Edwin Arnaudin: Until we were finalizing departure times the day of the show, my partner Heather thought that the inspired double bill of Bright Eyes and Hurray for the Riff Raff were playing at Asheville Yards (fka Rabbit Rabbit).

She made a good point: the last time Bright Eyes played Asheville, it was to open Rabbit Rabbit in 2021. But similar to Modest Mouse playing The Orange Peel last year after making RR and Thomas Wolfe Auditorium their home, it's that chance to catch a big name in this intimate space that makes the opportunity so appealing — and on consecutive nights, no less.

Though neither of us double dipped, I was able to attend the March 12 event and you went the following evening. Did your installment live up to its tremendous potential?

Jonny Leather: Yes. That pairing definitely had the feel of a Rabbit Rabbit bill. I could easily see Hurray for the Riff Raff headlining The Orange Peel, and drawing just as big of a crowd.

In terms of expectations, I knew what to expect from Alynda Segarra. When I first caught the singer/songwriter live in Santa Fe in 2015, I was really only a casual fan, and she and her band blew me away. I was fortunate enough to see them again on The Navigator tour. That album was such an artistic leap forward, and the performance reinforced that. In the years since, she's consistently showcased her aptitude as one of the premier American songwriters, and I was excited to hear live renditions of my favorite tunes off of last year's The Past Is Still Alive. And she and her band did not disappoint.

As for Bright Eyes, my relationship with the music of Conor Oberst has been more extensive, and so my expectations were complicated. I first came across the album Fever & Mirrors during my freshman year of college, and I connected with Oberst's brand of emotional angst to a degree that the Omaha songwriter's music became a vital element to my survival for the next several years. For as much as the band meant to me at that point in time, the only time I'd seen them before this year was in 2002. It was a magical set that was part of Oberst's label Saddle Creek's CMJ Showcase. Nearly every band on the label played that night, and by the end of Bright Eyes' headlining set, the stage was full of performers.

Following the 2005 peak that came with the dual release of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, my affection for Oberst's music began to wane. Although I've enjoyed every release within that two-decade span, Bright Eyes no longer excited me the way it once did. So, the question heading into the March 13 show was if the performance would tap into that side of me that once felt so deeply connected to the music during my younger years, or if it'd merely be a mildly pleasant experience. Once the band launched into its third song of the set, "Method Acting," I was assured that the former was true.

Was your experience similarly fulfilling? Seeing artists with such extensive back catalogues, it's impossible not to attend the concert without a wishlist of songs for them to perform. Did the March 12 setlists by Bright Eyes and Hurray For The Riff Raff meet your hopes?

Hurray for the Riff Raff (Photo by Jonny Leather)

Edwin: I’m a pretty casual fan of each act, and this was my first time seeing Hurray for the Riff Raff. But basically all of my main music nerd buddies (including you and our Asheville Stages colleagues Jay Moye and Brian Postelle) were pumped — especially Jay, who named The Past Is Still Alive is favorite album of 2024. In turn, I view their set more as a jumping off point in my Segarra education, though I was glad to hear the repetitive yet soothing “Buffalo,” my favorite track off her latest album. And I realize she doesn’t make the most energetic music, but a little more stage presence would have gone a long way on the visual engagement front.

My first Bright Eyes show was the aforementioned Rabbit Rabbit grand opening, but I was also fortunate to catch Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers’ Better Oblivion Community Center stop at The Grey Eagle in 2019. That collaboration enlivens me more than any albums Bright Eyes has released since its 2020 reunion, yet I wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to see Oberst & Co. again, especially at this venue.

Asheville seems like a safe space for the frontman — he played the Peel multiple times as a solo artist in the 2010s, recruiting Dawes and The Felice Brothers as his openers and backing band — and he keeps coming back, delivering energetic shows to receptive, appreciative audiences. All that held true on Wednesday, but before I get to the specifics of the setlist, I’d like to express gratitude for the amount of brass employed in its opening half. I kept thinking it was a mere cameo, but the band kept working in the horns and got things off to a lovely start. Is that also how Night Two went down?

Jonny: The brass was indeed in full effect on the second night as well. I believe they first kicked in during the aforementioned "Method Acting." Speaking of the energy of Oberst's backing band for this tour — while I fully expected to see Conor flanked by longtime Bright Eyes-associated multi-instrumentalists Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott, I was utterly shocked and overjoyed once I realized that Alex Levine was handling bass duties on this tour. I couldn't help but recognize the frontman of The So So Glos — the beating heart of the Brooklyn DIY scene at its peak — decked out in his NY Mets shirt. In addition to the energetic bassist, multi-instrumentalist MiWi La Lupa was a strong presence on that stage, and he really got to shine when taking lead on a cover of Ted Hawkins' "Sorry You're Sick" midway through the set.

Speaking of Oberst sharing lead vocal duties, there's no question that a major highlight of Night Two was when Segarra was invited on stage for a special rendition of "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)," which was immediately followed with a spectacular cover Blondie classic "Dreaming." And a return during the encore for a performance of heartwarming ballad "Lua" was icing on the cake.

Were there similar standout moments during the first night?

Edwin: I love it when Oberst puts the guitar down and stalks the stage with a mic in his hand like a confident rapper. He most memorably did that a handful of songs into the set on “Mariana Trench,” and a few numbers later we were treated to a lovely rendition of arguably Bright Eyes’ greatest hit, “First Day of My Life.” Tons of phones were raised high to record that one (mine included), which speaks to the lasting power of that 20-year-old tune.

But really, simply hearing Oberst’s natural tremolo voice still sounding golden after two-plus decades is a highlight in itself — especially after his recent health issues that threatened that very gift and forced the band to cancel a string of shows last year. Seeing him move seamlessly between multiple instruments was also a delight, particularly a mid-set switch to keys, during which he joked that his parents were right and that he should have taken more piano lessons.

Energy shifts like that highlight the band’s somewhat underrated versatility, especially when it was built back up to the night’s apex, “Shell Game," and its “Everyone, on the count of three!” part that found Oberst back in MC Raven mode. These indie rock legends clearly saw the opportunity to bring big, outdoor Rabbit Rabbit passion to the Peel — and they delivered.

Jonny: Speaking of "First Day of My Life" — there was a point during the Night Two set when it was evident that a group of middle-aged white women may have really only been familiar with the tender side of Oberst found in that tune. They'd clearly been enjoying the set so far, but when the singer made his first direct mention of the current political situation during his introduction to "Old Soul Song (For A New World Order)" there was a palpable sigh and change in their mood. Although for those ladies it appeared to be off-putting, it's something I'd been anticipating for much of the set.

Oberst's activism has always been a major piece of the Bright Eyes equation, and I'd be lying if I said they didn't have an impact on me during my younger years. And when it comes to Oberst exhibiting his political angst, it's hard to beat the exhilarating rendition of "Let's Not Shit Ourselves (to Love and to Be Loved)" that closed out the band's two-night run. It's probably the song that I most wanted to hear, and I imagine I wasn't alone in that.

(Photos by Jonny Leather)