99-749: Bon Iver ( / ˌ b oʊ n iː ˈ v ɛər / BONE ee- VAIR ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon . Vernon had originally formed Bon Iver as a solo project, but it eventually became a band consisting of Vernon (vocals, guitar), Sean Carey (drums, keyboards, vocals), Michael Lewis (vocals, baritone guitar, guitar, violin, saxophone), Matthew McCaughan (drums, bass, vocals), Andrew Fitzpatrick (guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Jenn Wasner (guitar, keyboards, vocals) Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago , independently in July 2007. The majority of
198-413: A beard than a true studio wizard... For Emma, Pt. 2 would have been far more satisfying than this overblown debacle." In late August 2011, English post-dubstep musician and singer-songwriter James Blake uploaded a track called " Fall Creek Boys Choir ", a collaboration with Bon Iver, to his YouTube channel. It was released as the first single from Blake's EP Enough Thunder and was also included on
297-466: A fan favorite. On November 18, 2015, the band announced a tour of Asia starting early 2016. On July 22, 2016, a 22-second live stream was broadcast on the band's official Facebook page, accompanied by the caption '#22days'. A short clip of previously unreleased music could be heard in the video, accompanied by an updated profile and cover photo. On August 17, 2016, the band announced that their next album's title would be 22, A Million . They also provided
396-418: A group of saxophonists known as Sad Sax of Shit . In Pitchfork 's review of the album, the publication likened it to Radiohead 's Kid A , saying, "Bon Iver's first album in five years takes an unexpected turn toward the strange and experimental. But behind the arranged glitches and processed voices are deeply felt songs about uncertainty." In mid 2018, Bon Iver partnered with TU Dance for Come Through ,
495-481: A list of fall tour dates. On July 2, the band released a teaser called "Sincerity is Forever in Season", voiced by Michael Perry and relating every album by the band to a season, with the then-upcoming fourth album being autumn. A week later, on July 11, the band announced that their forthcoming album, I, I (stylized as i,i ), would be released on August 30, 2019. They also released the songs "Jelmore" and "Faith" as
594-482: A long duration. As of the census of 2020 , the population was 69,421. The population density was 2,112.8 inhabitants per square mile (815.8/km ). There were 29,987 housing units at an average density of 912.6 units per square mile (352.4 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 85.9% White , 5.7% Asian , 1.5% Black or African American , 0.6% Native American , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.1% from other races , and 5.1% from two or more races. Ethnically,
693-545: A major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh. Bon Iver recorded their fourth album in Texas during February and March 2019. On June 2, 2019, Bon Iver debuted two new songs from the upcoming album at All Points East , a more polished version of the previously played " Hey, Ma " and
792-511: A male householder with no wife present, and 46.7% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 29.8 years. 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 22.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 21.7% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
891-423: A median income of $ 48,978 versus $ 39,147 for female workers. The per capita income for the city was $ 31,510. About 4.9% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 95.5% were high school graduates or higher and 33.9% had a bachelor's degree or higher. Of the 69,421 people living in
990-456: A new person, new skin. A new everything, more than a return. But I did feel like it was important to strip it down to just the bare essentials and get out of the way, to not hide with swaths of choirs. Just get it as close to the human ear as possible." In live performances, Justin Vernon is joined live by Sean Carey (drums, vocals, piano), Michael Noyce (vocals, baritone guitar, guitar, violin) and Matthew McCaughan (bass, drums, vocals). Noyce
1089-514: A number of his friends, Vernon decided to release the songs himself in their present state. According to his manager Kyle Frenette, an initial run of 500 CDs were pressed. The original CD release show took place at the House of Rock in Eau Claire, Wisconsin . Justin played an earlier "all-ages" show and an evening 21+ show to release the original pressing of the album in its card stock CD case. Of
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#17327943896511188-440: A performance the same month at the industry showcase festival CMJ Music Marathon . The appearance attracted much label interest and Frenette later told HitQuarters that they subsequently spoke to various record companies, both independent and major. Out of all of them they decided to sign with the indie Jagjaguwar because their ideals most resembled their own. The signing was confirmed on October 29, 2007. For Emma, Forever Ago
1287-548: A place we built. It's also only three miles from the house I grew up in, and just ten minutes from the bar where my parents met." On April 20, Bon Iver announced details of the release through the official Jagjaguwar and 4AD websites. The artwork for the album was also released, painted by the American artist Gregory Euclide . Gregory also released two YouTube videos entitled the Making of Bon Iver Album Art . Over one month before
