Take me directly back to college. News came out on Monday morning that the band Bon Iver will be playing a special show at the Bradley Center in mid-February to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’. It’s a one-time show that Justin Vernon, the lead singer of Bon Iver, decided to put on in the home state along with a re-release of the album on vinyl. This is hitting me real hard in the Eau Claire bones, and the tickets will be tough to get, I feel obligated to go watch Vernon and the boys.

Bon Iver played a significant role in my college story. Going to school in Eau Claire during the time of his rise, it was an amazing thing to honestly be a part of. I remember listening to the album in 2008 as some made mention of ‘This guy from Eau Claire area put out amazing music.’ From there, I was hooked after listening to it a few times. For a college kid who dealt with a lot of the normal shit at 20 years old, it did have an impact on me.

To me, there’s not been a better concert than seeing Bon Iver at 2,000-seat Zorn Arena two years later. They played a show in December of my final year of college. My roommate Nate stood in the freezing cold on a Friday morning to get me tickets to the show, and it was a jam-packed house where Vernon’s band put on an absolute show. Bon Iver would win a Grammy for ‘Best New Artist’ a few months later.

Hopefully, I’ll be in the house for this one and can relive some more memories.

Charlie.