Pitchfork

Bright Eyes photo by Paparazzi by Appointment

How do you make the prospect of Bright Eyes playing with an orchestra that much more enticing? Answer, thy name is opening acts. And opening acts? Thy names are Yo La Tengo and M. Ward.

Ward, as you may recall, has long been a companion to Conor Oberst, opening tours for the young troubadour stretching back to the Lifted days, and even doing that three-sensitive-dudes-with-guitars triptych tour along with Conor and My Morning Jacket's Jim James. Yo La Tengo, as you may recall, have been making music since Conor was a toddler.

Both will set the stage for Bright Eyes and the Los Angeles Philharmonic September 29 at the Hollywood Bowl. And although there are no immediate plans for either opener to receive orchestral backing themselves, who's to say whether Ward and Oberst will exercise their BFF-dom in some fashion, or whether Ira, James, and Georgia will dance a little jig to "Hot Knives"? Guess you'll just have to drop by to find out.

Bright Eyes also has plenty of shows sans string sections, Yo La Tengo have tacked some engagements onto their Freewheeling tour, and M. Ward's got himself a few gigs too.

Bright Eyes:

09-13 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre *
09-14 Boise, ID - Big Easy Concert House *
09-15 Spokane, WA - Big Easy Concert House *
09-16 Olympia, WA - Capital Theatre *
09-18 Fairbanks, AK - University of Alaska - Fairbanks *
09-19 Anchorage, AK - University of Alaska - Anchorage *
09-20 Anchorage, AK - University of Alaska - Anchorage *
09-22 Seattle, WA - Quest Field (End Fest)
09-23 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre #
09-24 Chico, CA - Senator Theatre #
09-29 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl ^
10-03 Mexico City, Mexico - Vive Cuervo Salon
10-19 Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre
10-20 Kalamazoo, MI - State Theatre
10-21 Champaign, IL - Foellinger Auditorium at University of Illinois
10-22 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
10-23 Lawrence, KS - Lied Center at University of Kansas
10-24 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
10-25 Sioux Falls, SD - Ramkota Exhibit Hall
10-27 Billings, MT - Shrine Auditorium
10-28 Missoula, MT - University Theatre
10-30 Edmonton, Alberta - Events Center
10-31 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Hall
11-02 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theatre
11-03 Fargo, ND - The Venue at Playmakers
11-04 Iowa City, IA - Main Lounge at University of Iowa
11-06 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
11-07 Birmingham, AL - Alabama Theatre
11-08 Charleston, SC - The Plex
11-09 Winston Salem, NC - Millennium Center
11-10 Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
11-11 Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
11-12 Wilmington, DE - Grand Opera House
11-14 Binghamton, NY - Magic City Music Hall
11-15 Rochester, NY - Main Street Armory
11-16 Portsmouth, NH - The Music Hall
11-17 Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
11-18 Worcester, MA - Palladium
11-19 New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall

* with Nik Freitas
# with Port O'Brien
^ with Los Angeles Philharmonic, M. Ward, Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo:

09-09 London, England - Royal Festival Hall *
09-10 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
09-11 Paris, France - La Cigale
09-12 Brighton, England - Concorde
09-14 North Dorset, England - Larmer Tree Gardens (End of the Road Festival)
09-16 Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Festival)
09-17 Austin, TX - The Parish
09-29 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl +
10-09 Pittsburgh, PA - Warhol Museum %
10-10 Bloomington, IN - Buskirk-Chumley Theater %
10-11 Chicago, IL - Lakeshore Theater (two shows) %
10-13 Grand Rapids, MI - Calvin College Fine Arts Center %
10-19 Port Washington, NY - Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street %
10-20 Woodstock, NY - Colony Cafe %
10-22 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Sanctuary %
10-23 Alexandria, VA - Birchmere %
10-27 Mexico City, Mexico - Festival Manifest 2007
11-10 North Adams, MA - Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art %

* performing the Sounds of Science
+ with Bright Eyes, M. Ward
% as the Freewheeling Yo La Tengo

M. Ward:

09-16 San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Festival
09-18 New York, NY - World Trade Center (Music Downtown Series)
09-29 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl $
10-07 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom

$ with Bright Eyes, Yo La Tengo