Eaux Claires, the music festival co-founded by Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon and the National’s Aaron Dessner, takes place July 24-25 this year. The lineup includes Dijon, Daniel Caesar, Lil Yachty, Aimee Mann, Kevin Morby, Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore, Hotline TNT, and “Bon Dylan.” When it was announced, the nature of “Bon Dylan” was unclear. Today, we get the details: it’s a covers band.
Vernon will be performing as “Bob Dylan circa 1994,” backed by a group of friends and frequent collaborators: JT Bates, JP Brooks, Camaja Byrd, Sean Carey, Phil Cook, Ben Lester, Michael Lewis, Katira Lutterman, John Pieter, Courtland Pickens, and Jeremy Ylvisaker. In a video talking about the set, Vernon sings a version of ‘Not Dark Yet’, from 1997’s Time Out of Mind. That take was recorded during a Bon Dylan rehearsal in March.
In the video, Vernon says: “Oh, it was about a year ago. Bob Dylan came through town. I went with my dad and about 16 of my friends. I’ve lived here for 44 years. And it’s been too long to remember since the town felt that together. So we thought we’d better get the festival back going. And then the question of whether Bon Iver should play or not. It was on the table. Here’s what I’ll say. I haven’t felt much like being what I’ve been, or been seen to have been. Or what I wanted to have been. Or what I’ve become… so I thought it’d be cool to try to be Bob Dylan for a night. I’m trying to turn Bon into Bob.”
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