Going into Prospect Park to see Bon Iver I had heavy expectations. The guy is just in a legue of his own. After only two albums and one EP, Justin Vernon and the rest of the band have become a big act that the world is starting to recognize. With support from a huge 9 piece band, which included two drummers and lots of brass, the Bon Iver live experience isn’t a shy one.
Bon Iver give a full experience that targets many emotions. There are moments of heartbreaking solidarity (“Re: Stacks”) and overwhelming bliss (almost everything from Bon Iver). Bon Iver is so brilliant because they can go from loud to quiet and be just as effective. Opener “Perth” set the tone, and as day turned to night, the band gave us breathtaking moment after breathtaking moment.
One song that snuck up on me was “Blood Bank which is beefed up live, which made it sound a lot bigger than I remember it being on the EP. The new songs had plenty of goosebump filled moments but it was all about “Holocene”. It’s a thing of beauty live. It broke me down in every which way. The album version is as good as it gets, but it did wonders out in the open air where it just soared and soared.
The new album cuts were wonderful, but it was cuts from the first album that left me truly speechless. Justin asking us to scream along to “The Wolves (Act I And II)” during the first of two encores was almost as good as it gets. But then he throws in “Flume” and “For Emma” and your in awe.
The real treasure was “Skinny Love” a true standout in a pile of gold. Justin sat down on a chair, and his band surrounded him, backing him up. It was one of the more natural performances of the night also creating one of the most powerful. I saw the true genius of Bon Iver. Not the great imagery produced from his lyrics, or the diverse instrumentation.
It’s what his music does for you when your listening to it. It speaks to each person in it’s own way, and has the ability to become larger in life. Now that’s music.
– The Rosebuds opened and did a good job getting the crowd warmed up. Still gotta check out their latest album, but it was cool to hear some of their older stuff.
 More photos after the jump, but not before this video of “Skinny Love” from tonight:
The Rosebuds:
Justin W/ The Rosebuds:
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