Written by: Geoff Tischman

The Felice Brothers and Conor Oberst headlined the College Street Music Hall in New Haven the other night and it was nothing short of spectacular.

Getting ready to release their new album Life In The Dark (June 24), The Felice Brothers played a loose and cheery set that showcased not only their inventive lyrical narratives, but their expert musicianship as well. The New York quintet, led by singer/guitarist Ian Felice, combine the rootsy swagger of The Band and Dylan at his most Basement Tapes discursive. They sing of boxers, waitresses, battered captains, stolen cars, con men going straight and straight men going crooked and they do so in the joyful American storytelling tradition that brings to mind Mark Twain at his very best, which was pretty much all the time.

Their old songs sounded great and the new ones (“Triumph ’76” and “Aerosol Ball”) came across as instant classics.

Conor Oberst came out and played a few numbers with the Felice Brothers and when he came back out for his set, they acted as his backing band.  Reaching into his back catalog (Bright Eyes, Monsters Of Folk, Mystic Valley Band), Oberst was a perfect mixture of poetic intensity and rock and roll smarts. He played a passionate set of aching, lovelorn numbers but with the Felice Brothers behind him, his songs took on a more devil-may-care element and a few times he even managed a smile. He was truly fabulous.