Many moons ago, when I still worked the door at Jazzbones and Jason MacKinnon still owned the joint, the two of us got into a good natured argument. Or rather, MacKinnon got into a good natured argument with me, and I found myself along for the ride. If you know MacKinnon, I’m sure you know the type of exchange I’m talking about. It was one of those late night, Grey Goose fueled attacks that put me on the defensive from the start and didn’t provide much room for maneuvering. I think he would have had the argument with nearly anyone. I just happened to be standing there.



The premise was simple. MacKinnon contended there were no great storytellers left in current popular music — storytellers on the level of Springsteen, as I recall. In his opinion, current music was void and vacant, and lacked the human experience thread that transcends music into something bigger than simply sonic candy.



I think I disagreed because I had no other choice. I think I sputtered out the names of a few artists who slipped off my tongue under MacKinnon’s full court press. As I remember, my suggestions were quickly shot down and it was decided.



MacKinnon was right; I was wrong. There were no great storytellers left in popular music — at least on this night.



Looking back on the conversation, two things come to mind. First of all, it’s hard to argue something with passion when you don’t necessarily believe it. Even in retrospect I don’t know of many Springsteens in today’s music, so it was a hard angle to defend. MacKinnon has a way of trapping you in conversations like this.



Secondly, had I been able to gather myself and think about it a bit, two artists would have come to mind that are completely on par with the Boss.



Ted Leo and the Pharmacists proved with Living with the Living, released in March of ’07, what I had suspected since ’03’s Hearts of Oak. Leo’s Midwestern-slash-Jersey perspective goes toe-to-toe with Springsteen’s.



More importantly for this article, a second name recently made my “On Par with the Boss” list, and he happens to be coming to the Capitol Theatre in Olympia this Sunday, Sept. 16.



His name is Conor Oberst. He’s better known as Bright Eyes.



There are connections between Oberst and Springsteen. While the Boss is from New Jersey, perhaps his best record is Nebraska.



Oberst is from Omaha.



Also, in 2004, during the lead up to that year’s presidential election, Bright Eyes joined Springsteen and R.E.M. on the Moveon.org “Vote for Change” tour. During the tour, not only did Oberst share a bill with Springsteen, but according to Wikipedia “Oberst sang numerous duets with the likes of Springsteen and Neil Young.”



Here’s the history: In essence, Bright Eyes is a solo project started by Oberst in 1995. At the time, he was still in Omaha fronting the band Commander Venus. As that band started to disintegrate, he slowly started to focus more and more of his time on writing acoustic guitar songs and recording them to four track in his parent’s basement. Over time, the project, which he called “Bright Eyes,” became his full-time gig — and the music began to pour fourth.



Bright Eyes didn’t reach critical acclaim or widespread popularity until 2002, and the release of Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground. Though the record was released on a small indie record label based out of Oberst’s beloved Omaha, Saddle Creek Records (as all his records have been), it still managed to sell 250,000 copies and land Oberst positive press from the New York Times, Spin, Rolling Stone and many others. This is probably about the time you started hearing about him.



Earlier this year, April 10 to be exact, Bright Eyes released Cassadaga. The record was Oberst’s seventh studio album under the moniker. While there’s more to the Bright Eyes sound than Oberst’s fragile vocals, earnest songwriting, and the strum of a guitar — like drum machines, violins, organs, and even the occasional clarinet — the essence of the sound is never overwhelming. You could strip away every bell and whistle and still have a record that holds up. Like the Boss, Oberst transplants you from wherever you find yourself, to dusty porches in the Midwest and lonely roads across the wide open country. His songs evoke feelings and shared experiences.



Oberst tells stories. They’re American stories, and he tells them as well as anyone.

If I had the chance to restage my argument with MacKinnon, I’d cite Oberst, and specifically Cassadega, then rest my case.



Bright Eyes will play the Capitol Theatre in Olympia Sunday, Sept. 16. Joining Oberst on the bill will be Nik Freitas and Kimya Dawson. For perspective on his growing popularity, Oberst and Bright Eyes will also play 107.7 The End’s “Endfest 16” Sept. 22. Joining him on that bill will be the Smashing Pumpkins and Social Distortion.



[Capitol Theater, Sunday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m., $25 at www. ticketswest.com, Phantom City Records and the door, 206 E. Fifth Ave., Olympia, 360.754.3635]