1386-577: A series of shows featuring a group of contemporary dancers and during which several new songs were premiered. In late 2018, during an Instagram Live session, frontman Justin Vernon revealed a folder named "BI LP4", containing 13 new songs. He also revealed a snippet of the song "We Maddie Parry" (later shortened to "We"). The band has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue , recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated
1485-803: A significant presence; the most visible of these are the Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild (CVTG) and the Eau Claire Children's Theatre (ECCT). In addition, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has a robust theatre program, and traveling professional shows frequently make stops in the city. The Pablo Center at the Confluence and Haas Fine Arts Center are the primary indoor performing arts venues, although both CVTG and ECCT have established their own independent venues, in 2006 and 2010 respectively. The Pablo Center at
1584-474: A track list of 10 songs and released lyric videos for two songs: "22 (OVER S∞∞N)" and "10 dEATh bREasT". On August 29, 2016, the band released their lyric video for "33 "GOD"", the third single from the album. 22, A Million was released on September 30, 2016. It was noted by many as a large stylistic shift for the band. One aspect of this shift included a drastic change in instrumentation; on 22, A Million and subsequent releases, Bon Iver often collaborated with
1683-636: A wider audience. Bon Iver was released on June 17, 2011. On March 23, 2011, Justin Vernon told Rolling Stone that a follow-up of For Emma, Forever Ago would be released in December 2011. The album is composed of 10 songs and takes a new musical direction: "I brought in a lot of people to change my voice—not my singing voice, but my role as the author of this band, this project," says Vernon, who hired well-known players like bass saxophonist Colin Stetson and pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz . "I built
1782-569: Is a notable part of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's music program, as well as a fixture of the Eau Claire community. The 475-member ensemble is the largest marching band in the Midwest. The band has gone on multiple tours across the Midwest, and had many performances on the world stage. The Sculpture Tour Eau Claire is an ongoing outdoor sculpture exhibit along the streets of downtown Eau Claire. There are 53 sculptures, making this tour
1881-579: Is about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota , on the northern fringes of the Driftless Zone . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 34.14 square miles (88.42 km ), of which 32.04 square miles (82.98 km ) is land and 2.10 square miles (5.44 km ) is water. The city's terrain is characterized by the river valleys, with steep slopes leading from
1980-468: Is an alternative genre of music that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music . Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation. The genre has its earliest origins in 1990s folk artists who displayed alternative rock influences in their music, such as Ani DiFranco and Dan Bern , and acoustic artists such as Elliott Smith and Will Oldham . In
2079-791: Is at the head of the Chippewa River State Trail , a biking and recreation trail that follows the lower course of the Chippewa River. Eau Claire is home to the Eau Claire Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier. In November 1909 a movement to change the city government from the aldermanic to the commission form was launched by the West Side Boosters, the forerunners of the Water Street, Eau Claire Business Men. The campaign that preceded
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#17327943896512178-439: Is headquartered in Eau Claire. Oakwood Mall is Eau Claire's main mall. It has been open since 1986 and has 91 stores and services. Downtown Eau Claire and Water Street also include a variety of specialty shops, including bike shops, arcades, record shops, and antique stores. Eau Claire has a modest but active theater community. No professional theater groups make their home in the region, but amateur and community theaters have
2277-551: Is the singular form of the original French name, "Eaux Claires", meaning "Clear Waters", for the Eau Claire River . According to local legend, the river was so named because early French explorers journeying down the rain-muddied Chippewa River , came upon the confluence with the Eau Claire River, and excitedly exclaimed "Voici l'eau claire!" ("Here is the clear water!"). Now the city motto, this appears on
2376-484: The Billboard Hot 100. On August 5, Bon Iver released "AUATC" (Ate Up All Their Cake) featuring Elsa Jensen, Jenny Lewis, Bruce Springsteen , and Jenn Wasner. The song was accompanied by a press release critiquing capitalism. Swift then announced Evermore , a surprise follow-up album to Folklore on December 10, 2020, which also features Bon Iver on the title track. The band recorded the song "Second Nature" for
2475-483: The Eau Claire River less than a mile where the rivers meet. The factory mainly created rubber tires and tubing . It had about 1,600 workers in 1920, producing almost 500 tires and 500 rubber tubing everyday. These numbers have increased every year since it opened in 1917. In 1931, United States Rubber Company agreed to purchase Gillette, a sale not completed until 1940 owing to the Great Depression . Due to
2574-530: The Köppen climate classification , Eau Claire is classified as Dfa/Dfb borderline, usually termed as the subtype of warm, sometimes hot, summer. Its climate is due to its latitude and interior location in North America. The average annual temperature is only 46 °F (8 °C). Although the extremes exceed 110 °F (43 °C) upwards and −40 °F, which demonstrates the four well-defined seasons of
