Bright Eyes Perform ‘Down in the Weeds’ Tracks for NPR ‘Tiny Desk Concert’

Bright Eyes performed four songs — including three from their first album in nearly a decade — on the latest installment of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series.

The trio recorded their set with Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis performing at ARC Studios in Omaha, Nebraska, while Nate Walcott appeared at the Los Angeles studio, Lucy’s Meat Market, with Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond providing back-up vocals.

Bright Eyes opened the performance with the three songs from Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was: “Mariana Trench,” “Pan and Broom” and “Persona Non Grata.” The band wrapped with a rendition of “Shell Games” — off 2011’s The People’s Key — that featured a much more minimal arrangement than the original alt-rock anthem but didn’t sacrifice any of the song’s power.

Bright Eyes released Down in the Weeds at the end of August, ending a nine-year silence that followed The People’s Key. The group was supposed to embark on a tour this year to support the new album, but those dates have either been canceled or postponed until 2021 due to ongoing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.