bigger. The Conor is going to be around for a while.

4:37... um what "trendy hipster bandwagon that's rolling around"??? Could you clue me in as when exactly Conor Oberst was *ever* cool among people who like real music, record collectors, music devotees, etc?

Conor Oberst, Bright Eyes , et al, has been passé in knowledgeable hipster circles pretty much since he arrived in the late 90's as a child emo prodigy. I can't remember anyone who seriously follows interesting music EVER liking this guy.

He's a hack pop songwriter. He's dull, cliched, and worse than that, he utilizes an unbearable, grating affectation to sound "sincere".

I have been in touch with aging rock legends' personal assistants to make sure they are plugging Conor to the press. Steve Earle in particular is very concerned about his image and relevance.

dude is average at best and he's charging way too much for his tickets.

I don't think lou reed gives a fuck if some 14 year old girl likes him or not because he played with oberst

even C. Oberst's fans' comment wit is lame.

weak dudes, can't you do any better?

have you seen Lou Reed perform lately? whew! pretty sad!

I don't think that guy's judgment is all there anymore, at all.

you guys complain about oberst when stuff like this exists:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG4xnTnFnJw

Ha, anyone wanna trade me their Bowery ticket for a terminal 5 one!? ah, didn't think so but worth a try!

Obviously Conor's musical peers and elders like and respect him. Part of his following includes sensitive teenage girls, so therefore he has lost the BV commentator contingent. Whatever. Those songs he did with Emmylou Harris a few years ago were wonderful, and every record he puts out has some real gems as well as some forgettable filler. C'est la vie.

half the people on here would kill to be conor oberst. successful musician that started out in his early teens already with enough money so he'll never need to "work" a real day in his life, regardless of the number of labels he's involved with. tons of albums with multiple projects and sells out virtually every show. and well-connected to the rest of the little indie community.

stop shitting on him.

so, it's now out of line to point out when an individual is getting undeserved recognition and cash?

Why are you rushing to defend this successful rich dude? I think he should be able to weather a little criticism, he's doing pretty well for himself after all, has legions of fans, lots of famous friends, a lot of money.

This guy and Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse and Spoon and Cat Power the rest are just modern arena rock, and they have stuck around far too long. They produce the occasional decent new song, and it's not as if they can't play their instruments or put together a competent, catchy tune, but what's the point? It's paint-within-the-lines pap, with little to say and no innovation or urgency.

They sure ain't producing important, vital art, and they hog the spotlight and the public's dollar - particularly when they charge upwards of $50+ for the privilege of seeing them regurgitate their songs.

There's a lot more compelling stuff out there. You could see ten satisfying small capacity shows for the cost of this one forgettable one. Ticket prices that high are patently arrogant and unethical.

If he's so terrific and popular, why can't he make his cash charging a lot less but playing in front of a lot more people?

Vital art is what makes me want to dance.

Connor Oberst's career is about 90% filler

Is he going to sell these two nights out on saturday?

What's the obsession with calling him rich? The dude is well off, no doubt, but rich? definitely not rich. Also, if you don't think Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, Spoon, and Cat Power are artists, well I don't know what to say about that. To say they have nothing to say is a shame, and the truth is your just not hearing them properly. They are playing rock songs. They are playing pop songs. They are catchy songs, but there is still heart in there. A song doesn't need to be intricate and complex and completely innovative for it to be good. Nirvana turned the music world on its ass with power chords. Sometimes the most simplest song and melody can be the most powerful.

The amount of quality music Conor, and the bands mentioned above, have put out over the course of their careers is staggering. If you don't like it then fine. But to say these people aren't artists is ridiculous and just false. You think they are trying to hog the spotlight? They are musicians so they are doing what they do. And what they produce happens to be important to a shitload of people. Again, I don't get the obsession with calling Conor rich and hogging the spotlight and how much the shows cost. Most of your grievances are based on material things. Sounds like jealousy to me.

Just like any band Conor doesn't set the price for his shows. The show at Bowery is $25 and you think that's too much? If you have a problem with the price of shows then blame Ticketmaster. They are the devil and the only ones who should ever be blamed for why shows cost so fucking much.

"Conor Oberst, Bright Eyes , et al, has been passé in knowledgeable hipster circles pretty much since he arrived in the late 90's as a child emo prodigy. I can't remember anyone who seriously follows interesting music EVER liking this guy."

This is complete nonsense. And your use of the word emo proves you really don't know what you are talking about. Hipster circles drooled over Bright Eyes until he became too popular. Oh, and YOU can't remember anyone who follows interesting music liking him? Who the fuck do you know anyway? Michael Stipe, Lou Reed, Thurston Moore, Emmylou Harris, Bruce fucking Springsteen, and many other amazing artists openly respect Conor as a great musician. Nuff said. Shit.

8:54, you are flat out wrong. Bands and booking agents set their ticket prices, with the expenses that the venue demands playing a large role in their decision making. But it's the Bands, via their agents' negotiation with the venues' talent buyers, who decide what to charge.

All that Ticketmaster does is charge exorbitant fees and secure monopolistic deals with venues. Ticketmaster has zero role in the base ticket price.

Whether you like the guy or not, $25 to see Conor Oberst at the Bowery Ballroom is a good deal.

Lets do some math!

If Conor Oberst sells out two nights at Terminal 5, at, let's say, $30 a ticket, how much money will Conor Oberst make?

