Conor Oberst is a musician who knows a thing or two about change.

Coming of age in front of a microphone, the prodigal son of indie rock has been the social commentator and court minstrel of our mercurial and ever-changing generation.

Thus, when Oberst took a breather from his successful band, Bright Eyes, to pursue a more organic, pseudo-country super group in the Mystic Valley Band, hesitant fans scratched their heads and went along for the ride.

At the band’s performance Friday night at the Ogden, an interesting mix of bespectacled plaid-wearing 20 and 30 somethings and trendy teens witnessed Oberst’s latest musical endeavor. Needless to say, they were not disappointed.

Far from it, in fact. Oberst is a skilled musician and excels at reinvention.

Opening acts Capgun Coup and Mal Madrigal started the show with folk/rock/blues offerings that dulled in comparison to what the audience had come to expect of the headliners and received a mediocre response.

When Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (Taylor Hollingsworth, Nik Freitas, Macey Taylor, Nathaniel Walcott and Jason Boesel) finally took to the stage at 11 p.m., the audience was well boozed and ready for the raucous tunes the group had in store.

Mixing a handful of songs from its first self-titled release with a healthy serving of new music from the forthcoming Outer South (due out May 5), the set went down like a cold beer on a warm April night.

The new tracks possess the insightful and unapologetic personal and societal observations that are the hallmark of Oberst’s songwriting.

The instrumental intensity was evident as talented musicians came together in near perfect cohesion.

The new songs also revealed another change as Oberst relinquished the role of lead vocalist in several numbers, letting the other band members show their talents.

While this can be a risky maneuver, the crowd welcomed the variety and cheered in support of each vocalist switch.

However, what really got the audience going were the unruly songs that brought the band together to plaster do-wop-esque melodies over steel-guitar-tinged rock in songs like “Slowly (Oh So Slowly).”

At nearly 1 a.m. the band mounted the stage for an encore before a stomping and chanting plethora of enthused fans who confirmed that the Oberst touch is golden.

Wherever this demigod of songwriting goes, his fans will undoubtedly follow.

We are just glad that for now Oberst has taken us to the Mystic Valley.

Check him out!