Bright Eyes @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, April 8, 2011

The first time I saw Bright Eyes was in London after he'd released two albums - Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and I'm Wide Awake It's Morning - on the same day.  I only knew I'm Wide Awake and so did most of the crowd.  The gig was in July at an outdoor venue (Somerset House) and was one of those perfect London summer evenings.  The set was mostly Digital Ash songs and the crowd, including myself, wasn't into it and was quite chatty.  For the final song, however, it was just Conor and his electric guitar singing 'First Day of My Life' and it was one of the most magical experiences I've ever had at a gig.  Nobody said anything ... we just sat back and enjoyed.  I've seen Conor once since, with his Mystic Valley Band and it was good.  I'm a fan but I bought my ticket for Bright Eyes with a bit of trepidation, hoping for the best but not really knowing what to expect.  He was ... well, he cracked jokes, seemed humble and gracious and even dedicated a song to the 'secular humanists'.  In short, a pretty wonderful way to spend a Friday evening.