2673-659: The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd are in Eau Claire. As of 2017, Hmong Americans were Eau Claire's largest ethnic minority. Jenna Christian, Pa Sia Low Moua, and Ingolf Vogeler, the authors of "The Cultural Landscape of the Hmong in Eau Claire, Wisconsin", write that the Hmong are also the city's "most visible ethnic group". In 2010, there were 2,181 Hmong people in Eau Claire County , While
2772-490: The "Clear Water River, a branch of the Chippewa" as the boundary between the Chippewa and Winnebago . The first permanent European-American settlers arrived in 1845, and the city was officially incorporated in 1872. Extensive timber was harvested and logging was the major industry during this time; many sawmills were built as part of the lumber industry. Sawmills and other manufacturing made Eau Claire an industrial city by
2871-467: The '00s" list. The digital download track " Skinny Love " was selected to be iTunes (UK) single of the week and was available for free during that time, as well as being featured as the track of the day on National Public Radio . Bon Iver was ranked number 8 on Last.fm 's most-listened-to new music of 2008. Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago was ranked number 29 in Rolling Stone ' s list of
2970-655: The 12th episode of the 5th season of ABC 's medical drama Grey's Anatomy . On December 11, 2008, Bon Iver performed "Skinny Love" on the Late Show with David Letterman . On January 26, 2009, "Skinny Love" was announced at No. 21 by the Australian national radio station Triple J in the annual Hottest 100 countdown of the previous year's best songs. In July 2009, "Skinny Love" was announced at No. 92 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time countdown. Additionally,
3069-479: The 2021 film Don't Look Up . Bon Iver collaborated with American country star Zach Bryan on the title track "Boys of Faith" off Bryan's Boys of Faith EP. The single charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at a peak of number 26. In September 2024, after years of touring in support of their previous album, Bon Iver returned with the single "Speyside", and announced a three-song EP, called Sable , which
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3168-513: The 500 copies issued, 17 were sent to press, mainly blogs. The first significant attention the album received was from My Old Kentucky Blog in June 2007, after which point "it snowballed," according to manager Frenette. Another further breakthrough came when, in October 2007, the album received a very positive review from influential indie internet publication Pitchfork . That exposure in turn led to
3267-637: The ABC drama Grey's Anatomy ; "The Wolves (Act I and II)" was used in the first season of United States of Tara , the film The Place Beyond the Pines as well as in the final scenes of the film Rust and Bone ; "Re:Stacks" was featured in the Fox drama House , as was "Flume" on May 16, 2011; "Re:Stacks" was also used for the closing sequence of the Silent Witness episode Death Has No Dominion, and "Woods"
3366-718: The Cavaliers, the Eau Claire Bears and the Eau Claire Rivermen play in the Chippewa River Baseball League. Three of Eau Claire's high schools have baseball teams. Eau Claire North H.S. won the 2011 and 2019 state championship. Eau Claire also has a large youth baseball program, including a summer parks and recreation league, Little League (Nationals, American, Lowes Creek and Seymour). Eau Claire Little League teams have twice won
3465-451: The Confluence was opened in downtown Eau Claire on September 22, 2018. It was built to replace UW-Eau Claire's Kjer Theater as the primary venue for performing arts. Facilities include a 1,200-seat theatre, three rehearsal rooms, visual arts galleries, labs for sound and lighting, set and exhibit design, recording arts, multimedia production, and costume design. Eau Claire is home to several annual music festivals. The Blugold Marching Band
3564-620: The EP's return to a stripped-back indie folk sound, Vernon noted: "From For Emma until i,i it felt like it was an arc, or an expansion — from One to All. I,I was very much me trying to talk about the We — the Us, outside of I. And when I got to these songs, the obvious thing was, well, people might think this is a return to something. But it really feels like a kind of raw second skin. I think about time in cylindrical, forward-moving circles. This feels like
3663-605: The Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers. Phoenix Park hosts a weekly farmers market and open-air concerts during the summer. Riverview Park is a common summer swimming destination and one of the local boat landings. It has picnicking areas, grills, and public restrooms. There are also two dog parks in Eau Claire: Otter Creek Off-Leash Dog Park and Sundet Off-Leash Dog Park. The City of Eau Claire also operates Fairfax public pool and Hobbs Municipal Ice Center , an indoor ice center. Eau Claire
3762-717: The February 15 election was heated. Local rallies and mass meetings were held. The 20 members of the common council were about equally split about the change. The final vote was 1,867 for change and 995 against. Since switching from a mayoral system in 1948, Eau Claire has had a city manager - city council form of government. The city council is a nonpartisan 11-member governing council consisting of five members elected from aldermanic districts in odd-numbered years, five members elected at large in even-numbered years, and an elected city council president, elected at large in odd-numbered years. The council's legislative meetings are held on
