When was the last time you went to a concert by an artist that you really like for the first time? Last week I got to cross an item from my bucket list and I saw Bon Iver live for the very first time, accompanied by my friend and talented musician Jenny Kern, and it was everything I could have imagined and more.
Prior to this, I can’t really remember the last time I attended a concert in an arena/stadium type of venue, and I must say that that was something I wasn’t missing at all. Nothing wrong with Forest Hills Stadium by any means, but when you play for a crowd that big, you’ll inevitably attract all kinds of people, including a considerable amount that is not even interested in the music you’re playing. And if you’re not seated closer to the stage (who can even afford good tickets these days anyway?), you’ll probably have so much going on around you (selfies, laughs, drunks, “instagramable” moments), that it can be very tricky to be present and focus on the performance, at least that’s what ends up happening to me in most cases.
Now back to the concert… On tour to promote their 2019 album “i,i”, they’ve played a close to 2 hours set that pleased fans throughout their whole discography, including Heavenly Father, an incredible song that unfortunately is not available on any streaming platform. Even though I’ve been enjoying their music since their debut record came out 15 years ago, and especially with the masterpiece sophomore album, the more recent releases didn’t really grab me that much right away, until recently when I decided to pay closer attention in preparation to the concert, and especially after witnessing the live version of each track, that somehow is even better than the studio version. It’s hard not to think that Bon Iver is just its frontman Justin Vernon, but seeing them live makes you realize how much every single one of them contributes so much to the whole experience. And speaking of experience, the music paired with the lighting design and stage takes everything to the next level, making the concert almost an outer-worldly experience.
I don’t consider myself a religious person, but if Bon Iver was a church, I’d be there every Sunday morning!
Listen to this playlist I put together with the setlist of the show, a great way to get familiar with their music.