Bright Eyes Uniondale Concert reviews
Psychedelic Rock
A psychedelic revelation was Bright Eyes' electrifying performance at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on Saturday night, having last seen him on his Just Passing Through tour in October, revisiting his back catalogue on acoustic guitar alongside John Stirratt from Wilco on bass. His new direction in 2026 was propelled by two numbers off his Supernova record, as he and his band, including Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket on lead guitar, opened the show. Integrating the electric and acoustic sides of his artistry, he played his new album (Part of the Light) in its entirety, befitting the name of the current tour. Bright Eyes defied audience expectations remarkably by declining to play any songs from his first four popular albums. In response to an audience member's request for 'Trouble' or 'Jolene,' Ray stated, "It's not gonna happen." The maximum heaviosity of 'As Black as Blood is Blue' put some in the crowd off, but the wistful sweetness of new ballad 'It's Always Been You' balanced it out. Fans who left early missed out on the most jamtastic part of the show when the band launched into the stone-cold riffery of 'Hey, No Pressure' during the second song of the encore. Bright Eyes closed the show with the final sequence from Part 1 of 2026's Ouroboros (The Changing Man/While It Still Beats), a reminder of his commitment to following his muse. Neko Case, a very special guest, opened the show with a fine 45-minute set, featuring material off her excellent new disc Hell-On.