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Cape Canaveral from space. August 7, 1991

Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.

It is part of a region known as the Space Coast, and is the site of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Since many U.S. spacecraft are launched from both the station and the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, the terms "Cape Canaveral," "Canaveral", or "the Cape" have become metonyms that refer to both as the launch site of spacecraft. In homage to its spacefaring heritage, the Florida Public Service Commission allocated area code 321 to the Cape Canaveral area.

Other features of the cape include the Cape Canaveral lighthouse and Port Canaveral. The city of Cape Canaveral is a few miles south of the cape. Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian River, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore are also features of this area.

History[link]

A section of a map from the 1584 edition of Abraham Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, Additamentum III showing the name C. de Cañareal

Humans have occupied the area for 12,000 years.^[1]

The Timucuans were there when the Spanish arrived.^[2] The Onathaqua tribe or village was in the area. They were in alliance with the Calusa in 1564. They may have been part of the Ais tribe.^[3]

In the early 16th century Cape Canaveral was noted on maps, although without being named. It was named by Spanish explorers in the first half of the 16th century as Cabo Cañareal. The name "Canaveral" (Cañaveral in Spanish) is the third oldest surviving European place name in the US.^[4] The first application of the name, according to the Smithsonian Institution, was from the 1521–1525 explorations of Spanish explorer Francisco Gordillo.^[5] A point of land jutting out into an area of the Atlantic Ocean with swift currents, it became a landing spot for many shipwrecked sailors. An early alternate name was "Cape of Currents." By at least 1564, the name appeared on maps.^[5]

English privateer Master John Hawkins and his journalist John Sparke gave an account of their landing at Cape Canaveral in the 16th century.^[6] A Presbyterian missionary was wrecked here and lived among the Indians.^[7] Other histories tell of French survivors from Jean Ribault's Fort Caroline whose ship the Trinite wrecked on the shores of Cape Canaveral and from whose timbers a fort was built.

The last naval battle of the American Revolutionary War was fought off the shores of Cape Canaveral in 1783, between the USS Alliance and the HMS Sybill.^[8]

Because of the hazards of the cape to shipping, the first Cape Canaveral Lighthouse was built and completed in 1843.

The 1890 graduating class of Harvard University started a gun club called the "Canaveral Club" at the Cape. This was founded by C.B. Horton of Boston and George H. Reed. A number of distinguished visitors including presidents Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison were reported to have stayed here. In the 1920s the grand building fell in disrepair and later burned to the ground.

In the 20th century several communities sprang up in Cape Canaveral. The area was predominantly a farming and fishing community. The town was formerly called Artesia.^[9]

In the 1930s a group of wealthy journalists started a community called "Journalista" which is now called Avon by the Sea. The Brossier brothers built houses in this area and started a publication entitled the Evening Star Reporter that was the forerunner of the Orlando Sentinel.

Rocket launch site[link]

The first rocket launch from the Cape was Bumper 8 from Launch Complex 3 on July 24, 1950. On February 6, 1959 the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile was accomplished. NASA's Project Mercury and Gemini space flights were launched from Cape Canaveral, as was Apollo 7.

Cape Canaveral was chosen for rocket launches to take advantage of the Earth's rotation. The linear velocity of the Earth's surface is greatest towards the equator; the relatively southerly location of the cape allows rockets to take advantage of this by launching eastward, in the same direction as the Earth's rotation. It is also highly desirable to have the downrange area sparsely populated, in case of accidents; an ocean is ideal for this. The east coast of Florida has logistical advantages over potential competing sites. The Spaceport Florida Launch Complex 46 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is at the tip of the cape.

Name changes[link]

Post offices in the area were called Artesia from 1893–1954; Port Canaveral from 1954-1962; and Cape Canaveral from 1962 to the present.^[10]

From 1963 to 1973, the area was renamed "Cape Kennedy." President John F. Kennedy set the goal of landing on the moon. After his assassination in 1963, his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, suggested to President Lyndon Johnson that renaming the Cape Canaveral facility would be an appropriate memorial. Johnson recommended the renaming of the entire cape, announced in a televised address six days after the assassination. Accordingly, Cape Canaveral was officially renamed Cape Kennedy.

