Wisconsin’s own Bon Iver (or is it Bonny Bear?) gets “sweet hookup,” wins two Grammys
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Since sifting through dull newspapers, hyperbolic blogs, and overflowing RSS feeds for meaningful news can be an arduous process, News Net catches and compiles both the amusing and the significant reports that were overlooked over the weekend. Here are some things to think about as the workweek begins.
• The mysterious state known as “Wisconsin” got a big national shout-out last night, as Eau Claire’s Bon Iver took home two Grammys at the gala 54th Grammy Awards on CBS. The group that once inspired “Bon Iver Day” in Milwaukee (and continually inspires delightful comments from A.V. Club readers) took home statues for Best Alternative Album and Best New Artist, beating out the likes of Nicki Minaj (eh), Skrillex (barf), and The Band Perry (huh?) And who says the Grammys are “ridiculous”?
While the award for Best Alternative Album was handed out before the ceremony, the Best New Artist Grammy was prominently featured in the telecast. Frontman Justin Vernon, decked out in your dad’s best jacket and tie, gave a gracious acceptance speech, thanking his band, his family, and the Grammy voters for the “sweet hookup.” The speech was unfortunately one of the few to be hurried up by the ever-antsy orchestra, no doubt to make room for speech number 8,000 from Adele.
Of course, many Grammy fans aren’t all that familiar with the difficult-to-pronounce Wisconsin group, leading to some adorable confusion. “Bonny Bear” has been trending on Twitter since last night’s show, thanks to hundreds of tweets like this:
“OMGSRSLY WHO IS BONNY BEAR?!”
Not to mention photos like this:
And videos like this:
• We couldn’t be more excited for the gonzo “Sexy Results: Cedar Block’s Dig For The Higgs, And How The Quest Was Won” show this Saturday at Turner Hall. The A.V. Club will have a preview of the science-themed variety show on Wednesday; until then, check out WTMJ’s Sunday morning interview with Cedar Block’s Brent Gohde and Alverno Presents’ David Ravel.
You can also enjoy a preview of the event’s official soundtrack, courtesy of Milwaukee mainstay IfIHadAHiFi. The band has released “Throw Deep,” a song that deals with “Ronald Reagan, religion, Bill Hicks, and of course, the Higgs Boson.”
• This past weekend saw the 3D re-release of one the most cherished films of all time, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. To celebrate this long-awaited cinematic event, the folks at Milwaukee’s Red Letter Media have followed suit and added a third dimension to their wildly popular 70-minute takedown of TPM. And if that wasn’t enough, they’ve also recorded an all-new commentary track for the film, in case the prospect of listening to Anakin Skywalker say “Yippee!” for 135 minutes somehow doesn’t fill you with joy.
• Fans of watching short films while getting shit-faced take note: the Horny Goat Hideaway is prepping its “Really Funny Horny Goat International Short Film Festival” for March 2 and 3. The fest will feature 13 comedy shorts, burlesque from Brew City Bombshell Vee Valentine, and, as host/comedian Tim Higgins so adroitly puts it in the following promo video, “other things in between.” (Higgins will also perform for Saturday’s Cedar Block event.)
