Bon Iver - Photo by Jon Behm

Vernon recorded For Emma in the wintry isolation of his father’s remote cabin in Wisconsin, over the span of four months. The cold and loneliness of his surroundings are evident in his somber, almost pained delivery. Though bleak, there is a certain warmth and strength to his voice as well - like the folk songs are a cathartic purge of long buried suffering. This isn’t just a man whimpering about lost love - his level of anger and grief is far more nuanced than that. 

Consider the chorus to The Wolves (Act I & II) “what might have been lost / don’t bother me.” There is a mournful quality to Vernon’s wail, but so too is there an unmistakable feeling in the lyrics that the singer is ready to move on. This song was a particularly lovely on Friday, as instead of layering his vocals as he does on the album, Vernon asked the crowd to sing the chorus part. It’s a rare moment when an entire bar is nearly silent except for the patrons all joining in to sing together. It’s also a testament to the artist when the opening band can bring an entire venue to a standstill.

This is just the sort of man Justin Vernon is though. Though he sings in a smooth falsetto, his voice has enough force to stop a freight train.  It is difficult to explain, but there is an emotional depth in his songs that just grabs hold of the listener.  A level where he is just able to plug into you and connect. In this aspect he reminds me a great deal of high pitched forces of nature like Neil Young or Joseph Arthur.  Fortunately though, his similarities to Arthur don’t extend to sense of humor. Vernon keeps it light. He did almost as much joking around as singing during his set, making fun of the name “Ben” Iver, and sarcastically telling us that the Minnesota humidity was making his guitar out of tune.

The highlight of the short set was the incredible “Skinny Love,” which will definitely make my list of best singles of the year. The sadness, anger, and strength of that song are enough to move me every time. Switching over to a steel guitar for that song alone, Vernon sounded as good, if not better than he does on the album. Though his live set lacked many of the eccentric musical anomalies of the record, it had a rawness that could have held me for a set three times as long.  

Though I knew Bon Iver was going to be good, I was surprised to find that I enjoyed Megafaun, a band that I had never heard of, a great deal as well. After accompanying Bon Iver for the last two songs on trumpet and vocals, the North Carolingians brought their whole band onstage and rocked the house. Utilizing audience participation on nearly every song, Megafaun’s set was an exercise in snapping, hand clapping, and Jimmy Swaggart type “testifying.” They are also a hilarious group of guys, and capped off a fun night by accidentally breaking not one but two chairs. As one audience member dryly noted, “Megafaun are mega fun.”

Ben Iver and Megafun - now there’s a set we aren’t likely to see again soon.