Barely into his first year of high school, Conor Oberst had other things on his mind rather than the pressures of who to ask out for homecoming, stupid jocks and weekly football games. Along with the slightly older Ben Armstrong (drums), Robb Nansel (guitar) and Todd Baechle (ba**), Oberst got together Commander Venus in 1994 at the ripe age of 14 with himself on guitar and vocals. Cutting cla** and pep rallies for gigs in and around his ... Show more...

Barely into his first year of high school, Conor Oberst had other things on his mind rather than the pressures of who to ask out for homecoming, stupid jocks and weekly football games. Along with the slightly older Ben Armstrong (drums), Robb Nansel (guitar) and Todd Baechle (ba**), Oberst got together Commander Venus in 1994 at the ripe age of 14 with himself on guitar and vocals. Cutting cla** and pep rallies for gigs in and around his native Omaha, Nebraska, Oberst and company got together some money, formed their own label Saddle Creek and put out their first album Do You Feel At Home? in 1995; lots of comparisons to Sunny Day Real Estate, Pavement, Pixies and Superchunk followed. Commander Venus' second album Uneventful Vacation came out two years later on Chicago's Thick Recordings. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide