Bright Eyes cancel remaining 2024 concert dates after alarming tour kick-off, say Conor Oberst will be treated for 'vocal issues'

Bright Eyes have canceled the remaining dates of their 2024 concert schedule, following an alarming start to the band’s US tour that prompted distressed fans to express concern for the mental and physical health of the band. singer Conor Oberst. The band said in a social media statement Friday that Oberst would receive “ongoing medical care” for “vocal issues” and that the band planned to return to the road next year.

“Over the past week, Conor has undergone several tests to determine the cause of his recent vocal problems,” the statement said. “It appeared that he developed an illness exacerbated by excessive singing, requiring both treatment and recovery. We are confident that with an effective diet and continued medical care, we will be able to get back on the road next year.

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The band regretted that “we will have to cancel our concerts for the rest of the year, including in Los Angeles, Oakland, Las Vegas and Europe. We love our fans and are incredibly disappointed that we won’t be able to play these shows. All tickets for major shows will be refunded at point of purchase and we will keep everyone informed of rescheduling plans.

Bright Eyes had only performed three dates on their US tour, September 14-16, before it was announced that the next three shows would be canceled, in anticipation of this much larger cancellation. Many fans who attended the concerts that took place expressed concern for Oberst’s well-being and expressed hope that more than a handful of dates would be postponed or canceled, believing that he was showing signs of need for further treatment, regardless of the issues involved.

On social media, general fan reaction to Friday’s announcement was almost surprisingly positive across the board, considering they were cheering for a cancellation. This was true even among those who had travel plans for upcoming dates, with many of them breathing a sigh of relief that the singer seemed to be receiving help, even if they were personally embarrassed.

Some fans considered the explanation of “vocal problems” to be an understatement, given that Oberst appeared heavily intoxicated during concerts earlier this month, and this was not the first time while on tour. But others think her voice could be a legitimate problem, on top of anything else that could have hurt her performance. At the band’s third and final show, in Philadelphia, fan reports on Reddit and elsewhere indicated encouragingly that Oberst seemed to have pulled himself together after a disastrous appearance the previous night in Cleveland. But even then, fans noted signs of vocal strain, suggesting the singer sounded more like he was at the end of a tour than the beginning.

It was the second concert of the tour, in Cleveland, which sparked a storm among fans on social media. Late in the concert, Oberst, apologizing for his “so disgusting voice,” remarked that he wanted to “kill myself,” which seemed to spark a worried buzz among the other band members as well as the audience. One participant wrote that he walked after seven songs because, for someone with a history of addiction and recovery, the performance was a trigger. A typical comment from a Cleveland attendee on social media read: “Can we say how heartbreaking this has been? I cried on the way home…I hope he gets the help he needs. Rooting for him.

Although the cancellation is seen as a sign of hope by fans who hope Oberst will get a break to heal, it will put a temporary damper on plans to promote a new album that has been generally well-received. by fans and critics. Bright Eyes’ “Five Dice, All Threes” received praise upon its September 20 release with reviewers including DIY’s, who said it was “an exciting and unpredictable musical journey”, and Under the Radar’s, who said that the album is “more than a body of music, it is a statement of wisdom and creative expression with the type of artistry that leaves listeners with revelations or suspicions about the world around them.”

Currently, the tour is still scheduled to resume in 2025, starting with a Jan. 16 concert in Phoenix. The band has more than 40 shows scheduled next year as part of a busy North American tour schedule that runs through April 26 in Iowa.

It was the second time in a week that a tour by a beloved rock band was canceled due to highly visible problems involving a singer’s onstage behavior. Jane’s Addiction has not only canceled the remainder of its tour, but appears to have broken up as a band following singer Perry Farrell’s assault on guitarist Dave Navarro on stage (and also off stage, according to the guitarist group, in a new detailed review of the podcast). Farrell’s wife later apologized on his behalf and said the singer would see a neurologist.

The canceled Bright Eyes shows are:
Friday October 11 – Oakland, California – Fox Theater
Saturday October 12 – Los Angeles, California – The Bellwether (SOLD OUT)
Sunday October 13 – Las Vegas, NV – Best Friends Forever Music Festival
Sunday November 10 – Wolverhampton, United Kingdom – Wulfrun Hall
Monday November 11 – London, United Kingdom – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Tuesday November 12 – Nijmegen, Netherlands – Doornroosje
Wednesday November 13 – Ghent, Belgium – Ha Concerts
Thursday, November 14 – Cologne, Germany – Carlswerk Victoria
Friday November 15 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom
Saturday November 16 – Weissenhauser Strand, Germany – Rolling Stone Beach
Monday November 18 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fållan
Tuesday November 19 – Oslo, Norway – Parkteatret

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