A Nostalgic Night With Bright Eyes In Chicago
Chicago, Illinois - October 4, 2026
On a chilly Sunday night in Chicago’s Wrigleyville, indie folk-rock band Bright Eyes warmed fans up at Metro, an iconic independently owned live music venue. Fans poured in early to catch the 90s indie-folk band, Lullaby for the Working Class, who reunited for this U.S. tour after a 16-year long hiatus from live performances. The room felt like sitting in on a confessional as the crowd fell still and silent. The band set a mellow vibe for the night, and fans grew increasingly eager for the main act to enter stage.
From Omaha, Nebraska, Bright Eyes was founded in 1995 by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Conor Oberst. The full band includes multi-instrumentalists Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott, with multi-instrumentalist Ted Stevens, bassist Macey Taylor, drummer Shane Aspegren, cellist Megan Siebe, and violinist Tiffany Kowalski joining them for the fall tour. Except for the frontman, every musician plays for both Bright Eyes and Lullaby for the Working Class on this tour.
Pale yellow lights illuminate the band as they drift to stage, and the crowd erupts in cheers. Oberst delicately strums the chords introducing the first song of the set, “Don’t Know When But a Day is Gonna Come,” off their fifth studio album LIFTED or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground. Halfway through the song, the band synchronously joins in. Notes and chords harmonize beautifully like threads in a woven tapestry. 2007 marks the last time this song was played live before this tour, setting up a nostalgic tone for the remainder of the show.
With Election Day less than a month away, Oberst takes a moment to encourage fans to register for the midterm election and emphasizes the importance of voting. “We still got a shot,” he tells the crowd.
Ending the set with “Dance and Sing,” a track off Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, Oberst liberates himself from his guitar to glide and twirl across the stage as the band surges behind his rich and heartfelt vocals. Cheers and applause fill the room until the band steps back into the light for an encore.
The night officially came to an end with three songs from three different albums, including “Solid Jackson” and “Make War.” The standout is “The Vanishing Act,” a live debut for the band this tour, and a dynamic and breathtaking performance carried by soaring violin notes and angelic backing vocals.
With a set rooted in their earlier tracks, Bright Eyes turned Metro into a place that felt like home for the night. As the final notes fade, fans spill out of the venue into the chill Chicago air, leaving with verses echoing in their heads. Tickets for their remaining tour dates with Lullaby for the Working Class can be purchased on their website.
