Earlier this year, Conor Oberst released his first solo album in 13 years, and he and the Mystic Valley Band (named for the area where they recorded Tepoztlán, Mexico) have been touring since July. They swung through New York this past weekend for a country good time at Terminal 5 with opener Ben Kweller, who Oberst met when they both were living in Brooklyn. Kweller has since moved back to his home state of Texas, but is also on tour previewing his country album coming out next year.

Even before he could legally buy himself a shot of something good at his local Texas saloon, Ben Kweller was a veteran of the music business. I first saw him when he was 16 with bleach-blond hair and decked out in ripped jeans. At the time, he was fronting the power-punk band Radish and singing about the travails of high school. They were so cool: signed to Mercury records, played on MTV, appearing on Conan and Letterman, and opening for Faith No More. But despite their pop appeal -- and perhaps aided by constant comparisons to fellow wunderkinds Silverchair -- the records didn't sell, and Radish eventually parted ways. Kweller rebounded by touring with Evan Dando, Jeff Tweedy, and Juliana Hatfield, later signing to Dave Matthews's ATO records. Today, still not three decades old but with a wife, child, and three full-length solo albums under his belt, he's ready to release another solo effort.