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Bon Iver

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About

Bon Iver in Concert

With his 2007 debut album, Justin Vernon demonstrated the therapeutic, soul-cleansing properties of isolating yourself from the world in a wooden shed. 

Distraught over breakups with both his girlfriend and his band (DeYarmond Edison) while recovering from a bout of mononucleosis, Vernon disappeared into the woods of his native Wisconsin in the dead of winter. He emerged with For Emma, Forever Ago, a disarming set of raw folk-rock confessionals fueled by tense acoustic strums and Vernon's pained, preternaturally soulful croon. (In keeping with the album's frigid recording environment, Vernon adopted the alias Bon Iver — a variation on the French term "bon hiver," or "good winter," which he heard used as a salutation on the 1990s TV show Northern Exposure.) 

The album's unvarnished approach made Vernon an anomaly in a North American indie-rock scene otherwise dominated by the maximalist likes of Arcade Fire and Animal Collective, but its intense emotional wallop reverberated far beyond the underground. After his songs permeated the mainstream through placements on shows like Grey's Anatomy and House, Vernon found himself both getting sampled on and providing backing vocals to Kanye West's 2010 magnum opus, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. 

That guest appearance transformed Vernon into an unlikely hot property in the hip-hop world, with the singer later turning up on tracks by Travis Scott, Vince Staples, and Lizzo, among others. Between his myriad collaborations and side groups (which include his partnership with The National's Aaron Dessner as Big Red Machine), Bon Iver albums tend to appear only every five years or so. But each one is a major event, signaling a radical change in approach. On 2011's Grammy Award–winning self-titled effort, Vernon's wounded balladry acquired a dreamy, soft-focus splendor, and 2016's 22, A Million recast that velvet-smooth voice against a mutating backdrop of burbling electronics and fractured beats.

Reviews

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 965 reviews
  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Oh, Bon Iver

    by Anonymous on 7/26/11The Chicago Theatre - Chicago

    This show was amazing. I wasn't expecting the light show, and that added so much to the experience. The song selections were perfect, great mix of old and new stuff.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great venue, unbelievable show

    by kevoooo on 7/26/11The Chicago Theatre - Chicago

    Wow. Wow. Wow. First of all, i am incredibly impressed by the chicago theater. It is a beautiful venue. It was so clean. And every person who worked there was very polite, and extremely helpful. Now on to Bon Iver. They played a fantastic show. The thing that impressed me the most was how good the mix was. Everything sounded so good, you could hear every detail of every instrument and vocalist. It was probably the cleanest, and most crisp mix i have ever heard. And although it was pretty loud, i could still talk to, and hear my girlfriend who was sitting next to me without us screaming in each others ears.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    by Anonymous on 7/26/11The Chicago Theatre - Chicago

    Awe-inspiring...one of the best live shows I've seen.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    No words. Just tears.

    by Isaacdaniels7 on 7/26/11The Chicago Theatre - Chicago

    I cannot put into words how phenomenal this concert was. Bon Iver is incredible, the venue was sweet, and the crowd killed it.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    AMAZING

    by Suchagreattime on 7/26/11The Chicago Theatre - Chicago

    The show exceeded my expectations. I was a Bon Iver fan before the event, and now I have much more respect than ever for Justin Vernon and his group of highly-talented musicians. Amazing.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Bon Iver - Fantastic show!

    by binocas on 10/5/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    Percussion was amazing. Gorgeous theater!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    BEAUTIFUL

    by Michiko77 on 10/3/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    it was incredible

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    fantastic!

    by sidewayz on 9/29/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    I didn't know what to expect, but they put on a fantastic show. Beautifully played, great sound, etc and it seemed like they were having a fantastic time.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Bon Iver.....musical genius!

    by gachogirl on 9/28/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    He sounded just as amazing if not better than on his album. It was amazing what a different tone his very personal music took on when played to a large theater.

  • Rating: 2 out of 5

    Bon Iver was lackluster

    by jsoakland on 9/27/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    One of my most highly anticipated shows of the year did not prevail. Although Bon Iver's "For Emma Forever Ago" and "Blood Bank" showcase extraordinary musical talent, the live performance, at the large Fox Oakland, did not translate. I found myself bored and uninterested in show itself. Energy was low, songs were unaltered, and sound was garbled. I'm hoping that Bon Iver is just fulfilling a record/tour agreement so that they can head back to the Wisconsin house and put out another beautiful album.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Bon Iver: Worth it to see live

    by Darcy749 on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    Really good show. Whole band was great. He has a fabulous voice and hearing him in person was memorable

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Bon Iver makes Oakland Fox Theater Intimate

    by mindfeed on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    Despite a sold out show in a fairly sizable venue, Bon Iver had some really initimate moments with both their opening band Megafaun and the crowd. They managed to pull off one of the most successful sing along moments with the crowd that I've seen to date. Plus the sound was great.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    simply amazing

    by dufresne on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    The crowd was into every song and Bon Iver played an amazing show. They had extended jam sessions on several songs and that really added to the energy of the building

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Bon Iver was fantastic

    by Egill on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    Fantastic concert. The band performed amazingly well and it was just a pleasure to listen...

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Love me some skinny

    by Anilinered on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    Only complaint is that the show wasn't longer. Incredible show at an amazing venue!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    best ive seen in a while

    by cking on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    this show was seriously amazing. i love how justin mind is so clear and you can really see hes not trying to impress anyone. he put on a truthful show and that is the best kind of show to me.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Bon Iver at the Fox

    by TicketMasterSucksBalls on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    This was my first time seeing Bon Iver and first time to the Fox: great show and great venue. The newly renovated Fox Theater in uptown Oakland is a phenomenal place to see a show and Bon Iver put on a good one. It was short and sweet, running probably less than 90 minutes total (excluding the opener Megafaun, also good), but I felt like I got my money's worth anyway. Really good sound and soulful performance all around.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Bon Iver was impressive!

    by Cbocci on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    Bon Iver blew me away at the Fox Theater in Oakland last night. Everything from the majestic harmonizing to the captivating lights, they rocked it! He strikes me as our modern day Art Garfunkle....you just don't expect such an angelic sound to come out of this burly vessel of a man. It's a show not to be missed the next time around!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Bon iver hit me where it counts. On the prostate

    by Thenightmancomith on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    Amazing set the whole crowd singing for the wolves was crazy. And every song sounded great best 35 dollars ever spent

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Bon Iver's voice is silk

    by adampadam on 9/25/09Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland

    Incredible concert. Bon Iver and has band filled Fox Theater with pure, melodic tones that still reverberate in my mind. Beautiful and inspiring.