We make no secret of it here at Paste. We love Bon Iver. And what Bon Iver loves is his fannypack.
Or used to love, we should say, since some jerk of a person stole it from him during one of his SXSW showcases this week. CMJ reports that Justin Vernon was robbed Thursday at the Parish Room in Austin, Texas, immediately preceding his set. He lost a handful of cash and quite a bit of I.D. and plastic. He was out of the room, watching Jens Lekman play before him. During NPR's live broadcast of that very performance, he asks on stage if anyone has seen the fannypack and politely asks for it back. "I wear a fannypack," he confesses, "and it's disappeared...It's got some documents in it, and I need it." You can listen to a stream of the show here.
To provide ambiance while we all mount a search, Vernon released his first video for the Bon Iver project a couple weeks back. It's a stark, wintery look at "Wolves (Act I and II)" from For Emma, Forever Ago, and it comes with a story like everything else Bon Iver touches. It seems Vernon's lyrics impact everyone, even those who direct his videos.
Vernon and Co. have extended their North American tour, after which they're scheduled to leave the country for some international dates in May. Hopefully they'll be able to restore their proper identification before then.
Fannypack-less Bon Iver dates (according to his MySpace):
April
1 - Rock Island, Ill. @ Huckleberry's Pizza Parlor
2 - Grinnell, Iowa @ Grinnell College
3 - Upland, Ind. @ Taylor University
4 - Indianapolis, Ind. @ The Vogue
5 - Iowa City, Iowa @ University of Iowa - Black
7 - Columbia, Mo. @ Mojo's
8 - St. Louis, Mo. @ St. Louis University - Biliken *
9 - Urbana, Ill. @ Canopy Club *
10 - Chicago, Ill. @ Lakeshore Theatre *
11 - Madison, Wisc. @ Orpheum Theatre - Stage Door *
12 - St. Paul, Minn. @ Turf Club *
13 - St. Paul, Minn. @ Turf Club (w/ The Wars of 1812)
14 - Duluth, Minn. @ Kirby Rafter (Duluth University)
14 - Fargo, N.D. @ Aquarium
* - w/ Collections of Colonies of Bees
Related links:
Bon Iver on Virb
JagJaguwar.com
Creature Fear: the Bon Iver Blog
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