Conor Oberst has no soul, poor guy

I drove down to Columbia last night to see Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band play. I love Conor because his lyrics are so powerful and painful. I expected to see someone perform who is painfully aware of the world around him and of his own struggle as a human being existing in a painful world. I was disappointed. Maybe the drugs have taken his soul (Rolling Stone: "Rock's Boy Genius"). But somehow, he just wasn't there. I got bored watching him because his actions were coming from nowhere. A girl from the band Michael Runion came on stage for the last song and was trying to seduce him hard core with her tambourine to no avail. How do you seduce someone without a soul?

On the flip side, I was glad to see him sober for the show. He came to perform at Mizzou a couple years ago and a friend of mine who went said that he was thisclose to throwing up on stage.

For a guy who is so in tune to the reality of life, it makes me sad that he is somewhat gone from experiencing it. Look and listen to his opening song, "To all the lights in the windows"

"Moses up on the mountainside

What a place to meet
He brought his pad and his pencil
Poured himself some gypsy tea
And all the world's multiplicity
They turn his brain and his soul to stone
He drew his face on a tablet
And carried it back home

Jesus off in the water
Standing on his feet
Yeah, that's the thing about charisma
It makes everyone believe
But there is nothing impossible
When I'm with you and when you're with me
I got a sad sinking feeling
That that can never be"

To All the Lights in the Windows - Conor Oberst