Weekend Picks: Bright Eyes + M Ward, The Postelles, Suzie Brown, The Dodos, Kurt Vile + Pissed Jeans
Bright Eyes
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
Bright Eyes began in 1998 as a project showcasing then 18-year-old Conor Oberst’s songwriting. Accompanied by a revolving cast of contributors, Oberst wrote mournful songs with narrative and literary flair. With the release of Lifted in 2002, he was embraced by bookish teenagers, emo kids and critics alike. Oberst was called the “new Dylan,” and embarked on a series of musical explorations, delving into Americana and electro-pop on subsequent albums. Along with perennial Bright Eyes members multi-instrumentalist Mike Mogis and pianist Nate Walcott, Oberst returned this February with The People’s Key. It is Bright Eyes’ first offering since 2007’s Cassadega, and Oberst says, it will be its last, remarking that he wants “to lock the door, and say goodbye” to the band that brought him success. Bright Eyes performs with Dawes and M Ward at 7:30 p.m. at The Mann Center; tickets to the all-ages show are $25-$33.50. —Kiley Bense
I have yet to find a write-up of The Postelles without a reference to The Strokes, so I won’t try to dodge it here. It’s a definitive feature of the band—and both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The preppy Manhattan kids are certainly more earnest than the apathetic Stokes, but at times their simple retro new wave is indiscernible. Their self-titled debut album came out this week, so it’s too early to tell if they are still searching for their own sound or content to mimic others. Regardless, drawing comparisons to one of the biggest bands of the last 10 years isn’t the end of the world. So, if you want to hear a Strokes cover band playing Strokes songs you’ve never heard before, check out The Postelles tonight. The Postelles perform with The Dig and Ambassadors at 7:30 p.m. at Kung Fu Necktie; tickets to the 21+ show are $10. —Dave Simpson
Also playing: Suzie Brown + Jake Snider at World Cafe Live (8 p.m., $19-$24); Dangerous Ponies + Hop Along, Ryat, George And Jonathan at First Unitarian Church (7:30 p.m., all ages, $10);
SATURDAY, JUNE 11
The Dodos + Gauntlet Hair at Theatre Of Living Arts (9 p.m., $15); East Hundred (record release) + Turning Violet Violet, Steve Goldberg And The Arch Enemies at Johnny Brenda’s (9 p.m., 21+, $10); The Great Unknown + The Spinning Leaves, The End of America at Kung Fu Necktie (7 p.m., 21+, $8); Lenka + Elizabeth And The Catapult, Shannon Corey at North Star Bar ($8, 21+, $14)
SUNDAY, JUNE 12
Kurt Vile & The Violators + Pissed Jeans, Meg Baird at First Unitarian Church (8 p.m., all ages, $12); Natasha Bedingfield + Kate Voegele, Kevin Hammond at Theatre Of Living Arts (8 p.m., $29)