Conor Oberst will probably always be best known for his work with indie-folk legends Bright Eyes, but he's been in a bunch of other bands, and one of the best is Desaparecidos, a five-piece punk band who released one album, Read Music Speak Spanish, back in 2002, and have been largely dormant since. Fortunately, though, Desaparecidos (Spanish for "the disappeared") returned to action last fall, and are hitting the East Coast for their first tour in over a decade. Since reforming, Desaparecidos have released two singles, "MariKKKopa" and "Anonymous," both of which have proven that Oberst's political consciousness and grasp of hard hitting punk hooks are still intact.
Their newest single, "Anonymous," which will come out on vinyl in March, features lyrics paying tribute to the hacker group the song is named after, while its B-side, "The Left Is Right," references the Occupy movement. And "MariKKKopa," released late last year, is a tirade against Arizona's infamous Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the xenophobic anti-immigrant policies recently enacted in that state. A lot of people have an image of Conor Oberst as a weepy lovelorn piano man, but if you've ever wondered what it would sound like if he got off his ass, picked up a guitar, and started raging, Desaparecidos is the band for you. (Confidentially, I think it's the best work of Oberst's entire career.)
At the 9:30 Club, Desaparecidos will be joined by emo-punkers Joyce Manor, a great band in their own right, who are on tour supporting their second album, Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired, released last year on Asian Man Records. Fans of Algernon Cadwallader and Grown-Ups are advised to show up early to catch these guys. Opening the show will be States & Kingdoms, a New York band featuring former members of Thursday, Small Brown Bike, and Rival Schools. That list makes me expect emo, but the fact that they have a pedal steel guitarist in the band makes me doubt my expectations. There's really only one way to find out what's going on with these guys--show up early and see them play!
WHAT:Desaparecidos Occupy The 9:30 Club!
WHO:Desaparecidos, Joyce Manor, States & Kingdoms
WHERE:9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW, Washington DC 20001
WHEN: Saturday, February 16, Doors open at 8 PM
ADMISSION: $25 in advance--purchase tickets HERE
And what's really great is that you could see this whole show for free! Provide your information in the Punchtab widget below, and you will be eligible to win two tickets to see Desaparecidos at the 9:30 Club on Saturday! You've got until Friday at 5 PM to enter, but don't wait--enter now and beat the rush!
And just so you know exactly what you can expect from Conor Oberst and his band of guitar-slinging punk rockers, here's an early look at their new single, "Anonymous" b/w "The Left Is Right." Desaparecidos will be self-releasing these two songs on 7 inch vinyl in mid-March, but you can preorder a copy for yourself now by clicking HERE. It'd probably be a good idea to do that now, too, since their "MariKKKopa" 7 inch, which came out last fall, is already out of print. Anyway, check out these two storming rockers below, and get psyched for the show this Saturday! We'll see you there!