| Bon Iver: Of Snow and Crows |
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| Written by Carl Atiya Swanson | |
| Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 04:11 PM | |
 Bon Iver gets a lot of love in Minneapolis; we have a mutual understanding of cold and the importance of escaping it with other people. Fans who had pre-ordered the Jagjaguwar re-release of last year’s For Emma, Forever Ago began lining up outside of the Electric Fetus an hour early for an exclusive in-store performance sponsored by the Onion, Radio K and Reveille - in spite of the blowing snow. As the Fetus re-opened its doors, a steady stream of ruddy-cheeked folk filled the aisles, clutching their give-away posters, ready to get warm and be warmed by music.  Justin Vernon, who recorded the disc essentially by himself in a cabin in the Wisconsin woods last year, took the small stage with band-mates Mike Noyce on baritone guitar and Sean Carey on a stripped down drum-set. After thanking the audience, they opened with the CD opener “Flume”, whose sweet minor strings lead into the lyrics “I am my mothers only one/but that’s enough.” Vernon’s mother was at the front of the crowd, and she smiled as her son played, as did many others in the crowd- a quiet, personal smile of reflection.  Vernon used an array of guitars throughout the night, steel-string acoustics, a Telecaster, a Silvertone blues guitar. For “Skinny Love” he broke out the tarnished nickel National, a metal body guitar whose high, resonant tone recalls the reverberation of a crow cawing across a frozen sky. The sharpness of the chords and the sweetness of the lyrics pleading for love and patience come as distilled honesty, a quality that at once allows the music to be personal and communal. Audiences respect this power, their silence at a Bon Iver show is like a secret pact to feel together. Vernon, in his unassuming manner, thanked the audience profusely, expressing disbelief at the idea that so many people would pre-order something with no immediate, tangible take-away. When he said that he did not know what he would do next, someone shouted, “Play a song!” So they moved into “Blindsided,” a number whose chorus “I crouch like a crow/contrasting the snow/for the agony, I’d rather know” makes an unflinching demand for truth in a difficult time. Carey provided a battery of drums as Noyce and Vernon drove chords to a high grind and staccato drop, a catharsis in the breakdown. These metaphors of winter and wildlife swirl through the disc, like walking around Lake Calhoun in January wondering what you are doing in life, the lifting sight of a rising crow makes sense.  All the band-members are just becoming accustomed to this level of respect and scrutiny. I have written before about the archetypal myth-nature of the creation of the disc here , but this is also a story of pluck, work and the courage to take a chance on something you believe in. Carey’s band opened for Vernon the first time he ever played under the Bon Iver moniker. After the show, Carey went home, learned all the songs he could from the internet and asked if he could play with Vernon. Noyce took guitar lessons from Vernon in high-school and has only been with the band since January, when he dropped out of Lawrence University to go on tour. Bon Iver wrapped the show with the titular “For Emma,” and then stuck around to chat, sign posters and t-shirts, and express their bewildered gratitude for the support. Outside, the snow fell across the Minneapolis skyline, and headlights moved through the streets, people finding their way home, making their lives. As Vernon sang in “For Emma,” “Forgo the parable/seek the light.” Drive safe, go your road, it’s straightest the way the crow flies. Jesse Roesler of Mojo Solo Productions was on site filming- look for that to be up on the Electric Fetus website in a couple days. Bon Iver is back in town on April 12 at the Turf Club in St. Paul. For tickets, visit Indie TIckets More photos from Staciaann Photography hereElectric Fetus in-store setlistFlume Lump Sum Skinny Love Blindsided Re: Stacks Creature Fear For Emma |
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| Last Updated: Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 08:50 PM |
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