MUSIC | Bon Iver return to Milwaukee, in style

Place has always been of profound importance to Bon Iver. From the rustic Wisconsin cabin in which most of For Emma was written to the cities and landmarks that lend their names to tracks on Bon Iver’s new self-titled album, it’s clear that lead singer, songwriter, and man at the heart of Bon Iver, Justin Vernon, draws inspiration from where he is and where he’s been.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Bon Iver picked a location of significance to launch their first tour in support of their new album. I had made the pilgrimage to Milwaukee in fall 2009 to see the last Bon Iver show in support of For Emma. At the time, it felt like my last Bon Iver hurrah, as I couldn’t conceive of them matching the force of their debut. When I heard nine musicians would be on the road this time instead of the original four, I was further convinced this Bon Iver tour just wasn’t going to have the magic and intimacy of the former. I was wrong.

What Bon Iver brought to Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater for two midsummer nights (July 22 and 23) was a revelation. They’ve managed to stay true to that Bon Iver musicality that hits you in the gut, while at the same time evolving to a more expansive and layered sound. If you don’t have tickets to their sold-out shows at the Orpheum Theatre next month, get on it.

The crowd at the Riverside Theater gave the band a hometown hero welcome (nevermind their roots are across the state in Eau Claire). The energy in the audience was especially high on the first night, which had earlier been proclaimed “Bon Iver Day” by Milwaukee’s mayor. It was heartwarming to see the band emerge from their nearly two-year hiatus to a crowd as enthusiastic about this show as their last. Surrounded by family and friends in great sounding and beautiful theater, the Riverside was an apt place to ease into their new journey. “The last time Bon Iver played a show was here,” Vernon said to enormous applause. “We didn’t quite know how to get back in the groove of things, so we came back.”

Both the set list and mood differed between the two nights. While Friday wins on best crowd energy, on Saturday it was clear the band was more relaxed and in their groove, and the songs were able to gain more momentum when they were grouped with their album-mates. “Perth” was the perfect opening to both sets, breaking down into a jazzy freestyle before the band moved on to “Minnesota, WI” and “Towers” on Night One. The cumulative force of the first three songs took the collective breath of the theater. At that point I (and, I imagine, many others in the theater) would have been satisfied had they just played through the new album and called it a night: they didn’t need to rely on old favorites to win the crowd’s affection.

We did get to hear a handful of songs from For Emma, as well as a couple songs from the Blood Bank EP and the one-off “Brackett, WI” (whose place theme could have landed it on the new album, as Vernon pointed out). The addition of five new musicians on this tour fills out the expansiveness of the new songs and lends new force to the old. And this is a stellar set of musicians. Assembled in a half circle around Vernon who was center stage, they often looked lost in their own parts, but the sound they produced indicated a tightly shared connection to the songs. It seemed fitting that the original four—Mike, Matt, Sean, and Justin—remained the vocal harmonizers on the For Emma songs, while the new and old members took turns on the new ones. One of my favorite additions to this tour were the brass instruments, which added a powerful dimension to songs from across the Bon Iver catalogue: “Flume,” “Blood Bank,” and “Towers,” most notably.

The golden moment of the show for many came when Vernon was left solo on stage for “Re: Stacks.” While its beauty wasn’t lost on me, it felt heavy for a summer night. In 2009 it likely would have been my highlight, but I’ve come to embrace the evolved Bon Iver sound, which was perfectly embodied on the second night when “Wash” was followed by “Creature Fear.” The two songs sound very different instrumentally, but both showed off Vernon’s soulful vocal styling and timing, which has always been present but really shines on this tour and with the new album.

After playing “For Emma” in the encore on Night Two, Justin told the audience, “I’ve never had this much fun playing music before.” And I’ve never had that much fun watching Bon Iver play before.

Set List (Night One)
“Perth”
“Minnesota, WI”
“Towers”
“Flume”
“Holocene”
“Blood Bank”
“Hinnom, TX”
“Wash”
“Beach Baby”
“Brackett, WI”
“Michicant”
“Re: Stacks”
“Calgary”
“Beth/Rest”
Encore
“Skinny Love”
“Who Is It” (Björk cover)
“The Wolves (Act I and II)”

Set List (Night Two)
“Perth”
“Minnesota, WI”
“Holocene”
“Towers”
“Hinnom, TX”
“Wash”
“Creature Fear”
“Blood Bank”
“Flume”
“Re: Stacks”
“Calgary”
“Who Is It” (Björk cover)
“Michicant”
“The Wolves (Act I and II)”
Encore
“Skinny Love”
“For Emma”
“Beth/Rest”