3861-619: The Grammy for Best New Artist. Bon Iver also won the Grammy for Best Alternative Album for Bon Iver , beating out Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, Foster the People and My Morning Jacket. On February 15, a five-song studio session was released on YouTube, featuring Justin Vernon and Bon Iver drummer Sean Carey performing piano renditions of the tracks. The recording took place at AIR Studio -owned Lyndurst Hall in London, England. On November 12, 2012,
3960-592: The Hmong population is smaller in Eau Claire County than in Milwaukee , the Hmong are a higher percentage of the population in Eau Claire County, and Christian, Moua, and Vogeler write, "the Hmong stand out more singularly as an ethnic minority than they do in metropolitan areas like Milwaukee, which is already more racially and culturally diverse." The majority of the county's Hmong live in the city of Eau Claire. In some Eau Claire neighborhoods, up to 30% of
4059-903: The Johnsons , The National ), Mike Lewis on bass ( Andrew Bird , Happy Apple ), and a horn section including Reginald Pace, Colin Stetson ( Tom Waits , Arcade Fire ) and C.J. Camerieri ( Rufus Wainwright , Sufjan Stevens ) as well. On February 2, 2012 Sasquatch! announced Bon Iver as a headliner for their 2012 festival. Bon Iver appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on February 4, 2012, where they performed their songs " Holocene " and " Beth/Rest ." During Bon Iver's Asia tour in late February to early March 2016—the first tour since 2012—the live band still consisted of Vernon, Carey, McCaughan and Lewis, in addition to frequent Vernon collaborator Andrew Fitzpatrick (All Tiny Creatures, Volcano Choir ) on guitar, synths and vocals; and sisters Emily, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor, also known as
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4158-584: The McCann family moved into one of them and became the first permanent settlers. West Eau Claire, founded in 1856, was across the river, near the site of the current county courthouse, and was incorporated in 1872. Between a mile and a half and two miles downstream, the Daniel Shaw & Co. lumber company founded Shawtown, beyond the west end of what is now the Water Street historic district . Shawtown
4257-465: The Month" reviews in both Mojo and Uncut magazines. It was the seventh highest rated album of 2008 on review aggregator site Metacritic , with accolades from publications including The Village Voice , The Hartford Courant and The A.V. Club . Pitchfork Media gave the album 29th place in its "The Top 200 Albums of 2000s" list, while Stereogum placed the album at 11 on its "Best Album of
4356-495: The Road touring festivals. The success of acts like Mumford & Sons led some music journalists like Popjustice's Peter Robinson labelling this new British music scene as The New Boring or Beige Pop. A decade later, the terms "stomp and holler", "stomp clap hey", and "hoedown pop" were coined to refer retrospectively to such bands. In the late 2010s, artists such as Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker revived interest in
4455-605: The Top 50 Albums of 2008, and was also ranked number 92 on their list of the 100 Best Albums of the 2000s. In an interview, Vernon said: "I'm really humbled by everything and am keeping things in perspective." On May 19, 2008, "Blindsided" and "Flume" were featured in The CW series One Tree Hill . On October 6, 2008, "Skinny Love" was featured in the NBC series Chuck ( season 2, episode 3 ). 'Blindsided' also featured in 'Stairway To Heaven',
4554-660: The Year . The name "Bon Iver" derives from the French phrase bon hiver ( pronounced [bɔn‿ivɛʁ] ; 'good winter'), taken from a greeting on 1990s TV series Northern Exposure . After the breakup of his band DeYarmond Edison , the ending of a relationship, and a bout with mononucleosis hepatitis , Vernon left Raleigh , North Carolina and moved back to Wisconsin. He spent the oncoming winter months at his father's cabin in Dunn County, Wisconsin . According to Vernon, it
4653-428: The album release date, the album was accidentally made available for purchase on the iTunes Music Store on May 23. Apple removed the item from the store, but not before a handful of users were able to purchase and download it. There was no comment from Apple, the artist, or his label. However, the lyrics to the album were promptly uploaded to their record site. In an interview on 89.3 The Current , main man Justin Vernon
4752-471: The album was recorded while Vernon spent three months isolated in a cabin in western Wisconsin . In 2012, the band won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album for their eponymous album Bon Iver . They released their third album 22, A Million to critical acclaim in 2016. Their latest album, I, I , was released in 2019. The album was nominated at the 2020 Grammy Awards for Album of
4851-634: The audience to sing along to. In an interview with Pitchfork , Vernon described this dilemma. "I don't want to be the guy with an acoustic guitar singing songs, because that's boring for the most part. The song actually needs 80–500 people singing or whatever the vibe is of that room, it needs that fight." Bon Iver performed at Lollapalooza 2009. Bon Iver has also performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival , Glastonbury , Coachella , Øyafestivalen , Way Out West , Bonnaroo , Sasquatch! and All Points East among others. After
