Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon performs full Bob Dylan tribute set at Eaux Claires
Developed over time first seen 2 weeks ago
Justin Vernon of Bon Iver performed a full one-off "Bon Dylan" set of Bob Dylan covers at Wisconsin's Eaux Claires Festival on Friday 24 July, with footage of the 15-song performance now released online. The show, announced in April, saw Vernon and a large group of collaborators work through Dylan's catalogue, underlining Eaux Claires' reputation for staging unusual, one-off collaborations, a legacy stretching back to Vernon co-founding the festival with The National's Aaron Dessner in 2015.
The Dylan set opened with 'Not Dark Yet' and moved through well-known tracks including 'Tangled Up In Blue', 'Lay Lady Lay', 'All Along The Watchtower' and 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door', alongside deeper cuts such as 'Shooting Star' and 'When He Returns'. Vernon was joined by musicians including Sean Carey, Phil Cook and Monica Martin, who took lead vocals on several songs, and said he was inspired by attending a Dylan concert with his father as a way of "trying to turn Bon into Bob". Earlier that day he had also played an unannounced seven-song set of his own material billed as "Bon", stepping in for Kevin Morby, which marked his first full solo Bon Iver performance since the band's touring ended in 2023.
- Justin Vernon played a 15-song Bob Dylan covers set at Eaux Claires
- He also gave a surprise Bon Iver set earlier that day
- It was his first full solo Bon Iver performance since 2023
New here? Start with this
Bon Iver is the stage name of American musician Justin Vernon, best known for introspective, folk-influenced records that later expanded into more experimental territory. He co-founded the Eaux Claires Festival in Wisconsin in 2015 with Aaron Dessner of The National, and the event has become known for one-off, unusual musical pairings rather than standard festival sets.
Bob Dylan is one of the most influential songwriters in popular music, whose decades-spanning catalogue includes songs such as "All Along The Watchtower" and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" that have been widely covered by other artists. Vernon has spoken about a personal connection to Dylan's music, having attended one of his concerts in Eau Claire with his father.
The performance in question involved Vernon and a group of collaborating musicians covering a large set of Dylan songs at the festival, reflecting Eaux Claires' reputation for staging unexpected collaborative shows rather than conventional artist sets.
More coverage
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by NME as “Watch Justin Vernon play entire set of Bob Dylan covers at Eaux Claires Festival”.