Justin Vernon performed a fifteen-song set consisting entirely of Bob Dylan covers during a one-off special performance titled “Bon Dylan” at the Eaux Claires Festival in Wisconsin on Friday night, July 24. The musician, widely known as the creative force behind Bon Iver, traversed decades of Dylan’s catalog alongside a backing band of frequent collaborators, fulfilling a project he initially announced earlier in the spring.
The Wisconsin gathering marked a rare live return for Vernon, who also delivered an unannounced solo set of his own material earlier on the same day. That afternoon surprise filled a schedule gap left by singer-songwriter Kevin Morby, who withdrew from the festival following the birth of his first child.
The evening performance opened with “Not Dark Yet,” drawn from Dylan’s 1997 album Time Out Of Mind, before moving through a carefully curated sequence of deep cuts and well-known compositions.
Among the selections performed during the “Bon Dylan” set were “Shooting Star” from 1981’s Shot Of Love and “When He Returns,” the closing track from 1979’s Slow Train Coming. Other numbers included “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.”
Collaborative Stage Lineup and Full Setlist
Vernon did not tackle the extensive Dylan catalog alone, sharing the stage with a large ensemble of musician friends and long-standing collaborators. The backing band featured JT Bates, Sean Carey, Phil Cook, Ben Lester, and Michael Lewis.
Guest contributors shared vocal and instrumental duties throughout the night. Carey took lead vocals on renditions of “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” and “Lay Lady Lay.” Phil Cook stepped up for “Tangled Up In Blue” and “Meet Me In The Morning.” Monica Martin joined Vernon for “Boots Of Spanish Leather,” while JP Brooks appeared on stage during “When He Returns.”
The complete 15-song setlist for the “Bon Dylan” performance comprised:
- ‘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’
Explaining the genesis of the project when he announced it in April, Vernon recalled attending a Dylan concert in Eau Claire with his father and roughly 16 friends. “I haven’t felt much like being what I’ve been, or been seen to have been,” Vernon said regarding his motivation for the evening. “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.”
Surprise Bon Iver Set and Archival Projects
Hours before stepping out for the Dylan tribute, Vernon played an unannounced solo set billed simply as “Bon.” The afternoon performance stepped in to replace Kevin Morby’s scheduled slot after Morby and partner Katie Crutchfield welcomed their first child.
Vernon opened the surprise afternoon performance by covering Morby’s track “Die Young.” He then moved into a selection of Bon Iver tracks, including “Beach Baby,” “Flume,” “Speyside,” and “Re: Stacks.” The seven-song afternoon set also featured the early rarity “Hayward, WI” and “Room To Spare,” an unreleased tribute dedicated to the late John Prine.
The afternoon slot marked Vernon’s first full set of his own catalog since Bon Iver wrapped up their touring commitments in 2023. Since stepping away from the road, Vernon has made only occasional public appearances, including a notable outing at a political rally for Kamala Harris.
Vernon originally co-founded the Eaux Claires Festival alongside The National’s Aaron Dessner in 2015. Over the years, the Wisconsin event earned a reputation for one-off collaborations and unexpected performances, most notably serving as the venue where Bon Iver premiered their third studio album, 22, A Million, in its entirety in 2016.
The festival appearances coincide with broader archival and musical milestones for the project. Bon Iver recently launched a new archival series titled Volumes, designed to collect live recordings, demos, and unreleased material recorded between 2017 and 2023. The series draws structural inspiration from Dylan’s long-running Bootleg Series and Neil Young’s extensive archival releases.
Bon Iver released their fifth studio album, SABLE, fABLE, in April 2025. While critics praised the release as a creative rebirth and a fresh chapter for the project, Vernon has remarked in interviews that he would be very surprised if he ever produced another full-length Bon Iver record.
Festival organizers and management have not announced any further dates or extensions for the “Bon Dylan” project, leaving Friday’s Wisconsin performance as a standalone tribute. Fans interested in future archival releases or festival updates can monitor official announcements through the official Bon Iver channels. We welcome your thoughts on Vernon’s Dylan interpretations in the comments below.