When Arizona passed SB 1070, the measure to enforce immigration laws on the state-level and force all immigrants to carry their papers or face deportation, Conor Oberst jumped right into the fray… with an open letter. You tell ’em, Conor.
But when the measure was about to make its way to his home state of Nebraska, Mr. Bright Eyes decided to go one step further and perform at Omaha’s Concert For Equality. Solo stuff and some Bright Eyes back catalog goodness was to be included, but it was Oberst’s participation in a one-night reunion of Desaparecidos, his punk band from the early 2000s, that was the most obvious highlight. Now, as a prize for making your way through that letter, feast your eyes on the band performing “Greater Omaha” at said concert, which took place this past weekend.
Sure, the shot’s a little shaky, but, in a very cliched way, the video captures the raw spirit of the super punk band who only released one album, Read Music/Speak Spanish, back in ’02. Check it out for yourself below, and if it gets you amped for more, according to TwentyFourBit, their aforementioned debut will be reissued on vinyl somewhere in the near future. Until then, stay tuned for more details.
Update: Also, compliments of 24B, we also have video of Bright Eyes performing “Coyote Song”, a protest song which Oberst composed for the Sound Strike movement. The song is expected to be released via the Sound Strike website in the coming weeks.
Update #2: A high quality video of Desaparecidos performing “Hole in One” has surfaced.
Desaparecidos – “Greater Omaha”
Desaparecidos – “Hole in One”
Bright Eyes – “Coyote Song”