4950-521: The band announced its intent to take a break from performing after the last event of its 2012 tour in Dublin. Their label asserted that the band had not broken up. On June 30, 2014, the band released a new song titled "Heavenly Father", which was featured on the soundtrack of Zach Braff 's film Wish I Was Here . Bon Iver's song "Woods" was featured in the Bluecoats 2015 program Kinetic Noise , which
5049-445: The beautiful melancholy of For Emma , but in nearly every way, it's just more. More layered, more diverse, more interesting. He brings in collaborators to do what they do best, but never at the expense of his sound and vision. It treads into new sonic directions without getting lost." He gave the album a score of nine out of ten. In an unfavorable review, Tim Sendra of AllMusic wrote, "[Vernon's] style comes off more like sub- Enya with
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#17327943896515148-473: The center to the eastern and southern sections of the city. The lands into which the urban area is expanding are increasingly hilly. There are two lakes in the city, Dells Pond and Half Moon Lake. Dells Pond is a reservoir created by a hydroelectric dam , and was formerly used as a holding pool for logs. Half Moon Lake is an oxbow lake created as part of the former course of the Chippewa River . In
5247-464: The city seal. The Eau Claire area was first visited by Europeans in the late 17th century. It had been occupied for thousands of years before European fur traders began settling there for trade with local Native American tribes. The First Treaty of Prairie du Chien , signed in 1825, established the Chippewa River "half a day's march below the falls" as the boundary between the Sioux and Chippewa , and
5346-645: The city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female. As of 2010, there were 1,981 persons within the city limits in Chippewa County and 63,902 in Eau Claire County for a total of 65,883. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau 's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area , which includes all of Eau Claire and Chippewa Counties (composite 2010 population: 161,151). Together with the Menomonie Micropolitan Statistical Area (which includes all of Dunn County ) to
5445-425: The city was 91.4% White , 4.6% Asian , 1.1% African American , 0.5% Native American , 0.5% from other races , and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.9% of the population. There were 26,803 households, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had
5544-484: The city, 67,238 were living in Eau Claire County , and 2,183 were living in Chippewa County . As of the census of 2010, there were 65,883 people, 26,803 households, and 14,293 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,056.3 inhabitants per square mile (793.9/km ). There were 28,134 housing units at an average density of 878.1 units per square mile (339.0 units/km ). The racial makeup of
5643-467: The city: Owen Park , along the Chippewa River , is home to a large bandshell, where open-air concerts are held throughout the summer; Putnam Park , which follows the course of Putnam Creek and Little Niagara Creek east from the UWEC campus; Carson Park , situated in the middle of an oxbow lake (better known as Halfmoon Lake); and Phoenix Park on the site of the old Phoenix Steel plant at the confluence of
5742-460: The closing song " Beth/Rest " would be "horn heavy." The album was recorded in a remodeled veterinarian clinic in Fall Creek, Wisconsin, which was bought by Vernon and his brother in 2008. It was converted into April Base Studios, built mainly over the defunct swimming pool attached to the clinic. Vernon's reason for recording in the location was that "[it's] been a wonderful freedom, working in
5841-406: The deluxe edition of his self-titled debut album . On November 30, 2011, the band earned four nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards : Best New Artist , Best Alternative Music Album for their album Bon Iver , and both Song of the Year and Record of the Year for "Holocene" . On December 15, 2011, Pitchfork awarded Bon Iver the number one album of 2011. On February 12, 2012, Bon Iver won
5940-486: The folk vocal trio The Staves , whose album If I Was was produced by Vernon. Bon Iver endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 US election, and performed at a rally in Eau Claire for Democratic candidates Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on August 7, 2024. Bon Iver: Autumn is a 12-minute film directed by Andrew Swant , documenting the preparation for Bon Iver's 2019 North American tour to support their fourth album, I, I . The film focuses on Justin Vernon discussing
6039-476: The following decade, labels such as Saddle Creek , Barsuk , Ramseur, and Sub Pop helped to provide support to indie folk, with artists such as Fleet Foxes breaking into the pop charts with albums such as Helplessness Blues . In the United Kingdom , artists such as Ben Howard and Mumford & Sons emerged, with the latter band promoting the music style through their Gentlemen of
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#17327943896516138-475: The genre. Bridgers cites Elliott Smith as a foundational influence on her sound. Eau Claire, Wisconsin Eau Claire ( / oʊ ˈ k l ɛər / oh- KLAIR ; French: [o klɛʁ] lit. "clear water") is a city in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin . It is the seat of Eau Claire County. It had a population of 69,421 in 2020 , making it
