Recap Bon Iver at the Chicago Theatre

Anyone who entered the Chicago Theatre expecting a quaint, quiet Sunday evening with Bon Iver was mistaken. Even though seemingly innumerable side projects and genre-spanning collaborations surround Justin Vernon these days, most in attendance were surely expecting the Bon Iver of For Emma, Forever Ago and its latest, self-titled album. What the audience got was a legitimate rock star—in the best sense of the term—stepping into his own while leading a powerhouse backing band that was anything but quaint.

Openers The Rosebuds must feel some ambivalence toward this tour. Although playing sold-out shows in beautiful and historic theaters has to feel wonderful, and the band’s easily digested, quiet, yearning rock would be a perfect appetizer for a band like the Bon Iver of albums, the Bon Iver of Sunday night was so mesmerizing that The Rosebuds were completely forgotten 30 seconds into “Perth.”

Setting the tone right away, “Perth” and “Minnesota, WI” not only got a heavier hand on electric guitar from Vernon, but the other two guitarists and two drummers (for a grand total of three kick drums) gave the two opening songs a solid, chest-rattling thump. By the time the opening notes of “Holocene” were heard, tubes of LCD-ish lights were making visuals interesting behind the stage (reminiscent of Radiohead’s setup for the In Rainbows tour), and, much like a show from another of Vernon’s projects, Gayngs, musicians filled the rest of the stage, playing everything from a French horn to a collection of various wind chimes. 

Besides his clear confidence and maestro precision with the live treatment and leadership of his songs, Vernon was also notably, well, all cleaned up. Donning khakis, a blazer, and a tie, one audience member even specifically yelled out, “I like your outfit!” As he did throughout the performance, Vernon took the call-out in stride and joked appreciatively with his audience right back. (He later responded to, “Nice abs!” with, “That’s encouraging!”)

The real turning point of the already impressive show came with “Creature Fear,” from For Emma, Forever Ago. Though Vernon announced it nonchalantly as “an old one,” the song became a whole new beast onstage, beginning as a sort of soulful blues ballad and erupting into a full-on rock anthem, complete with strobe-like flashing lights and Vernon and others on their knees, ripping solos and fiddling with knobs on pedals to produce all sorts of screeching and blooping that wouldn’t have felt out of place in an arena. As the entire nine-piece band was soon bathed in red light during another on-his-knees guitar solo for “Blood Bank,” it was clear Vernon is no longer a quiet, curious Midwesterner on the rise—he’s a legitimate, bona fide star, fully deserving that cover of Spin’s “Success Issue.”

This is not to say that the Bon Iver we already know and love wasn’t present Sunday night as well. The gifted musicians showed their range directly following all that rocking and rolling, moving seamlessly into a touching version of “Flume” that made the room suddenly shrink back down to size. When the band left the stage and only Vernon remained for “Re: Stacks,” the Chicago Theatre felt downright intimate.

The captivating stage presence is surely in large part due to Vernon surrounding himself with a band that is not only gifted (the sheer number of instruments everyone plays is impressive—an unnamed cover, possibly Björk’s “Who Is It,” even saw sideman Reggie Pace beatboxing), but that also clearly feels quite comfortable and confident playing together. Given the collaborative and multi-project nature of dynamic between the nine musicians onstage, it’s not surprising that at times, the show felt like watching a big group of friends playing old songs simply for the joy of it. “The Wolves Act I And II” furthered that vibe, and Vernon included the audience in the fun. (During that song, everyone was directed to sing “what might have been lost” at an ever-increasing volume.) It was only natural that, for the encore, “Skinny Love” was just Vernon on guitar, Sean Carey and Matt McCaughan on drums, and the other six band members standing around Vernon grinning, stomping, and clapping to the beat. As the group picked its instruments back up and finished with “For Emma” and “Beth/Rest,” the stage was ear-to-ear smiles and knowing looks, and the audience followed suit. Everyone in that theater knew the show had been something special.

2011 has already been a gigantic year for Vernon, and, if Sunday night was any indication, we’re just beginning to see a true virtuoso flex his creative muscles. Who knows how much higher he’ll have risen by the next time he comes through town. What’s now very clear is that when fans go to a Bon Iver show, they’re not just going to get a nice performance of songs they already know and love—they’re going to get a fantastic rock show, with performances of songs that are vastly more interesting live than anyone ever could have expected.