Oh, Bon Iver
by Anonymous on 7/26/11The Chicago Theatre - ChicagoThis 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.
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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.
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.
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.
Awe-inspiring...one of the best live shows I've seen.
I cannot put into words how phenomenal this concert was. Bon Iver is incredible, the venue was sweet, and the crowd killed it.
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.
Percussion was amazing. Gorgeous theater!
it was incredible
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.
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.
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.
Really good show. Whole band was great. He has a fabulous voice and hearing him in person was memorable
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.
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
Fantastic concert. The band performed amazingly well and it was just a pleasure to listen...
Only complaint is that the show wasn't longer. Incredible show at an amazing venue!
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.
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.
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!
Amazing set the whole crowd singing for the wolves was crazy. And every song sounded great best 35 dollars ever spent
Incredible concert. Bon Iver and has band filled Fox Theater with pure, melodic tones that still reverberate in my mind. Beautiful and inspiring.