We waited a month (not to mention 8 previous years) for a Desaparecidos reunion and it finally happened this weekend, complete with two excellent videos to prove it. As previously reported, Bright Eyes, Cursive, Lullaby for the Working Class, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, and others joined Conor Oberst’s Desaparecidos in Omaha in support of the ACLU’s fight against a controversial city ordinance recently passed in Fremont, Nebraska, which intends to fight illegal immigration. As Oberst and friends believe the law to be racist and unconstitutional, they gathered for the Concert for Equality on Saturday night, speaking out against injustice between performances of old songs and — as you’ll hear — one brand new Bright Eyes composition.
Thanks to one lucky attendee, we have footage of both the Desaparecidos‘ opening song (also the last track off their to-be-reissued sole LP), “Hole In One,” and the first performance of “Greater Omaha” in nearly a decade. What’s more, a quality audio recording (the video for this one includes little coverage of the band) of Bright Eyes playing their new anti-SB 1070 tune, “Coyote Song,” composed specifically for the Sound Strike campaign, has hit the web. Note Oberst’s impassioned rallying call before “Hole In One,” and check out all three pieces of footage below:
**Update: Part II of our video selections from this show are here.
Desaparecidos – “Hole In One”
Desaparecidos – “Greater Omaha”
Bright Eyes – “Coyote Song” (bad vid, good audio)