Bon Iver - Wilbur Theater: Live Show Review

Justin Vernon performs at the Wilbur Theater last night. Click here for more pics.

Bon Iver performed at the Wilbur Theater last night and it was an enjoyable show despite my location. I didn’t realize that my seats were general admission and this left me standing in the back of the theater which was, well, a little cramped. The view wasn’t that bad once you found a steady seam to watch the action through, however there was an overhang just above my head that seemed to compromise the sound a bit. I found this a little odd since I was standing right next to soundboard, and the overall sound did seem a little too aggressive given the nature of Bon Iver’s music. It was almost as if the gain was turned a little too far to the right, however, overall the sound wasn’t too bad; it was just questionable at times. This was my first time seeing a show at the Wilbur Theater, and I obviously wasn’t too thrilled with the set-up from my vantage point, but I’m sure seeing a show with actual seats will be needed for me to get a proper assessment on the venue.

Aside from my initial disappointment in my physical location, I was thoroughly pleased with the performance of Justin Vernon and his band mates. I was really curious to see how “For Emma, Forever Ago” would translate when on the stage, and the arrangements they chose were both surprising and refreshing. For example. they used three drums, one guitar, and all their voices when performing “Skinny Love” which I never would have predicted (and is viewable below).

All four musicians switched their instruments on almost every song, and their four part harmonies treaded in a beautifully confident manner. The haunting voice of Vernon was ever the focal point and is the true driver of all his songs. There’s a certain calming feel to his voice that really can pull you in, and I’d dare say his voice live is better then on record. The times when he’d step back just far enough away from the microphone made his wailing voice that much more heartbreaking and gorgeous.

I’ll be interested to see where Bon Iver progresses now that they’re critically acclaimed along with a rather strong following. You can only pull the whole, “I’m depressed and going to lock myself in a cabin for three months and make a hit record” card once, so we’ll see if Bon Iver becomes more of a band or solo effort in the New Year. What surprised me a bit was how charming and funny Vernon was on stage. He seemed confident enough to do his thing, but humble enough to not take any of it for granted. At one point during the show you found him lamenting on how his dream of making music for a living was being realized.

I picked up their new EP (available only on vinyl until 01/19/09) and it’s only their second record since “For Emma, Forever Ago”. I’ll have a review on their new songs in a day or two. They played all of them, and in the end that’d be my biggest complaint, their lack of a true catalog. The new songs were good though, and on “Baby’s” you saw Vernon on keys for the only time during the night.

For those of you curious on what Bon Iver's live shows like, please see the below performance a couple days ahead of mine on the David Letterman Show.

Comments

[Mandy]

A fairly accurate assessment of the show. I think had we gotten to the venue earlier and not just eaten tons of chili and cupcakes while bumming out on a couch for hours, it might have been a more pleasurable experience.

The intimacy of the show was nice and I agree, wholeheartedly, that Vernon sounded fantastic live. His voice was perfect and melodical.

I still thought the experience was short but ever so sweet. Glad to have attended with you!

[Digital-Derek]

Oh, mos def. The show was awesome, and I'm not too sure if I'd want to trade in those cupcakes OR chili! lol

Would def. see him again, adn really can't wait for their next album!