Although the name change was approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names of the Interior Department in 1964, it was not popular in Florida, especially in the neighboring city of Cape Canaveral. In 1973, the Florida Legislature passed a law restoring the former 400-year-old name, and the Board went along. The name restoration to Cape Canaveral became official on October 9, 1973.^[11] The Kennedy family issued a letter stating they "understood the decision". NASA's Kennedy Space Center retains the "Kennedy" name.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cape Canaveral

• The Last Voyage of the Space Shuttle from Cape Canaveral Thewotme travel blog.
• Local history exhibit with photos.
• History of Cape Canaveral
• City of Cape Canaveral, FL
• USGS aerial image of Cape Canaveral and surroundings
• Google Maps imagery
• Discover Cape Canaveral, FL
• The Straight Dope: Why did they change the name of Cape Kennedy back to Cape Canaveral?
• NASA's official Kennedy Space Center page
• Map of Cape Canaveral, John F. Kennedy Space Center and the Space Shuttle Landing Facility
• Images of America: Cape Canaveral by Ray Osborne
• Cape Canaveral travel guide from Wikitravel
• Nautical Chart of Cape Canaveral

Coordinates: 28°27′20″N 80°31′40″W / 28.45556°N 80.52778°W / 28.45556; -80.52778

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Conor Oberst
Conor Oberst in August 2009
Background information
Birth name	Conor Mullen Oberst
Born	(1980-02-15) February 15, 1980 (age 32) Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Genres	Indie rock, indie folk, indie pop, alt. country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Saddle Creek Records, Merge Records, Wichita Recordings, Team Love Records
Associated acts	Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Desaparecidos, Commander Venus, Park Ave., The Faint, The Magnetas, Monsters of Folk
Website	Conor Oberst Bright Eyes Monsters of Folk

Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, Norman Bailer (The Faint), Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters of Folk.

Musical career[link]

Oberst began his musical career at age 13 while at St. Pius X/St. Leo School in Omaha, Nebraska. He was in the school choir and other musical groups at the school. One night in 1992, Ted Stevens (of Mayday and Cursive) invited Oberst onstage to play. Bill Hoover, who was in attendance, invited Oberst to come back to play with him a couple of weeks later. In that short amount of time, Oberst wrote enough songs to fill out the set, establishing himself as an artist.^[1] Shortly thereafter, Oberst began committing his new repertoire to tape in his parents' basement with his father's four track cassette recorder and an acoustic guitar.

In mid-1993, Oberst self-released his debut album Water on cassette tape.^[2] The release of the album was financed by his brother Justin on what they called Lumberjack Records, the indie label that would become Saddle Creek Records, making them founders and present day executives of the label.

Shortly after his two solo recordings, Oberst began playing with four friends; they formed Commander Venus in mid-1995.

Here's to Special Treatment was followed by 1996's The Soundtrack to My Movie, a cassette only released on Sing Eunuchs!. Kill the Monster Before It Eats Baby, a split 7" vinyl with Bill Hoover, was also released around this time.

The Faint[link]

In 1994, following a Slowdown Virginia show, Oberst, along with friends Joel Petersen, Todd Fink (formerly Todd Baechle) and Clark Baechle, formed a band called Norman Bailer, later known as The Faint. A few days later, Oberst told the other members of the band that they had a show in two weeks at Kilgore's. Despite having never performed together, they produced nine songs to perform. An album, Sine Sierra was released on cassette only in 1995.

Commander Venus[link]

Oberst formed the rock band Commander Venus in 1994 with Tim Kasher, Todd Baechle, Ben Armstrong, and Robb Nansel. They recorded two albums: Do You Feel at Home? (1995) and The Uneventful Vacation (1997). Kasher later went on to form Cursive, Baechle became the vocalist for The Faint and Nansel was the co-founder of Saddle Creek Records. Kasher left the group to focus on Cursive as they were about to go in to the studio to record their second album, and was replaced by Todd Baechle. Commander Venus disbanded in 1998.

The Magnetas[link]

The Magnetas were only active for a very brief period of time in 1996 in Omaha, Nebraska. Along with Oberst, band members included Todd Fink (The Faint) and Chris Hughes (Beep Beep). They recorded three songs, only one of which ("Anex Anex") was released on Ghostmeat Records' Parts compilation album. Two other confirmed recordings exist: "Clatter" and "Science Fiction in Schools."

Park Ave.[link]

In January 1996, Oberst began playing drums in a group named Park Ave., alongside Baechle, Jenn Bernard, Neely Jenkins (now in the band Tilly and the Wall), and Jamie Williams (also in Tilly and the Wall). The group only played between 10 and 15 shows and made a handful of recordings (several of them with Mike Mogis as producer). The group disbanded in 1998 when Williams, the singer and primary songwriter, moved to London, England. In 1999, Urinine Records released their only album, When Jamie Went to London...We Broke Up, which has also now been re-released under Team Love.

