As Perth’s heat alleviated for a few days, audiences were granted a balmy night at Red Hill Auditorium as Bon Iver and Gordi performed under the stars.
Bathed in red light, the auditorium was filled with the chatter of enthusiastic music lovers, the scents of various food vendors, and the dulcet tones of Gordi’s unfused indie-experimental vibes, all the while adding to the anticipation of the night’s headliner.
Bon Iver command the stage, with the format having them up front and immersed with the crowd – you wouldn’t know where one started, and the other began – a rising tide of musical connection a handsbreadth away.
The lighting design was theatrical and fun; becoming part of the performance and adding more entertainment than overpowering it. For those who may not be familiar with Bon Iver’s work, it was a cross between folk-jazz, and experimental gospel, with underground rave thematics peppered throughout.
Bon Iver’s musicology blends and weaves a tapestry that connects with a vast array of audiences.
After a raucous ovation from the crowd, Bon Iver returned to the stage to perform their most notable work – ‘Skinny Love’ – and ‘RABi’. Whether you’re aligned to their earlier works, or to their new infusion which experiments the boundaries of alternative music, Bon Iver brought theatre to the Red Hill Auditorium, thanks to the Perth Festival.
