Bright Eyes and the Power of the Phil

Conor Oberst and friends were lucky to have one of the finest backing bands of all time Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl -- the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Suzie Katayama's arrangements made even Bright Eyes' small songs sound huge, leaving us wondering who picked the setlist -- Katayama or Oberst? (Correction: (Thanks commenter) Bright Eyes multi-instrumentalist (and third permanent member) Nate Walcott arranged, Katayama only conducted.)

In recent Hollywood Bowl history the Phil has teamed up with Willie Nelson, The Decemberists, and Belle & Sebastian for sometimes incendiary, sometimes uneven, once-in-a-lifetime concerts that even Grandma would dig. And to think, just setting foot on the Bowl's historic stage is beyond most's wildest dreams. Bowl season is at its end but it won't be too long a wait for early bird tix '08.

Special thanks to Anjali Taneja for capturing "Don't Know When..." (and more) from the crusty bottom of the Bowl's Pool Circle.

Check the LAist photo essay from this show here.