Bright Eyes[link]

Bright Eyes at Kulturmejeriet in Lund, Sweden. July 16, 2005

Oberst originally founded Bright Eyes as a solo project in 1995, and after the disbanding of Commander Venus, released A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997 in January 1998.^[3] This was followed quickly by Letting Off the Happiness, released in November of the same year. It featured members of numerous bands and was recorded in the Oberst family basement. One year later, Bright Eyes released its first EP, Every Day and Every Night. Bright Eyes' third album, Fevers and Mirrors was released in May 2000; it was ranked 170 on Pitchfork Media's list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s.^[4]

With the release of 2002's Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, Bright Eyes received national attention and Oberst was proclaimed a breakthrough artist by several notable magazines. On January 25, 2005 Bright Eyes simultaneously released two new albums: the folk I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and more electronic-pop Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. Time listed I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning as one of the top ten albums of 2005.^[5]

The Four Winds EP was released in March 2007, followed by their seventh album, Cassadaga in April. The song Four Winds was named a top 100 song of 2007 by Rolling Stone. Oberst spent the next two years focusing on other music projects, and in June 2009 told Rolling Stone he wanted to make one final album with Bright Eyes before retiring the group. The band subsequently released The People's Key on Conor's 31st birthday, February 15, 2011.

Desaparecidos[link]

Oberst was a guitarist and singer for Desaparecidos. The music and lyrics of Desaparecidos differ greatly from Bright Eyes, having more in common with punk rock than Oberst's usual folk rock. The lyrics are generally social commentary on the state of affairs in America and the pitfalls of the suburban lifestyle, as opposed to the more introspective lyrics of Bright Eyes. Desaparecidos was active as a band between 2001–2002 but have regrouped to play shows in the Omaha area. They have two releases: a single for "The Happiest Place on Earth" and the full-length "Read Music/Speak Spanish".

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band[link]

In November 2007, it was reported that Oberst would work on a solo record with Jake Bellows, and that he and M. Ward would start a band^[6] and perform two late December shows in Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[7] Contrary to what was believed, the shows were not played with M. Ward, but rather with Nik Freitas and Jason Boesel.^[8] They also played a show in February in Mexico City, Mexico.

On March 31, 2008, it was announced that Conor Oberst would play at the 2008 Reading and Leeds Festivals. In addition, he also performed at the Electric Picnic, in County Laois, Ireland on August 31, 2008, the Cains Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Austin City Limits in late September 2008, shows across Australia in early October 2008, and the Warfield Theater in San Francisco October 24. Conor also headlined the Friday night slot of The End of the Road Festival at the Larmer Tree Gardens in Wiltshire, held over the weekend of 12–14 September 2008.

Conor Oberst released the self-titled album Conor Oberst, which was recorded in Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico with Taylor Hollingsworth on guitar and Macey Taylor on bass, on August 5, '08 on Merge Records.

In about mid October, the band sold a new EP, Gentleman's Pact. It was limited to 1000 copies and was only available on tour. The band placed limitations on how many were sold at shows. It has four unreleased tracks. Three of them are pre-album songs while "Corina, Corina" is a cover of a traditional folk song.

Conor and the band released their second album, Outer South, on May 5, 2009 on Merge Records. They have also released a documentary, One of My Kind.

Monsters of Folk[link]

Conor Oberst is one of the four members of the band Monsters of Folk. Other band members include Jim James of My Morning Jacket, M. Ward and fellow Bright Eyes member Mike Mogis. The band members swap instruments and share vocal duties. The quartet released their self-titled debut album on September 22, 2009.^{[dated info][9]}

Songwriting[link]

He was named the best songwriter of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine.^[10]

Saddle Creek and Team Love[link]

Oberst is one of the founding members of the independent record label Saddle Creek Records, which hosts and has hosted bands including Cursive, Desaparecidos, The Faint (who left to start their own label Blank.wav), Rilo Kiley (who left to start their own label Brute/Beaute Records), Bright Eyes, Two Gallants, Son, Ambulance, Azure Ray, The Good Life, Sorry About Dresden, among others.