Now Terminal 5 holds 3000 people. Let's be generous and say sell-out is 2500 if you deduct for industry and press freebies, staff, guestlist, sneak ins, etc.

So 2500 people at $30 a head. Remember, whatever Ticketmaster fees there are just go to Ticketmaster, so neither Conor Oberst nor Terminal 5 get any of the money that makes tickets cost you all those dollars more than the $30 you see advertised.

So that's $75000 total money in the pot if it sells out. At those big places like Terminal 5, the performers walk away with about 50% or 60% of the money once the venue takes all their cuts for expenses and assorted made up bullshit. And they don't share the bar profits, either!

Let's be conservative, if the band gets 50% of what comes in via tickets, Conor Oberst and his crew and booking agent and bandmates will have $37500 to split from each show, and there are two shows, so $75000 from the Terminal 5 shows alone.

That's not too shabby for two days' work, even if you factor in bus rental and fuel and hotel rooms and paying staff and the booking agent's percentage, etc. And that doesn't even begin to include what you make selling merchandise...

If anyone was wondering, opening bands on shows like this are lucky to make $500, oftentimes nothing. The thinking is that they're getting a big break playing in front of Conor Oberst's (or whoever's) legions of waiting fans.

Conor Oberst (or Spoon, or Cat Power, or Modest Mouse, or whoever) makes a lot of money. Accordingly, it isn't surprising that he's so averse to taking musical risks or exploring edgy territory, regardless of his talent. After all, there's a lot of money at stake and you don't want to stray from that sweet sweet middle of the road!

The point is that this guy's success is largely luck. He's a talented young guy, sure, but hardly groundbreaking. His skills don't justify the way he and the little cadre of other big name, big ticket indie rockers hog your concert dollars or the media's attention. It's not like his releases are getting better and better each passing year.

There are thousands and thousands of musicians with unappreciated talent. They go ignored because it's easier to suck on the teat you're used to and keep buying new releases and ever increasingly expensive concert tickets by your tried and trues. The gravitational effect of money on media coverage encourages this.

Nothing against Conor Oberst or his ilk (and actually, he seems to overcharge a bit less than his peers), but while he is clearly a talented musical craftsman, he is certainly no historic, canonical genius who will be revered years from now.

So why not spread your attention and your dollars around to other talented musicians, especially those that are seeking out new ground? Why feed your time and money to the already bloated juggernaut that is commercial "indy" rock? It's becoming as much of a monopoly as the major label record industry it has replaced.

11:37 -- gotcha. So what's the name of your band and when are they playing next? So I can attend and Viciously Stick it to the Bloated Juggernauts of Indy rock.

even if they make like 40Gs off the show think of how many people are in the band. divide it by that. also paying all the crew and techs. so lets say each band member walks away with like 5Gs (being conservative)....and they play like 50 shows a year....that's about 250,000....or the same as your entry level lawyer or I banker. it's not like these people are millionares like the classic rock acts. no one buys the records.

11:45. I am not in any band

id kill to be conor, so i could kill myself.

you really think Conor Oberst is sharing the pay equally with his band members?? you're pretty naive

I DO NOT READ THE BLOG COMMENTS

NO I AM NOT SINGING FOR YOUUUU

entry level bankers make about 80k

"has been passé in knowledgeable hipster circles"

im taco time andeveniknow that the dumb

the dumb

the reason discours BE SAD INSTEADOFINTERSTING

so fuck

YOU
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sent from my blaxberry gossamar fone

21 days till taco time party

lots of shoe salesmen and burger flippers and waiters on here offering comments today.

all the dude wanted was his rug back

you 'subtle' hate of conor oberst is amusing BV. Keep at it.

12:07. $250,000 seems fair to you as your conservative estimate for someone who only works 50 days of the year? you have a strange concept of wage equity.

"And your use of the word emo proves you really don't know what you are talking about. Hipster circles drooled over Bright Eyes until he became too popular."

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! you are young. When Bright Eyes started he played the emo circuit alongside bands like Braid, Jejune, Kind of Like Spitting, Promise Ring, etc. Why do you think he sings like he's about to break down and cry all the time? He's of and from late 90's emo pop!

Hip, informed, interesting, worldly, bohemian music fans have shunned this little whiner from the get go. What does it matter whether some old timers attach their names to him? There was never a moment when it was "hip" to like Bright Eyes.

If he's so inconsequential, why do you haters spend so much time telling us about how inconsequential he is?

If you think we should stop buying albums that we like so that we can support something more groundbreaking (as if that unto itself is a virtue), then why don't you do the same with your comments — spread your precious page-views to the next big thing you seem so excited for, but will eventually hate.

"Hip, informed, interesting, worldly, bohemian music fans have shunned this little whiner from the get go."

Seriously man, every time you write that you sound like the worst commenter in the history of this site.

And that's really saying something

4:39, people are criticizing the extraordinary amount of attention and cash showered on this run of the mill singer songwriter with an annoying voice, not about anything extraordinary about him

4:48, thanks for the big indescript hyperbole! it's the worstestest!

You haters are hilarious. Relieved to know the BV tastemakers don't like Conor.. now I can enjoy his music knowing you pretentious morons and I don't have the same taste in music. I hate it when uptight jealous wanabes get on the bandwagon of music I like. I'd rather be at a show with 16 year olds jumping up and down than too cool for school new yorkers barely bobbing their heads.