On May 19th of this year, the prolific songwriter Conor Oberst released his newest album, Upside Down Mountain, on Nonesuch Records. Upside Down Mountain is Oberst's latest solo venture and was recorded in Los Angeles, Omaha, and Nashville and was produced by Los Angeles local Jonathan Wilson. After finishing the first leg of his tour with backing band Dawes, Oberst embarked on a West Coast tour that included a new backing band and three very special shows in Los Angeles.
[All words and photographs by Lindsey Best]
On October 5th, Oberst and the legendary American songwriter John Prine played a joint headlining date at the Greek Theatre. Not only was this a special occasion for the audience, but both songwriters boasted about how happy they were to be sharing the stage with one another, and even treated the crowd to several collaborations throughout the night.
On October 7th, Oberst and his band stopped at the GRAMMY Museum-- a semi-hidden Los Angeles treasure that encompasses both a museum that features different displays that share a part of music history, as well as a small, beautiful theatre where they conduct interviews and performances. All of the interviews and performances are documented and archived and available for future viewing pleasure.
The following night, the staple Los Angeles radio station KCRW held a private event at Apogee Studios where Oberst and his band played their final Los Angeles date for this leg of their tour. Apogee Studios is an incredibly intimate and beautiful space that is home to legendary producer Bob Clearmountain, and features enough room for just the right amount of people to comfortably enjoy an intimate performance. Located in Santa Monica and with a track record of recording artists that run deeply across genres, you would be hard pressed to find a more desirable location to see an intimate performance. As with all of KCRW's Apogee Sessions, this performance was recorded and will air on Morning Becomes Eclectic on October 29th.
