Justin Vernon Performs as 'Bon Dylan' at Eaux Claires Fest
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- Justin Vernon headlined the revived Eaux Claires festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin — returning after nearly a decade — co-curated by Vernon and Aaron Dessner at a new location in Carson Park, with a broader lineup including Aimee Mann, Dijon, and Fred Again.
- Vernon stepped in for Kevin Morby, who withdrew after welcoming his first child with Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield, opening solo with a cover of Morby's "Die Young" before running through Bon Iver tracks including "Re:stacks," "Beach Baby," and "Speyside" from last year's Sable, Fable album.
- Returning to the stage at 9pm as "Bon Dylan" in a polka-dot shirt and wide-brimmed hat, Vernon performed an extensive set of Bob Dylan covers with a band of Midwest collaborators spanning 1963's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," Blood on the Tracks's "Tangled Up in Blue," 1997's "Not Dark Yet," and 1981's "Shot of Love."
- The backing band featured drummer JT Bates (who played on Taylor Swift's Folklore), pedal steel player Ben Lester, harmonica shredder Phil Cook, and S Carey — billed as "Sean Iver" for the night — singing Nashville Skyline-era cuts including "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" and "Lay Lady Lay," while Wisconsin songwriter Monica Martin dueted with Vernon on "Boots of Spanish Leather."
- The set closed with an encore of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" that swelled into a thousands-strong singalong, with Vernon grinning out at the crowd as Carson Park transformed into a field of dreams.
Why it matters: The Eaux Claires festival's return after a nearly decade-long hiatus signals Vernon and Dessner's renewed commitment to their Wisconsin home region, with Vernon using the platform to reinterpret Dylan's catalog as a Midwestern collaboration rather than a solo tribute.
