Justin Vernon Channels Bob Dylan for Sweeping ‘Bon Dylan’ Tribute at Eaux Claires

Justin Vernon delivered a career-spanning tribute to Bob Dylan on Friday night, performing a 15-song set comprised entirely of the Nobel laureate’s material at the Eaux Claires Festival in Wisconsin. Billed as “Bon Dylan,” the one-off collaboration saw the Bon Iver frontman traverse the songwriter’s vast catalogue alongside a rotating cast of collaborators.

Vernon opened the evening with a hushed rendition of “Not Dark Yet,” the closing track from Dylan’s 1997 renaissance album Time Out of Mind. From there, the set navigated through cornerstone classics—”Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” “Tangled Up in Blue,” “Lay Lady Lay,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”—while also illuminating deeper album cuts. Vernon reached for “Shooting Star” from 1981’s Shot of Love and “When He Returns,” the gospel finale of 1979’s Slow Train Coming.

A large ensemble of friends and frequent collaborators fleshed out the arrangements, including JT Bates, Sean Carey, Phil Cook, Ben Lester, and Michael Lewis. Carey assumed lead vocals for “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You” and “Lay Lady Lay,” while Cook featured prominently on “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Meet Me in the Morning.” Monica Martin joined Vernon for a duet on “Boots of Spanish Leather,” and JP Brooks appeared during “When He Returns.”

The full “Bon Dylan” setlist:

‘Not Dark Yet’
‘Shooting Star’
‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’
‘The Man In Me’
‘Tangled Up In Blue’
‘Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You’
‘Meet Me In The Morning’
‘New Morning’
‘Boots Of Spanish Leather’
‘When He Returns’
‘Shot Of Love’
‘Lay Lady Lay’
‘All Along The Watchtower’
‘With God On Our Side’
‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’

Vernon announced the project in April, framing it as a single-night experiment to inhabit another artist’s skin. He traced the inspiration to a formative memory: attending a Dylan concert in Eau Claire with his father and a group of friends. “I haven’t felt much like being what I’ve been, or been seen to have been,” Vernon explained. “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.”

Earlier that same evening, Vernon surfaced for a second, unannounced performance. Billed simply as “Bon,” the surprise set filled the slot vacated by Kevin Morby, who withdrew following the birth of his first child with Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield. Vernon opened with a cover of Morby’s “Die Young” before pivoting to his own catalogue, delivering “Beach Baby,” “Flume,” “Speyside,” and “Re: Stacks.” The seven-song run also unearthed the early rarity “Hayward, WI” and debuted “Room to Spare,” an unreleased tribute to the late John Prine.

The appearance marked Vernon’s first full set of Bon Iver material since the band concluded their touring cycle in 2023. Aside from a stint at a Kamala Harris campaign rally, he has remained largely absent from the stage.

Watch footage below.

Bon Iver’s surprise setlist:

‘Die Young’ (Kevin Morby cover)
‘Beach Baby’
‘Flume’
‘Speyside’
‘Room To Spare’
‘Re: Stacks’
‘Hayward, WI’

Vernon co-founded Eaux Claires with The National’s Aaron Dessner in 2015, establishing a reputation for singular collaborations and spontaneous premieres—most notably the full live debut of Bon Iver’s third album, 22, A Million, in 2016.

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