Show Pics: Bon Iver ACL Taping @ Moody Theater (4/26)

Justin Vernon won a Grammy. He has left us behind.

It doesn’t mean that many of us wouldn’t jump at the chance to see Bon Iver play a set for an Austin City Limits taping, especially if we got to bring the camera. It doesn’t mean that we no longer like his early material that put him square in the blogosphere’s hype zone four or so years back. Seems like such a long time ago, before the palling around with Kanye and constant mocking at Hipster Runoff, doesn’t it.

A few thoughts on the whole affair and plenty of pics after the break…

Quick comments that hit on Nathan’s Top 5 – To the guy begging to get in after the 9pm show start, get bent. You were late. You missed it. No amount of begging could help you and I hope you learned your lesson. Your pouting at the gate made me happy. And to the tall guy that insisted on taking cell pics, lots of them, I told security to hunt you down. I hope you got kicked out.

How things go down if you haven’t been to a taping – Terry says hello, does the introductions of sponsors that elicits woos from the assorted mezzanine level lounges. Audience members are warned to keep their phones in their pockets (see above) and the band is introduced.

I want to let Justin know that if he would record to capture the feel of this show, the edge between a true live performance and recording in a studio, I would enjoy his recent work much more. Opener “Perth” was big and heavy. “Holocene”, introduced by a story on how the song got it’s name from the bar he would get blasted in, was fantastic in this setting. There was a Patty Griffin cover of “Nobody’s Cryin'”. There was a feel from this space, this stage, of an orchestra with instruments grouped left and right of the central conductor filling one ear or another. Look for it in about four to six months and tell me if you don’t think agree that live grit adds something.

The photo site has the gallery in larger sizes if you are inclined…

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