Indie heroes Bright Eyes are in the middle of a massive North American tour, playing a string of shows in Texas over the weekend. During a show at White Oak Music Hall in Houston on May 22, frontman Conor Oberst left the stage after just two songs, as Brooklyn Vegan first reported.
Jezebel Senior Reporter Caitlin Cruz tweeted, “Bright Eyes played two songs. Conor Oberst walked off. And now the band is suggesting Bright Eyes karaoke with Bright Eyes for the crowd…” Cruz followed that up with a video of the band attempting to carry on with the performance by picking out audience members to come onstage.
Audience member Marissa posted videos of the several audience members who took on the karaoke challenge, but it didn’t last long. As seen in another video posted by Stephanie Lamm of The Houston Chronicle, venue staff eventually came onstage to cancel the show and offer refunds. Cruz also posted a partial screenshot of the official cancellation email, which reads:
Due to unexpected circumstances, Bright Eyes was unable to perform at White Oak Music Hall and the show has been officially cancelled.
For tickets purchased on our website/SeeTickets or at our box office, we will refund the full value of your ticket and parking pass.
Following the incident, several fans took to the internet to discuss Oberst’s behavior at previous tour stops. In addition to a resurfaced tweet detailing a chaotic night in Cleveland, stories have appeared on the band’s official subreddit alleging incoherent banter and other Oberst miscues over the past few Texas dates.
As of now, the band are still scheduled to perform tonight (May 23) at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana.
