Unlike other music festivals that have developed reputations — and often notoriety — through many years of drunk, drugged teenagers and top-bill performances, the inaugural Eaux Claires festival promised just one thing: community. Its founding father Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) saw potential in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where others would scoff and it was his dream to share the vision of this otherwise nondescript Midwestern town with the masses. In this pursuit, he succeeded.
For those who couldn’t attend, here’s what it was like.
The journey to Eaux Claires
The road to Eaux Claires was certainly winding. After boarding a school bus — one of 160 constantly running slews of festivalgoers to and fro — and crossing the “Main Entrance” threshold that carried patrons deep into brush and mud, the festival entrance emerged beneath thick canopies.
The festival was hosted in the Chippewa Valley, a stunning stretch of land flanked by massive trees and the Chippewa River. Two massive stages, the Lake Eaux Lune and Flambeaux, dominated the landscape as their temporary occupants blasted melodies. But the road didn’t end there; Eaux Claires featured many nooks and crannies, including a third stage — the Dells — reachable only through a narrow wooded path. The smaller stage sat underneath a structure and atop a bluff looking over more of Eau Claire’s awe-inspiring valley.
Eaux Claires 2015: Inaugural Friday of Justin Vernon’s brainchild, in pictures
The veterans: The National
The National — the 16-year-old alternative veterans based in Brooklyn — closed Eaux Claires’ first day ever with a glorious, if at times imperfect, performance.
After famous Sconnie author and festival narrator Michael Perry’s poetic introduction, frontman Matt Berninger began the evening with “Don’t Swallow the Cap” off their latest album Trouble Will Find Me, but skipped an early verse and was forced to restart. The crowd laughed with sympathy, perhaps happy to see one of their favorites break the fourth wall.
Despite the hitch, and Berninger’s trademark baritone hitting a few rough spots, the National’s performance was unforgettable. They hit their stride when the stage turned crimson preceding their moving hit, “Bloodbuzz Ohio.” Deep cuts like “England” and “About Today” — plus a surprising but welcome cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Peggy-O” — also brought out the National’s best.
But the outfit was not alone on stage very often. Fellow Eaux Claires performer Sufjan Stevens appeared for “Afraid of Everyone” and several other tracks including “I Need My Girl.” Later the concert arguably reached its emotional apex when Bon Iver accompanied “Slow Show” and his falsetto pierced through the haunting lyric: “I dreamt about you for 29 years before I met you.”
Berninger retained his simultaneously restrained and impassioned presence throughout the performance, screaming lyrics with post-punk intensity. The white wine-loving frontman’s theatricality peaked during High Violet’s “Terrible Love” in Eaux Claires’ only true encore; Berninger entered the crowd, microphone in hand, and continued to croon as he disappeared into the sweaty blackness and back again. Finally the concert ended with Vernon and Stevens returning for “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks,” their distinctive voices joining the crowds’ for a poignant conclusion. It was an appropriately collective way to close the inaugural fest’s first day.
The local legend: Bon Iver
Bon Iver’s set — the closing act of the two-day festival — was arguably the most emotional of all Eaux Claires performances. Justin Vernon’s indie folk dynamic glided through both hits and deep cuts as thousands of devoted fans surrounded them on the main stage.
An overcast sky morphed into a starry night as the band eased into “Flume,” a track from his debut album For Emma, Forever Ago. The band also featured The Staves, who had also performed at the festival, on opening songs “Heavenly Father” and “Lump Sum.” Vernon, clad in Audio Technica headphones, a snap back and a blue button-up, strummed through fan favorites with little to no context needed for such an organic performance.
Eaux Claires 2015: Bon Iver serenades 22,000 festivalgoers with two new tracks on final day
Perhaps the most memorable part of Bon Iver’s closeout set were Vernon’s earnest expressions of gratitude between songs; he was very thankful for every ounce of support those in attendance put forth for the inaugural year of a large-scale gathering of indie music enthusiasts. From the debut of two new songs to “Skinny Love,” any degree of Bon Iver fan left with an undying impression of just how deftly Bon Iver captures the essence of Wisconsin. Bon Iver knows just what makes the Badger State so special.
The magnificent man in mourning: Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens’s poignant music brings to life themes of growing up, love and heartbreak. Clad in his trucker hat and flashy tiger cut off, Stevens did not stray from these during his 75-minute set Saturday night. He entranced loyal fans who, for 15 years, have witnessed the evolution of Stevens’ specific brand of storied Midwestern nuance.
“Should Have Known Better,” the lead single off his newest album, emerged early on in the concert. Named after his mother and stepfather, Stevens’s seventh studio album Carrie & Lowell sees Stevens returning to his folksy, yet bittersweet roots. Stevens acknowledged the morose nature of this album during his set.
“Even my ‘strummy’ songs are about death,” Stevens said as he played through his new cut “No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross.”
Older songs from “Illinois,” the 2005 album that landed Stevens on the map, came out of the woodwork as well. The No BS! Brass Band joined in on staple hits “Chicago” and “Come on! Feel the Illinoise!” providing extra support for songs that have proven the test of time.
It’s hard to tell Stevens is 40 years old, but his music remains timeless. The issues he sings of remain relevant as they perpetually plague the human condition.
Eaux Claires festival organizers want to dissolve boundaries between artist and audience
The homegrown heroes: Phox
Baraboo-based Phox played to its strengths Saturday on the small stage as a mid-day headliner much aware of its rising, but not yet reached recognition. Seemingly right out of a J. Crew catalog, the well-dressed band played through various tracks on their EP Confetti released last year. Most notably, “Evil” and “1936” sounded especially confident. Lead singer Monica Martin, dressed in cowboy boots and a crop top, serenaded concertgoers with her sweet, breathy vocal parts, going so far as to offer fans a taste of an impromptu acapella piece.
The band was keen on acknowledging the massive organization that culminated in the Eaux Claire festival.
“This is a historic day,” Martin said, before a crowd of thousands. “We’re so happy to be included in it.”
The band’s hit song from last summer, “Slow Motion,” riled up many in attendance. The cut provided the band with the visibility needed after recording their freshman album at April Base, Justin Vernon’s home recording studio in Eau Claire.
After a string of performances, including one at Lollapalooza in 2013, Phox is just beginning to break out in the world of indie music; expect big things from the small, homey Wisconsin band.