6237-593: The headquarters of home improvement store chain Menards . Eau Claire is known regionally for its arts and music scenes and is the hometown of indie folk band Bon Iver , whose lead singer Justin Vernon co-curated the city's annual Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival . Eau Claire is the second fastest-growing major city in Wisconsin after Madison , with 5.4% population growth between 2010 and 2020. Eau Claire took its name from Eau Claire County. "Eau Claire"
6336-588: The instruments during recording and each song was heavily edited with a large number of overdubs. Vernon wrote the lyrics for the album by recording a word-less melody and listening to the recording over and over while writing words according to the sound of the syllables of the melody. In an interview, Vernon said, "Words like 'decision' and 'intention' aren't words that float in my head because I just went." Vernon explains, "I left North Carolina and went up there because I didn't know where else to go and I knew that I wanted to be alone and I knew that I wanted to be where it
6435-548: The last performance of their 2012 tour in Dublin 's The O2 , Vernon announced that it was their last performance as a band, "... at least for a while..." At the time, these two events provoked speculation about whether this was a definite end to the band or simply a hiatus. A representative for Bon Iver's label, Jagjaguwar , issued the statement, "They are just going off cycle after two very busy years on this record." Josh Jackson reviewed Bon Iver for Paste , saying, "It retains
6534-403: The late 19th century. The city was founded near the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers as three separate settlements. The main section of downtown is on the site of the original European-American village, where Stephen McCann , in partnership with J. C. Thomas, put up three buildings in 1845. Although these structures were erected primarily to establish a claim to the land site,
6633-507: The new song "U (Man Like)" (which was on the setlist Vernon showed in December and which features guest vocals from American singer-songwriter Moses Sumney , Bruce Hornsby , Elsa Jensen, Jenn Wasner , and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus). At the end of the same concert, Bon Iver advertised the website iCOMMAi, featuring similar cryptic messages as their recent lyric videos. The next day, both songs were released as singles alongside
6732-488: The population was 3.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The 2020 census population of the city included 147 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 3,556 people in student housing. According to the American Community Survey estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $ 59,705, and the median income for a family was $ 82,851. Male full-time workers had
6831-419: The previously unreleased album tracks one at a time, every hour on the hour, until 11:00 am EST. The album as a whole was then released on several streaming services, 22 days before it was slated to be officially released. In September 2019, dates for Asian and European tours in 2020 were released. On January 21, 2020, the band announced a reissue of their first EP "Blood Bank", which contains new artwork by
6930-504: The proceeds will go to Direct Relief , a company providing resources during the COVID-19 pandemic . The song was later sampled by Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar for their song " The Hillbillies ". On July 23, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift announced that Bon Iver would feature on " Exile " (stylized in all lowercase ), the second single from her eighth studio album, Folklore . The song became Bon Iver's first top-ten hit on
7029-491: The production of the upcoming live shows, the desire to maintain an intimate feeling despite the fact that they will be playing in larger, arena-sized venues. It previews the motion-tracking technology used in the light show, and the immersive three-dimensional sound design planning. Current line-up Touring musicians AMFT Awards Grammy Awards Brit Awards MTV Video Music Awards Japan Indie folk Indie folk (also called alternative folk )
7128-459: The record myself, but I allowed those people to come in and change the scene." The second album is described as an "ambitious musical departure" from the first. Prior to the album's release, Vernon said that each song on the new album represents a place. The song "Perth" was described as a "Civil War-sounding heavy metal song," the song "Minnesota, WI" was described as featuring "finger-picked guitars, double bass drums and distorted bass saxophone," and
7227-410: The release of Bon Iver's second album, the live performances underwent a great deal of change. With older performances consisting of Vernon playing guitar, while Noyce, Carey, and McCaughan performed on varied instruments, the concerts following Bon Iver involved a much larger, full band. The new lineup consisted of the original four musicians, and included Rob Moose on violin and guitar ( Antony and
7326-456: The residents are Hmong. Eau Claire styles itself as the "horseradish capital of the world", due to the presence of Silver Spring Foods , the world's largest grower and producer of horseradish . The climate, with its cold winters, is conducive to the horseradish crop. Other significant crops grown in the area are apples, pumpkins and plums. Menards , a Midwestern chain of home improvement stores owned by Wisconsin native John Menard Jr. ,
7425-540: The second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Public hearings are held on the Monday evenings before legislative sessions. All meetings are held in the City Council Chambers at City Hall in downtown Eau Claire. Meetings are televised live on public-access television channel 97 and digital cable channel 994 and simulcast on radio station WRFP 101.9 FM. Eau Claire is represented by Derrick Van Orden in
