Bright Eyes have cancelled a series of shows, citing songwriter Conor Oberst "losing his voice."
The new album Five Dice, All Threes is out tomorrow (September 20), and the group were due to play three shows in the coming days: Brooklyn tonight, followed by Chicago's Riotfest on Saturday (September 21) and a hometown gig in Omaha on Sunday (September 22).
The statement on Instagram reads, "We're heartbroken to announce that our upcoming record release shows have been cancelled. The warm-up shows we played earlier this week resulted in Conor losing his voice and, on the advice of doctors, we've made the difficult but sensible decision to prioritize rest and recuperation for the remainder of the month." They have pledged to reschedule the dates.
Following the band's recent shows, fans online expressed concern over Oberst's apparent mental and physical health, as he forgot song lyrics and made comments about suicide.
Currently, they're due to return to the road on October 11 for a couple of US shows, followed by a European leg. They've got an extensive North American run booked for early next year, including Vancouver and Toronto.