Folk band Bon Iver will perform at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown on September 17, as commissioned by Ithaca-based Dan Smalls Presents. Singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell will open the night, which is set to begin at 8 p.m.
Bon Iver began in 2007 when, alone in a log cabin, band mastermind Justin Vernon overcame sickness and heartbreak in the process of writing his breakout album, For Emma, Forever Ago. A warm reception greeted the Jagjaguwar-distributed disc along with an ever-growing, diverse fanbase. Months after their debut, praise for the Wisconsin group piled and a couple of high profile gigs, like The Late Show With David Letterman in 2008 and Lollapalooza Music Festival in 2009, granted Vernon international exposure. One noteworthy fan was hip-hop artist Kanye West, who blazoned Vernon’s name across the pop music landscape by featuring him in his acclaimed opus, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
While Vernon released the lauded Blood Bank EP in 2009, his eponymous follow-up — titled Bon Iver, Bon Iver — in 2011 was his most successful release yet, accruing praise from both the critical and commercial spectrums. By expanding his band — respected saxophonists Michael Lewis and Colin Stetson were among those to join — and adjusting his sound, Vernon reinvented the band for this Grammy Award-winning album. Bon Iver’s vast, intricate soundscapes still retained the same texture of its previous work, winning over new fans and energizing the faithful. Lead single “Holocene” (a misnomer, for there really are no “singles” on such an integrated album) was even nominated for the Grammy’s Song and Record of the Year Awards.
Justin Vernon is a fan of his opening artist, Vermont native Anaïs Mitchell. He even contributed vocals to her critically acclaimed 2010 album Hadestown. Mitchell brews folk in a similar fashion to Vernon, albeit with a rawer, piano-centric approach — perhaps even with a country twang.
The tickets for the show are $39.50 each and go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Day-of tickets (which are almost guaranteed to not be a possibility) will sell for $45. Purchases can be made at dansmallspresents.com and by phone at 888-512-7469. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. on September 17 in Cooperstown and memories will be made at 8.
Original Author: Zachary Zahos