Oberst co-founded the Team Love record label (along with Nate Krenkel long time manager of Bright Eyes) to "do different things, or smaller things, that we couldn't get everyone to be into at the same time" at Saddle Creek.^[11] such as Tilly and the Wall, Willy Mason, The Felice Brothers, David Dondero, Taylor Hollingsworth and Jenny Lewis' solo album with The Watson Twins.

Influences[link]

Oberst was drawn to music at a very early age, due in part to his older brother Matt's penchant for bands like The Smiths, R.E.M., Fugazi, and The Cure. He has cited The Cure's first singles collection, Staring at the Sea, as the first record he ever bought, as well as being one of his favorites. "It must have been third grade...I bought the cassette at a local record store chain called Homer's in Omaha. I just loved the sound of Robert Smith's voice. It just sounded good."^[12]

Some of his biggest influences and favorite songwriters are local musicians David Dondero and Simon Joyner.^[13] Joyner wrote the song "Burn Rubber", which Bright Eyes covered on the "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" single. The two used to do mini-tours together, usually on weekends due to Joyner having a family.

Oberst has also been heavily influenced by the 1960s folk revival, mentioning Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and country singers Emmylou Harris, John Prine and Townes Van Zandt.^[14] He covered Neil Young's "Out on the Weekend", collaborating with Mike Mogis, Jim James and M. Ward in concert. He performed the Townes Van Zandt song "Rex's Blues" live with fellow musician Steve Earle. He has also performed two of John Prine's songs live, "Crazy as a Loon" and "Wedding Day in Funerville". Harris sang on a few tracks on Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning.

Oberst was also greatly influenced by Daniel Johnston. A cover of "Devil Town" is featured on Noise Floor (Rarities: 1998-2005).

Oberst was also profoundly influenced by the work of Elliott Smith, saying in an October 22, 2003 All Things Considered interview that "sometimes when you're not feeling good, you have to listen to really sad music like Elliott Smith's" and that [Smith] "wrote the sweetest, saddest, most gentle songs". Oberst also said he liked to "listen to Elliott Smith's songs when he [couldn't] find anyone to talk to on the phone" and thought that it was sad that, "through his music, [Smith] had the ability to answer feelings in others that he was unable to answer in himself".^[15] A live cover of Smith's "The Biggest Lie" is featured on Motion Sickness.

Personal beliefs[link]

Oberst has publicly supported PETA.^[16] On January 1 and February 7, 2008, Oberst performed at a rally in Omaha, Nebraska for 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama.^[17][18] While he was raised Catholic, Conor Oberst holds no specific religion, claiming he has not found one that "hit the mark" for him yet. He expresses disappointment in the narrow-mindedness of major religions, and is fascinated and frustrated by "eternal" concepts.^[19]

Discography[link]

As Conor Oberst[link]

Title	Year	Label	Format(s)	Notes
Water	1993	Lumberjack	cassette
Here's to Special Treatment	1994	Sing, Eunuchs!	cassette
The Soundtrack to My Movie	1996	Sing, Eunuchs!	cassette
Kill the Monster Before It Eats Baby	1996	Sing, Eunuchs!	7"	Split EP with Bill Hoover
Conor Oberst	2008	Merge Records	cd, vinyl
Gentleman's Pact	2008	no label	cd, vinyl
Outer South	2009	Merge Records	cd, vinyl

In bands[link]

Monsters of Folk The Sun Society

Guest work[link]

• Arab Strap – Monday at the Hug & Pint (2003)
• Criteria – En Garde (2003)
• Cursive – The Ugly Organ (2003)
• Street To Nowhere – Tipsy (2006)
• Tilly and The Wall – You and I Misbehaving
• Mayday – Old Blood (2002)
• Son, Ambulance – Key (2004)
• Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins – "Handle With Care" (2005)
• Dntel – "Breakfast in Bed"
• Melon Galia – "N'en Parlons Plus"
• The Faint – "Dust"
• Maria Taylor – 11:11 (2005) and Lynn Teeter Flower (2007)
• "Lua" (2009) Dark Was the Night, Red Hot Organization
• The Album Leaf-"Hungry for a Holiday"

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (January 2011)

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Conor Oberst

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Conor Oberst

• Team Love Records
• Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
• – Brand new Conor Oberst fan site/community
• Saddle Creek Records
• Live review on Drowned in Sound
• Review Solo Projects

Interviews[link]

• New York Magazine: Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst Finds Inspiration in New York (01.07.05)
• NPR: A Chat with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes (01.14.05)
• Huffington Post: Conor Oberst on Politics, The Presidency, and Purple States (06.26.08)