Conor Oberst has found a new medium for storytelling. The Bright Eyes frontman and Shawn Foree have announced their debut short film, which will premiere at Beyond Fest in Los Angeles on September 26th.
Shot on Super 16mm over four frigid nights in Omaha, Nebraska this past January, Invention 13 follows a frustrated pianist who runs into a series of strange obstacles while attempting to master J.S. Bach’s notoriously difficult composition of the same name. Oberst and Foree assembled a 40-person crew for the project, which incorporates practical effects and hand-drawn animation.
Cast and Crew
The 15-minute short stars Emory Cohen, best known for playing Homer on The OA, alongside newcomer Olivia Howard and professional skateboarder Nelly Morville. Bright Eyes member Nathaniel Walcott composed the soundtrack. Most notably, Phoebe Bridgers is also credited as a voice actor in the movie.
Premiere and Tour
Invention 13 will receive its debut screening at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre alongside Nobuhiko Obayashi’s 1977 Japanese horror classic, Hausu. Afterward, Oberst and Foree will participate in a Q&A moderated by comedian and musician Whitmer Thomas.
Oberst will return to his day job after the premiere, as Bright Eyes are set to embark on a US tour this fall. The group will be hitting the road with the reunited Lullaby for the Working Class, which Walcott is a member of along with fellow Bright Eyes teammate Mike Mogis. In January 2027, the band will play I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn in full across three shows at the Brooklyn Paramount.
Tour Dates
Bright Eyes 2026–2027 Tour Dates:
09/19 — Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
10/02 — Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall +
10/03 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue +
10/04 — Chicago, IL @ Metro +
10/05 — Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre +
10/06 — Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s +
10/07 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer +
10/09 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club +
10/10 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel +
10/11 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse +
10/12 — Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl +
10/13 — New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s +
10/15 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre +
10/16 — Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory +
10/17 — Kansas City, MO @ The Truman +
10/18 — St. Louis, MO @ The Sovereign +
10/20 — Omaha, NE @ The Admiral Theater +
01/11 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount *
01/12 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount *
01/14 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount *
* = playing I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn in full
+ = with Lullaby for the Working Class
In conclusion, Conor Oberst and Shawn Foree are set to premiere their debut short film, Invention 13, at Beyond Fest in Los Angeles, and Bright Eyes will embark on a US tour this fall, playing with Lullaby for the Working Class and performing I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn in full across three shows at the Brooklyn Paramount in January 2027.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