7524-579: The second-largest of its type in the nation. The Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market is in Phoenix Park. It is open from May to October and offers a variety of produce and products. Eau Claire has four amateur baseball teams. The Eau Claire Express play in the Northwoods League , an NCAA -sanctioned summer baseball league. Its home games are at Carson Park . The Eau Claire Cavaliers also play home games at Carson Park. In addition to
7623-440: The site of his illness at the time. Vernon did not intend to write or record any music during the time but rather to recuperate from the events of the previous year. Eventually, however, a record began to evolve during this cathartic time of isolation. He had recently finished helping the band The Rosebuds do some recording and had with him some basic recording gear when he made his move to the cabin in late 2006. Vernon played all
7722-1029: The song "Roslyn" to the New Moon soundtrack . Bon Iver also contributed "Brackett, WI" to the AIDS benefit album Dark Was the Night produced by the Red Hot Organization . In 2010, Bon Iver collaborated with Kanye West on the track " Lost in the World ", which begins with a sample of the Bon Iver track "Woods". Vernon also contributed vocals to the West tracks " Monster " and " Dark Fantasy ", both featured on West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy . Then, in March 2011, Justin Vernon performed at SXSW with GOOD Music . This collaboration publicized him to
7821-516: The songs. Thereafter, the two played a number of them together. McCaughan and Vernon met while on tour with indie rock band The Rosebuds in May 2007. Because of the extensive use of vocal harmony on the songs of For Emma, Forever Ago , Vernon was concerned that there would not be enough voices to duplicate the sound of the songs on the album in a live setting. To compensate for this problem in early performances, Vernon passed out lyrics for some songs to
7920-484: The start of World War II , the US War Department brought the facility in 1942 to use as an ammunition plant. At the height of the war effort, the plant had over 6,000 employees. Toward the end of the war, the government sold the building back to its original owners, and it was quickly converted back to manufacturing tire products. Throughout the decades after the war, the plant received multiple expansions and
8019-587: The state championship (1998 Eau Claire Americans and 2012 Eau Claire Nationals) and advanced to Regional play in Indianapolis. A Babe Ruth League (13- to 18-year-olds) won state tournaments at ages 13, 14 and 15 in 2012. Those teams all went on to win 3rd place at their regional tournaments. The Chippewa Valley Predators football team competes in the Northern Elite Football League and plays its home games at Carson Park . The team
8118-466: The state's eighth-most populous city . It is the principal city of the Eau Claire metropolitan area , locally known as the Chippewa Valley , which had 172,007 residents in 2020. Eau Claire is at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers on traditional Ojibwe , Dakota , and Ho-Chunk land. The area's first permanent European American settlers arrived in 1845, and Eau Claire
8217-418: The third and fourth singles for the album, respectively. On July 31, the band released a documentary short called Bon Iver: Autumn , featuring Vernon and bandmates discussing the I, I album and the upcoming Autumn tour. On August 7, Bon Iver held free worldwide listening parties to preview the new album at over 60 locations around the world. On August 8, starting at 6:00 am EST, the band began to release
8316-529: The track "Flume" has been used by the BBC to advertise their Jimmy McGovern -penned drama series The Street ; the track "Blood Bank" (off the EP of the same name ) was used in a 2009 episode of the NBC series Chuck ( season 2, episode 18 ) and the track "Creature Fear" was used in another Chuck episode ( season 2, episode 21 ); "Skinny Love" was featured in another episode of Chuck (season 2, episode 3), as well as in
8415-413: The usual collaborator Eric Timothy Carlson as well as both original songs and live versions of each one of them. It was released on March 27. On April 4, 2020, Justin Vernon premiered a new Bon Iver song, "Things Behind Things Behind Things" in "Where We Go From Here", a special event from Bernie Sanders. On April 17, Bon Iver released a brand new song called "PDLIF" (Please Don't Live In Fear), which 100% of
8514-682: The west, the Eau Claire metropolitan area , forms the Census Bureau's Eau Claire-Menomonie Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area , which had a consolidated 2010 population of 205,008. The Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire is headquartered in the city. Its mother church is Christ Church Cathedral . The city is also within the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse and is home to Sacred Heart Church and St. Patrick's Church . Additionally, Community House, First Congregational Church , First Methodist Episcopal Church and
8613-493: The year, with severe winters generally colder than the winters of European Russia south of Moscow at a much lower latitude. The amount of annual snowfall (47") exceeds the amount of annual rainfall (31"), the total precipitation is greater than other major cities in Wisconsin such as Milwaukee and Madison . July has an average temperature of 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) and January an average of 14.4 °F (−9.8 °C), where temperatures below freezing point can remain for
