If you watched Bon Iver’s performance on the Channing Dude-Bro Tatum-hosted SNL last night, you saw that Justin Vernon sang into not one, but two microphones. Since you’re surely wondering how this came to be, UPROXX had exclusive access to the conversation that took place between Bon Iver’s management and the SNL stage manager last week prior to the taping. It should shed some light on it for you.
SNL stage manager: So let me go through the checklist here with you. We’re going to have 5 cameras set up, 4 of which will be focused in the direction of the microphone and..
Bon Iver’s manager: Wait, wait, wait. Did I hear you say “microphone,” as in a singular microphone?
SNL stage manager: Yes, is that a problem?
Bon Iver’s manager: Um, YEAH! Hello, this is BON-F*CKING IVER we’re talking about, not that awful fraud Lana Del Rey. The full range of Justin Vernon’s anguished falsetto cannot be captured by a single microphone.
SNL stage manager: Well, most of our musical guests only require a single mic. I’ll see what I can do.
Bon Iver’s manager: Yeah, well you better. Or Bon Iver will tell you to f*ck off just like the Grammys were told to f*ck off. And you might get your a$s kicked. Bon Iver works out, you know.
And so it came to be that Justin Vernon crooned into two mics last night. That’s EXACTLY how it all went down.
Here’s “Beth/Rest”…
And here’s “Holocene”…
And via commenter Hokie Wartooth, we can see that Tom Brady is a huge Bon Iver fan, so the weekend wasn’t a total loss for him.
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His manager’s name is Nate Vernon, his brother. One of the microphones is auto-tuned, the other is not.
I’m guessing you don’t possess the ability to detect sarcasm?
I’m guessing Cajun Boy doesn’t possess the ability to detect factual, interesting information presented in a matter of fact, non-trolling manner.
I put it down to the fact that he just likes to imagine he’s motor-boating a pair of spongy boobs!
i’m a fan of the weekend posts. i hope everyone has to work double overtime.
One of the mics was for the vocal effects heard primarily in”Beth / Rest.”
So, Cajun Boy, your conjured up scenario is wrong.
And you are a cunt.
Yes we know all about the vocal effects. However, you do not know all about the sense of humor.
How did you score this exclusive access? Quite the coup.
I actually love Bon Iver and this very nearly put me off them for life. What a ridiculous performance!
There’s a point around 4:00 in Beth/Rest where there is so much musical wanky faces that I had to look away. The chubby drummer at this point sent me over the edge.
The real deal are not the 2 Mics people. How can you guys not see that, in the beginning, our dear C-Tates gets grabbed and pulled away? For what? Just because the camera needs to move closer to Bon Iver?! Fuck him!
No one treats “the hardest twirkin’ playboy in show B1ZNA$TEE” like that. NO ONE!
OVERRATED.
He should tour with Lans Del Rey.
When did Bon Iver become sting?
There is no technical reason to require a second mic just for a vocal effect. None. Whatsoever. In fact, you’re more likely to wind up getting something completely out of phase with two mics than you are with one mic that just happens to have two separate targets once it hits the audio board.
Also, who the hell is Bon Iver?
Stop ragging on my favouritest band!!1! Justin told me in a dream that he needs the second microphone to crescendify the amplitudinality and increase the Bon Iverness. Justin doesn’t need autotune, he can make that sound all by himself!
Jesus H….criticism of other’s work is so easy yet none of you could even approach this level of artistry.
I thought the performance by Bon Iver was beautiful. In fact, I think Justin Vernon is constantly improving his songs from their original album-release with each live performance. But liking something isn’t “cool” so I have to be a dick about it. Fuck that, the way they performed this was incredible and I enjoyed it; no apologies.