Bon Iver Live at The New Yorker Festival

The New Yorker Radio Hour

WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

Politics, Arts, News, Wnyc, Books, David, Storytelling, Society & Culture, Yorker, New, Remnick

4.2 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 November 2019

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the winter of 2007, a songwriter by the name of Justin Vernon returned to the Wisconsin woods, not far from where he grew up. Just a few months later, he emerged with “For Emma, Forever Ago”—his first album produced under the name Bon Iver. Since then, Vernon and various bandmates have released three more records, won two Grammys, and collaborated with Kanye West, becoming one of the most celebrated bands in indie music. The music critic Amanda Petrusich spoke with Vernon at The New Yorker Festival, alongside his bandmates Brad Cook and Chris Messina. They discuss using made-up words as lyrics; Vernon’s deep, deep love of “Northern Exposure,”; and how a group like Bon Iver engages with current events in today’s toxic political climate. Bon Iver performed “U (Man Like),” “Marion,” and “RABi”; Vernon was accompanied by Sean Carey, Jenn Wasner, and Mike Lewis.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From One World Trade Center in Manhattan, this is The New Yorker Radio Hour, a co-production of WNYC Studios and The New Yorker.
0:11.3	Welcome to The New Yorker Radio Hour. I'm David Remnick. Every year, Townsend Harris High School, in Queens, New York, runs an election simulation, a giant civics lesson where the school recreates
0:23.3	the ecosystem of a real political campaign. And some seniors get to play versions of the actual
0:28.9	candidates for president. Good morning. I'm Elizabeth Warren, and I'm running for president
0:35.2	because I've seen the corruption and greed that
0:38.5	fills our government. Some host their own version of Meet the Press. Today we have invited
0:44.4	to our show, Kamala Harris. Can you tell us about your perspective on same-sex marriage?
0:51.0	The students make political advertisements which often have a distinctly queen sound.
0:57.0	Show Biden, no more tax cuts, telefriend, energy, bring it in, I'll be your new president.
1:03.8	Yeah.
1:04.8	And then the whole school gets to vote.
1:07.1	The New Yorkers Josh Rothman first visited Townsend Harris in 2015.
1:11.6	The school then was grappling with how a teenage boy was going to portray the unorthodox campaign of someone named Donald Trump.
1:19.1	And when he imitated Trump a little too authentically, the school almost called the whole thing off.
1:24.6	Josh is going back to Townsend Harris as they're running their version of the 2020
1:29.1	primaries. And we'll meet a young man trying to portray Trump without getting sent to the principal's
1:34.8	office. There's some recent allegations as early as this morning. Remember, you can't impeach a winner
1:39.8	because winners win. That's our job, all right? Keep that in mind as you vote this election season.
1:45.0	And we'll meet the rest of the candidates, including a 17-year-old rapping Pete Buttigieg. They say, yo, Pete, where you've been at? I'm just winning with these. I've been crushing out the polls. That's Y, O'P, or me. I've been through it speaking for you. I'll pass me, Trump's seat. But no Biden's making TikToks and not taking the lead
2:02.6	We need changing, change and changing, got to check I've been through it speaking for you. I'll pass me, Trump's seat. But no, Biden's making TikToks and not taking the lead.
2:02.9	We need changing, change and changing.
2:04.4	Gotta check me a vote.
	...

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