A Good Winter: Bon Iver @ The Troc 12/15/08

When I first heard For Emma, Forever Ago, the debut album from Bon Iver, the nom de plume of Justin Vernon, I had one of those moments that say, "You're going to love this CD for a long, long time." It happened when I first heard The Acorn, TV on the Radio, and a few others... but getting the chance to see Bon Iver play to a sold-out crowd at the Trocadero in Philly on December 15th was a dream come true. (It also happened to be the 21st birthday of my 'plus one').

Although we missed the opening act, The Tallest Man on Earth, and although we had to watch only the feet of Vernon and his accomplices for the majority of the concert, I was blown away. Playing most of the tracks from For Emma, Forever Ago as well as some upcoming releases from Blood Bank, a four-song EP scheduled to be released on January 20th, Vernon and his band took melodies that strike a chord even played through tinny computer speakers and made them absolutely expand and fill the space that is the Troc.



I think my favorites of the night were "Skinny Love", the most well-known hit from the album, as well as "Wolves (Act I and II)", in which Vernon personally requested that each person in the audience participate, singing, "What might have been lost..." over a crescendo of guitar, bass, and drums. Although my experience of the song was ruined by five particularly rowdy adults standing at the bar having a conversation at full volume, I tried my best to block them out. Another outstanding addition to the night was Vernon's cover of "Your Love" by The Outfield. I found a really really high-quality video of the cover on YouTube, and that's linked at the bottom of this post.


Bon Iver concluded his set with an encore, "Flume", the first song from his highly-acclaimed album. Lucky for you guys, my 'plus one' and I had finally found seats at this point, so I captured this one on film. Excuse the pole in the center of the picture... we were in the balcony.
(video doesn't seem to be uploading, check back soon.)

All in all, I was impressed. Bon Iver exceeded expectations-- nine songs written by a loner in a cabin in Wisconsin translated very well to a sold-out crowd in Philadelphia... and I can't wait to see what happens next. Bon Iver, a name taken from the French "bon hiver", or good winter, has definitely fulfilled their promise of a good season so far.

-- Sinéad

For reviews of For Emma, Forever Ago, click here.
For a video of "Blood Bank", one of Bon Iver's newest songs, click here.
And for a FANTASTIC cover of "Your Love", click here.