Into the Woods?

I don't dislike Bon Iver by any stretch of the imagination -- in fact, the 27-year-old Eau Claire native Justin Vernon seems like one of those artists it's just patently impossible to actively dislike, the kind of musician who makes music at such a high level of purpose and craft that people who claim to dislike him would be those same people who one suspects of trying way too hard to differentiate themselves and be cool -- but I never got as into him as others seemed to.

I think this is probably my own fault, as his songs require your attention. They function much better, are more effective and moving when you actually sit still and listen, as opposed to when you're in the car or making dinner or going about the mundane tasks of daily life. And I just never seemed to take the time, and for no good reason at all (though I suspect I tired very quickly of the mythos behind the recording of For Emma, Forever Ago...).

Here's a little televisual stimulation -- courtesy of The Current's YouTube channel, it's Justin Vernon performing "Flume":



Sasha Frere-Jones has a very nice and very complimentary article about Bon Iver in the current issue of the New Yorker, which you can read right here. Frere-Jones seems to find him to be a truly captivating performer. My hunch is that Cedar patrons are fans, and I dimly recall him playing quite a few number of shows around town...has anyone seen him live? Do I need to finally sit still and give a serious listen?

Prof