Bright Eyes & Lullaby for the Working Class Tour

When Bright Eyes announced their fall tour in June, I was interested in seeing them again, having seen them play at the Met in Philly at the beginning of last year. Bright Eyes is a rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, that formed in 1995. Frontman Conor Oberst, known for his many side projects such as Monsters of Folk and Better Oblivion Community Center, founded Poison Oak Project, a charity that supports LGBTQ+ advocacy. He also speaks out on political issues at town hall meetings and on a larger scale on social media. Conor has always tried to bring Lullaby for the Working Class, a band created by his friend and close collaborator Ted Stevens, back to life, and it seems that when the world turns dark, Conor always finds a way to bring the band together to share their light. While Lullaby for the Working Class disbanded in 1999, they have returned to the stage twice on the same bill as Bright Eyes, first in 2002 and then again in 2010. When planning the tour, Bright Eyes knew who they wanted to be their opener: none other than Lullaby for the Working Class. Although they had not played together in over sixteen years or toured in decades, they agreed to join the thirteen-show US tour.

Originally, I did not have a ticket for this show. I had an interview scheduled for October 9, 2026, though as soon as it was rescheduled, I scoured StubHub for ticket options since my once-packed Friday night had become empty. Bright Eyes’ StubHub page loaded up, and I saw two available tickets well under face value. I bought one and headed to DC. I took the familiar Yellow Line into DC from College Park and reached the venue at 5:40 p.m., roughly an hour and a half before doors opened. I was about twenty-five people back in line with a clear view down the alleyway near the venue, where I could see Conor smoking while attempting to hide from fans with his iconic sunglasses on and his hood up. As I waited, I listened to fans around me. Many fans were much older than me and had seen Bright Eyes perform countless times, often traveling to see them in different states and venues. A fan walked down the line of waiting people, passing out pins with Bright Eyes and the show date on them, a gesture that captured the generosity of the crowd. They are kind, politically engaged, and often indulge in a bit of drug use. In this case, that felt par for the course.

Entering the venue, I quickly walked towards the middle of the stage, taking a spot in the second row of people next to a guy who was nearly six foot five and towered over the crowd. I purposely chose to never ask what his name was or what he did for work; all I wanted to know was his background with Bright Eyes. He talked about seeing them at Riot Fest and his plans to see them again later in the tour. We talked about Conor’s many side projects, which created some controversy in the crowd because everyone believed their favorite one was best. Some other people near me told me about how they had been to the Philly show and would be going to the next one too. Bright Eyes seems to have a tight-knit fan base that would follow them to the ends of the earth.

Lullaby for the Working Class took the stage, joined by a hooded Conor on xylophone. I was not very familiar with their music before the show, but it was palatable, though I was not necessarily a fan of the lead singer’s voice. I did enjoy “Honey, Drop the Knife” and “Show Me How the Robots Dance.” The band reminds me at times of Black Country New Road or Racing Mount Pleasant due to their use of strings and horns. Fans who already knew the songs sang along, while others smiled and moved to the music.

By the time Bright Eyes took the stage, the venue was packed. I could feel the energy around me lift. The twenty-song set started with “Don’t Know When but a Day Is Gonna Come.” The set leaned heavily on deep cuts, with many songs drawn from Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, and Cassadaga. As someone who is a huge fan of I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning; Letting Off the Happiness; and Fevers and Mirrors, I wish more songs from those eras had been played. I imagine there was a reason for such an eclectic setlist. Interestingly enough, they did not play any songs from their two newest projects. Since this was their first tour after releasing Kids Table, I expected to hear some songs from it. Although I knew fewer songs, this was the best I had ever heard Conor sound, whether in person or on video. He seemed happy throughout, thanking everyone for coming and talking about how much he loves the 9:30 Club. He moved around on stage and interacted with fans, grabbing their hands when he reached the edge. For the first time this tour, the band played four songs for the encore instead of three to show how much they were enjoying that night’s crowd.

After the show, I waited at the stage attempting to get a setlist, but I came away empty-handed. The show stayed on my mind all the way back to College Park. I was happy to see Conor doing so well after the vocal problems and other difficulties he faced on the previous tour. In general, the band felt like they were all on the same wavelength.

Would I recommend this show to you? If you mainly want to hear familiar favorites, this set may not be for you. But if you are open to deep cuts and unfamiliar songs, I would absolutely recommend it. You also get a chance to see Lullaby for the Working Class, who may not tour again after this run. Personally, I had an incredible time last night at the show, and I recommend checking out Bright Eyes’ discography if you have not already.