doodledee

It was about like I expected. Sold to the walls. Half the crowd loving every note, singing along, talking about how they drove over from Wisconsin and that they have the shirts to prove they were there and that they heard of them first. The other half was scenesters. Which is fine, but maybe just a little bit weird at a downtempo show like Bon Iver. Like in front of me for a while were a couple of dudes out on the town, wearing silly fedoras and rocking an entire can of axe between them, downing Coronas and getting their game on, and then the music starts and it's slow and lonely and painful and AWKWARD! I was reminded (again) of why I don't always go to shows with other people. Unless you count that 85oz Fat Tire or whatever it was I was drinking as another person. Though I suppose it's heavier than my daughter, so maybe you'd have a point.

Show was solid, band was humble, crowd was into it. I think they're really more of a jammy band than people want to admit. Or maybe more than they're personally ready to admit. Or something like that. Either way, I'd like to see them really stretch some stuff out. They do some fun longish driving stuff, but they never really let go and see where it takes them. Maybe still a little early for that? A little young? What do I know. For sure I could see them going that way, though.

Opener was AA Bondy, who sounded fantastic, but more or less lost me with his silly lyrics and his drug obsessed between song banter. Bummer.

Also this: yet more kudos to Flora Fauna for the posterwork for this show. Lurved it.