The funny thing about Bon Iver is that there are a lot of perceptions as to who they really are. A select few from tonight’s sold out crowd may have been expecting singer Justin Vernon on his lonesome playing his acoustic folk ballads, or maybe some were expecting the standard four piece to accompany Vernon’s vocals. The real wonder is what was going through these peoples’ heads when they shuffled into the Thebarton Theatre, took a glance at the stage and saw enough instruments for nine or ten people positioned neatly under a series of gorgeous wilderness inspired décor.
Sally Seltmann was to open, but it seemed as though the good portion of the crowd didn’t know who she was as she hadn’t introduced herself on stage nor was her opening spot heavily advertised. The Australian indie pop singer wandered back and forth between her acoustic guitar and her electric piano several times during her 35 minute set and was not shy to the idea of banter which filled the gaps between every song. Although her performance was full of emotion, her songs were somewhat forgettable to those who hadn’t known of her existence prior to her enactment.
Just shy of being a quarter past nine, the lights dimmed and Vernon strolled out with his backing band of eight. Following the harsh roars from everyone in the crowd, Bon Iver started to play “Perth”, the opening track from their self-titled sophomore album. It’s incredibly hard to capture just how amazingly beautiful everything was. The stage setting, the passionate voices from the crowd, and the way the smartphones were being held up to record the song looked like bright, shining lighters – they all pooled together to produce this phenomenal sensation that was as close as anything in the world around us could get to pure, blissfully entrancing magic. All of this happened within just the first minute, and if this passionate aura were to continue filling this venue for the next hour and a half, it would be clear to us that we would all be involved in an event nothing short of extraordinary.
Following a series of songs that included “Minnesota, WI”, “Hinnom, TX”, “Flume” and “Wash” that were all strung together by beautiful interludes, Vernon decided to walk up to the microphone and say a few things. He explains that “all this shit on the stage, here, is Bon Iver” and exclaims how they all feel that they have the best job in the world as a touring musician. He took a seat and started to play their signature song – “Skinny Love”. The aforementioned aura has continued to grow as the set progressed, and the crowd seems to be getting more and more hypnotised with each hard hitting note they play.
The show carries on and before everyone knows it, Vernon announces that the end is near and that their next song will be their last. He proceeds to try to involve the crowd in the upcoming song by offering them to sing the single line “what might have been lost” when the opportunity arises. With an excited cheer from the crowd, they start to play “The Wolves (Act I and II)”.
By this point in the show, no one has a free mind. Every single one of their senses is focused on Bon Iver and everything they’re producing. The crowd, along with Vernon, starts singing the line and as the combination of the expressive instrumentals, the perfectly timed lights and the intense feeling of unity grows more hypnotic, the crowds voice grows louder and louder until it outshines the band’s vocals. Following the intense climax, the moment of raw emotion arrives as Vernon sings the last few words to the song. As the set ends, the band shows their appreciation to the crowd and leaves the stage, walking off to every single person in the sold out venue giving a standing ovation.
After minutes of constant clapping, yelling and stomping on the floor, Bon Iver finally return for their encore, stating that they are having one of the best nights on this tour. After playing “Towers” Vernon explains that because they are having such a delightful time, they decide to play a cover song and started playing their interpretation of Bjork’s “Who Is It”. Finally, the band once again shows their appreciation to the wonderful crowd and plays their final song – “For Emma”. The crowd joins in, and if one were to look closely, they could see the entire band smiling throughout the whole song.
– Tom Gaffney