8712-430: Was Vernon's guitar student during high school. Vernon uses various keyboard instruments during live performances including synthesisers such as a Dave Smith Instruments Prophet 6 and a Teenage Engineering OP-1 , while during studio recordings his instruments have included a Steinway & Sons Model D Concert Grand Piano. Carey approached Vernon during one of the first Bon Iver shows, telling him he could play and sing all
8811-534: Was annexed to the city of Eau Claire by the 1930s. By the 1950s, the entire city had spread far enough to the east to adjoin Altoona . In 1916, the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire was founded, which marked the turn from a mostly lumber production based economy into one centered around manufacturing, education, and healthcare. In 1917, Gillette Safety Tire Company built a large factory in Eau Claire along
8910-618: Was awarded a bronze medal at the Drum Corps International World Championships. On July 18, 2015, the band played their first show in almost three years at the Eaux Claires Music Festival in Eau Claire where they debuted two new songs, "666 ʇ" and "89". Originally, both were slated to be on their next album, but only "666 ʇ" made it to the finished record. Unreleased track "89" has been played occasionally since, soon becoming
9009-488: Was cold." In another interview, Vernon describes what he used to record the album: "I had a very light set-up, a basic small recording set-up: a Shure SM57 and an old Silvertone guitar . I had my brother drop off his old drums... some other small things—things I would make or find lying around." The record was almost not released and was originally intended as a group of demos to be sent out to labels and potentially rerecorded. But after getting very encouraging reactions from
9108-623: Was during this time that the "Bon Iver" moniker first entered his mind; while bedridden with mononucleosis, he began watching the 1990s TV series Northern Exposure on DVD. One episode depicts a group of citizens in Alaska, where the show is set, emerging from their homes into the first snowfall of the winter and wishing one another bon hiver ( lit. “good winter”). This was initially transcribed by Vernon as "boniverre"; however, when he learned of its proper French spelling, he elected not to use it, deciding hiver reminded him too much of " liver ",
9207-762: Was established in 2001. The Northern Lights Cowboys compete in the Champions Amateur Football League and play their home games at Carson Park. As of 2023, the Eau Claire Cowboys football team competes in the Northern Lights Football League and plays its home games at Carson Park Eau Claire hosted the 2003 World Horseshoe Championship and the 2019 Wisconsin State Horseshoe Tournament. There are several large parks in
9306-501: Was given an official release by Jagjaguwar. Vernon has said that he will continue to make albums without engineers and producers because he is capable of doing it all himself. Since being released by Jagjaguwar on February 19, 2008, For Emma, Forever Ago has garnered critical acclaim. The album was released in the UK and Europe by iconic indie label 4AD on May 12, 2008. When released in the UK, For Emma, Forever Ago received 5/5 and "Album of
9405-438: Was incorporated as a city in 1872. The city's early growth came from its extensive logging and timber industries. After Eau Claire's lumber industry declined in the early 20th century, the city's economy diversified to encompass manufacturing and Eau Claire became an educational center with the opening of the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in 1916. Eau Claire is also a regional commercial and business center and home to
9504-530: Was questioned about current plans for the band and expressed their desire to take a break: [We're] winding it down. I look at it like a faucet. I have to turn it off and walk away from it because so much of how that music comes together is subconscious or discovering. There's so much attention on the band, it can be distracting at times. I really feel the need to walk away from it while I still care about it. And then if I come back to it—if at all—I'll feel better about it and be renewed or something to do that. During
9603-415: Was released on October 18. The EP marks a return to the band's roots, relying heavily on Vernon's voice and guitar, akin to their debut album, and consists of three songs recorded between 2020 and 2023. The EP was produced by Vernon and Jim-E Stack , with the three songs grouped together as a deliberate " triptych " which "runs the gamut from accepting anxiety to accepting guilt to accepting hope." Regarding
9702-473: Was renamed Uniroyal in 1967. In 1991, Uniroyal, one of the largest factories in Eau Claire at the time, announced it would shutter the facility, ultimately causing 1,358 workers to lose their jobs. Although this factory shutdown was detrimental to Eau Claire's economy, the unemployment rate fell from 1991 to 1992. Today the complex, now named Banbury Place, is used as a small business incubator and leased to existing businesses and organizations. Eau Claire
9801-614: Was used in the eighth episode of Skins ' third series and appeared on the series 3 soundtrack. In 2008, Bon Iver designed a T-shirt for the Yellow Bird Project , with all profits benefiting the Interval House women's shelter in Toronto, Ontario. In October 2009, Bon Iver first appeared on the cover of the publication The Fader , in its 64th issue. Also in 2009, Bon Iver, along with St. Vincent , contributed
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