What a glorious Sunday...well, it didn't start that way since we had a pretty long day and night on Saturday (read: hangover), but the upcoming Bon Iver concert was enough to get us through the day.
We hopped on the train to meet some friends for dinner at an Elephant & Castle down by the Chicago Theater. Seeing as that it was an 'English Pub' (I would welcome a debate over this title to anyone willing to be humiliated) I had the fish & chips, and it was good. J's made fish & chips just as good as home, so I didn't make a scene like I did when I had the same dish at Owen & Engine (If O&E was a garbage dump with that same fish & chips, and I had the choice of living in a Fiji mansion without said fish & chips forever, I would have the O&E fish & chips FOREVER). I love food and, above all, I love fish & chips. It's a friggin shame that I never tried the damn dish when I actually lived in England.
ANYWAYS, back to Bon Iver. The band, which is really just Justin Vernon and whichever musicians he brings is, is from Eau Claire Wisconsin (Yay, Wisco!). He spent a lonely winter recording his first album that brought on his fame, which was soon followed by an EP and side project (Volcano Choir), in addition to a collaboration with Kane West. Nearly two years after that first album, a second full LP was released, Bon Iver, and it did not disappoint. Now, I am no music reviewer so I will not even begin to summarize or analyze here. Suffice to say that Bon Iver is something akin to angels singing in heaven; he is a sturdy Wisconsin boy in looks, bearded, yet with a voice that is soft with a full on falsetto. It is something that brings tears, nay, full on sobs to anyone with a heart. It happened to me.
Maybe six months after moving from Wisconsin to Illinois I was listening to this 'Bon Iver' guy on my way home from work. It was lightly snowing and I was driving into my apartment complex and I had reached the end of the album...or so I thought. See there was this 'secret song' (something I hadn't experienced since buying a CD at least 3-5 years prior, haha!) and it was called, Wisconsin. It was a beautiful song that had me in full on sobs; in the parking lot; and I had it on repeat so this was going on over and over and over...I just couldn't bring myself to get out of the car and inside. It was the very first legitimate time in 26 years that I had ever felt homesick. I am not one to feel homesick...hell, I can hardly muster up a hug for my closest relatives. That is how amazing this song was. That is how amazing Bon Iver was on his first album, and he did not disappoint on his second.
If you have not heard him do yourself a favor and look him up. If you are a fan, hooray, keep spreading the good word. If you are not a fan, that's cool too, but be sure you are the type of non-fan who doesn't ruin things for others by being total dicks in comment sections and such.
Back to the actual concert night: Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) was playing at the Chicago Theater a very old and iconic spot. Case in point:
The outside is just the beginning, look at the beauty inside:
I recorded many videos, but I feel bad posting them for the world to see. I'm sure their are others out there, but I truly believe that if you want to be part of supporting this amazing music that you should shell out the $10 to buy it. Seriously, we want the guy to continue making music. Don't be an asshole and steal it.
And as a final word, go to a concert. I had every expectation blown away, and I can say that has never happened to me in all my years of seeing shows. Very cool.
I never had fish & chips in England, either! I've seen them made on TV (maybe on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations), and they use a weird brown sauce (vinegar-based?) that makes me curious to try them sometime. If only we could be magically teleported back there so we could go to a little fish & chips stand! :-P
Bon Iver seems really interesting. I saw them on The Colbert Report recently. I think I'll check them out on Amazon. :-) Glad you had a great time at the concert!!
Posted by: Thelabryinthoflife.blogspot.com | 07/26/2011 at 10:57 AM