Justin Vernon, the indie folk superstar from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, really loves his hometown’s Carson Park. At a recent event outside its baseball stadium, Vernon put the grounds in rare company: “Central Park in New York and Carson Park are the top two parks that I know about,” he said.
Vernon, lead singer of Bon Iver and erstwhile collaborator with Taylor Swift, originally hoped Carson Park would host the Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival, which he founded in 2015 with Aaron Dessner of The National. But they opted for a different location, until now.
After an eight year break, Eaux Claires is back, running July 24 and 25 at the park that is – to at least one person – tied for the best in America and home to a baseball and football stadium, a softball field, two museums, a one-room schoolhouse and a Paul Bunyan statue with his blue ox.
An hour and a half from the Twin Cities, Eaux Claires’ promise of musical crossovers and unscripted setlists has been a big draw for Minnesotans. This year, a number of local artists will be featured, including indie rockers the Gully Boys and former Prince drummer Michael Bland, leading Urban Classic Presents Revelation honoring the iconic funk of the Minneapolis music scene. Vernon will perform, too – not with Bon Iver but as “Bon Dylan,” in homage to Hibbing’s Own.
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Unpredictability has been an Eaux Claires hallmark since its start, though Vernon admits the event’s evolution has seen its share of trial and error.
“From the first year to the fourth year, it’s safe to say that Eaux Claires got more and more esoteric,” he said, noting that in its final original year, they took experimentation to the extreme. “I think the last year we didn’t even announce any bands, which might have been taking it a little too far,” he said.
This year’s creative director, RT Vrieze of Eau Claire’s Knorth Studios, has worked extensively in the city. “I think something that we wanted to do was to bring things back to the essence of Eau Claire, not to have it be esoteric, not to have it be removed,” Vernon said.
The core intention remains creative discovery, he said, away from the grind of tour buses and identical nightly sets. “I think we’ve got a good balance of those collaborations, of guest spots, of people that are going to be on the bill, and not on the bill, joining different people on stages,” he said.
Returning to the festival are alumni Aimee Mann, one of this year’s headliners, and singer and songwriter Kevin Morby. Additionally, Bizhiki will perform, featuring powwow singing from Ojibwe musicians Joe Rainey (who grew up in South Minneapolis) and Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, with S. Carey, longtime Bon Iver drummer and supporting vocalist.
The festival takes its name from its host city, translated from French as “clear water.” Eaux Claires, Vernon said, “is a horrible misspelling of another French word, just like Bon Iver.”
At Carson Park, Vernon stood near a bronze sculpture depicting baseball legend Hank Aaron, who played for the integrated minor league team the Eau Claire Bears before breaking into the major leagues.
“There’s just such a rich, rich history here,” Vernon said. “We can kind of easily forget how special this place is – it’s the trees, the stadium itself – and I think it’s just going to make the festival feel closer to home.”
From the comfort of his home base, Vernon seemed unsure about the future of his primary musical project. “I have not had a perfect relationship with this sort of notoriety or the fame that’s come with Bon Iver,” he said, adding that the spotlight has “felt like a distraction at times.”
But an Eau Claire magazine has helped keep his feet firmly on the ground. “I’m kind of simultaneously proud of being voted in Volume One as the most overrated band, multiple years,” he said.
Working on the festival offers a welcome break. “When I’m in this mode of feeling of service to my community and my city, I just feel better,” he said.
Vernon noted that his artistic trajectory grew directly out of Eau Claire’s music scene, pointing out that his sister’s classmate, Geoffrey Keezer, won a Grammy Award with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. “I never want to be a distraction to what’s actually happening here,” Vernon said.
Beyond the music, Eaux Claires also features a writers residency led by best-selling author and Wisconsin native Michael Perry. Minnesota-based playwright Katie Ka Vang, illustrator and comic book artist Brent Schoonover and novelist Benjamin Percy are among the cohort.
For the first time, Bon Iver won’t be playing the festival. Vernon said he hasn’t been performing much the last few years, save for occasional appearances like a Minneapolis ICE OUT concert in February to raise money for mutual aid efforts. But instead of his well-known band, Vernon will channel Bob Dylan for a night.
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“I’ve studied Bob Dylan’s music genuinely for so many decades, and there’s a particular era, 94-95, in which I think he’s one of the greatest singers ever,” Vernon said. “And for whatever reason, the last 25 years I’ve been mimicking it to the point where the mimicking became internal, like it felt like I was embodying that voice, and it feels different, and it’s kind of freaky, but it’s really working.”
It will likely be his band’s only appearance, after working on the set for over a year. “It’s kind of funny, but it’s also quite serious for me, and we’re taking it really, really seriously,” Vernon said. “For me, selfishly, being up there and becoming Bob Dylan for a night, I can be done after that.”
Eaux Claires takes place July 24 and 25 at Carson Park in, Eau Claire, WI. Tickets range from $124 – $239 for a one day pass and $229-$399 for both days. Children under 10 are free. Parking passes are sold out. More information here.
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