Happy Birthday Conor Oberst! It's your 28th birthday!
Now that we're passed that scary time and you've made it though your 27th year safe and sound, I can openly admit that for years know I've been a bit fearful that you would fall prey to oddly coincidental 27 club.
The 27 Club, also occasionally known as the Forever 27 Club, is a popular culture name for a group of influential rock and blues musicians who all died at the age of 27, sometimes under mysterious circumstances.
Most notable members include: Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain.
I first fell for your melancholy poetry and cacophony of lo-fi-alt-folk anthems and found myself listening to the Bright Eyes album Fevers and Mirrors over and over. As others joined me in appreciating your tearful heartfelt confessionals and you moved towards becoming an icon of sorts, I started to hear of all those Cobain comparisons (because of your mutual penchant for bleeding heart lyrics and distain of fame). And I started to get nervous.
What if all those songs about committing suicide and feeling down that you so eloquently sing were predictions? Sure, I am comforted by singing along with songs like "I Wont Ever Be Happy Again" or "If Winter Ends" but, in the back of my mind I wondered if they were prophetic?
Yeah, I know… this is just superstition and paranoia taking over logical thought processes. Let's just agree to never talk about it again? Let's just rejoice — it's your birthday! Do you want ice cream with your cake?
Let's watch this video a sweet someone made for your song "Feb 15th."