IT HAPPENED. I did it. I conversed with Justin Vernon, in public, in Eau Claire. (Photo by Andrea Paulseth)

I was born in Chippewa Falls and grew up in Eau Claire, so I think I’m qualified as a townie to list some Eau Claire “musts” – the boxes you should check off while visiting or living here. There is, however, one box I have deigned to spend too much time thinking about checking off, simply because of the slim chance I’d ever be able to do so. I almost don’t want to sat it out loud or write it down, for fear of vicious eye-rolls or prodding questions, but here it is: I met Justin Vernon.

Yes, I went to several of the Eaux Claires festivals and spent pandemic-era days crying horizontally to “Exile,” Taylor Swift’s song featuring Bon Iver, on her 2020 album Folklore, and years before that, “Skinny Love.” Yes, I went to the downtown listening party for 22, A Million when that mural beside the State Theatre popped up to celebrate the album release. And, yes, I have an older sister who loved Bon Iver “before it was cool," properly indoctrinating me into the fan base. 

So, I’ve added a proverbial check to another box on that mental list of Just Eau Claire Things (which also includes “Enduring a traffic incident at one of the atrocious Oakwood Mall area intersections,” “Watching the Fourth of July fireworks from the old Ship Shape Car Wash.” “Griping about parking,” and “Meeting Judy Clark”). Oh, and he was very nice. And laughed at my jokes.