A little more explanation

In case you don't know who I'm talking about with this Bon Iver guy, here's his performance on Letterman a few nights before we saw him:



Thank goodness he was wearing a hat, because without it, he looks a little bit more like this guy:
The guy--named Justin something-or-other, by the way--has had an amazing year. He went from unexpectedly recording an album by himself in a hunting cabin in the backwoods of Wisconsin (this alone has become a myth of sorts adding to his stardom, who knows how much of it is true), to finding some help with his band in a few of his lumberjack buddies, to having a critically acclaimed album on his hands and touring the world incessantly this year. Just a friendly unassuming Wisconsin boy with a dry sense of humor like mine. It's an indie-rock Cinderella story. I'm pretty sure he's the first rock star to come from Wisconsin, actually.

I was much more impressed with his live show than I thought I'd be. It was really good. But I continue to be baffled about what it is that has made him so popular. His songs are incredibly simple and minimalistic, he sings like a girl, and they look like lumberjacks for goodness' sake! Is this really what's cool?

But the four-guys-on-vocals thing sounds sooo good live, as does the three-guys-on-drums thing.

He's definitely doing something right, but I think it's fair to say he had a good bit of luck on his side in 2008 too. Good for him. He seemed genuinely surprised by and appreciative for it on Monday night, recognizing it will never happen again. It's always nice when Cinderalla stories happen to guys like that.