Bright Eyes is dropping a new album this week, but unfortunately, there won’t be any live shows to celebrate due to unexpected health issues with the band’s founder and frontman, Conor Oberst.
In a heartfelt statement on their Instagram, the band shared, “We’re heartbroken to announce that our upcoming record release shows have been canceled. Conor lost his voice during our recent warm-up shows, and doctors have advised him to rest. We’ve made the tough but necessary decision to focus on his recovery for the rest of the month.”
Despite the setback, their new album Five Dice, All Threes is still slated for release this Friday, September 20. The band had planned a massive North American tour with over 40 dates from now through April 2025. As of now, only three shows have been canceled—Sept. 19 in New York City, Sept. 21 at Chicago’s RiotFest, and Sept. 22 in Omaha. Bright Eyes assured fans they’re working to reschedule these performances.
Though the official reason for the cancellations is to give Oberst time to recover his voice, some fans are speculating there could be more behind the scenes. A video shared on Twitter from a recent Ohio show shows Oberst appearing intoxicated on stage, making unsettling jokes about suicide.
“My voice is so messed up, but I’ll take care of it,” Oberst slurred, followed by, “Probably not, but I’m gonna kill myself.” After a band member whispered to him, he added, “I guess I’m not supposed to say that on stage. I’m not gonna kill myself! That’s over.”
The band’s representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment on the incident.
Bright Eyes, originally formed by Oberst in 1998, rose to fame with their 2005 dual album releases, I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, which included the fan-favorite song, “First Day of My Life.” Multi-instrumentalists Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott joined the band in 2006, but over the years, they’ve taken several breaks to work on side projects, including collaborations like Monsters of Folk and Better Oblivion Community Center with Phoebe Bridgers. In 2020, Bright Eyes reunited to release Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was.
