Last week I heard a young singer on Jay Leno's Tonight Show and since I haven't been able to get him out of my mind, I'll see if anyone else has heard him.
Oberst is a 24 year old singer/songwriter who, although I had never heard of him, has evidently already made his mark, judging by the some of the names he has already performed with: Springsteen, Emmylou, John Fogerty and Michael Stipe. (At Vote for Change, a political rally)
Anyway, before he came on at the Tonight Show, Leno promised the audience that whether they agreed with him or not, they would remember him. And so I have found it.
"The song he sang/talked (although it was NOT rap) was, (quoting from the article): "Particularly searing was "When the President Talks to God," a vicious stab at Bush's rule by divine right." enquote
"If you judged Conor Oberst by the company he keeps, you might think the Bright Eyes singer was a bigger star than even his rising reputation supports. At last fall's Vote for Change shows, he rubbed shoulders with rock royalty, sharing a microphone with the imposing likes of Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty, and Michael Stipe as they took turns singing "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding." And on "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" -- one of two upcoming Bright Eyes albums -- Oberst's harmony partner on several songs is none other than Emmylou Harris.
"Oberst's songwriting has little, if anything, in common with any of these acts. What they probably see in him is a little bit of themselves when they were younger, angrier and more idealistic. The veteran artist Oberst resembles the most is actually Bob Dylan, but unlike the dozens of songwriters compared to Dylan over the years, Oberst actually earns the distinction, if only because he's one of the few artists at his or any other age writing outright protest songs. At those same Vote for Change shows, Oberst was often the first to call out the President by name.
"Not surprisingly, those fiery political responses to current events highlighted Bright Eyes' sold-out performance last night (Jan. 17) at Chicago's Riviera. But unlike Dylan, Oberst's fans don't seem to be looking toward the 24-year-old for guidance, or even as a cryptic riddle daring to be deciphered. Rather, Bright Eyes fans remain so blindly rapt that it's no wonder Oberst looked somewhat bored throughout much of the set, much of it drawn from "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning." After all, where do you go next as an artist when your fans are shouting out "you're a genius!" between every song? No wonder Dylan snapped.
"Perhaps that explains why Bright Eyes only came alive when Oberst addressed the world around him, a subject larger than even his earnest sense of self-importance. Particularly searing was "When the President Talks to God," a vicious stab at Bush's rule by divine right.
Oberst also must realize that the hypnotically beautiful "Land Locked Blues" (formerly titled "One Step in Front of the Other") could be the best thing he's ever written. He's recorded it twice, and the song is strong enough to work as both a show opener and a set closer (it performed the latter duty this night). "