The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

A Volcano erupts

??I wish we had been recording that ? that was the coolest fucking shit we have seen on the tour this far,? said guitarist of Volcano Choir Chris Roseneau to a whooping crowd of fans which had just sang along with one of the bands newly released songs. On Sept. 10, Volcano Choir, the collaborative project of Bon Iver?s Justin Vernon post-rock band Collections of Colonies of Bees, took the stage at Higher Ground, crafting a mixture of ambient folk and booming indie rock that swelled together to create a blast of a performance. Before Volcano Choir, the evening began with two unique opening acts. The first of these was singer-songwriter Sam Amidon, who grabbed the audience?s attention with a blend of indie folk and deadpan humor. The second opener was Durham, North Carolina-based indie pop duo Sylvan Esso. Using trap-style beats, looped vocals and bodacious bass-drops, their set quickly got the audience dancing. Sylvan Esso?s unique blend of pop sensibility and electronic experimentation came as a surprise to some. ?I was not expecting to hear this at this concert,? first-year James Bristol said. After the openers came the main event: Volcano Choir. Under a heavy mist of warm, bubbling synthesized organ, Vernon and the rest of the band came to stage and launched into the title track from their new LP ?Repave,? titled ?Tiderays.? Vernon immediately burst out his now-famous falsetto, crooning the song?s opening lines ?Wake up, soft denims on the floor/Sleep nights late, sleepin? back into the fall.? After this song and an unreleased and untitled instrumental piece, a man in the back of the crowd burst out, ?Marry me Justin! I?m serious!? Vernon replied in a humorously echoed and godlike voice, ?Um, what are you trying to say to us, man? Volcano Choir no compute!? The band then went into the atmospheric sing-along, ?Alaskans.? Audience members belted out the track?s almost mantra-like words in repetition: ?Decide, decide, decide, decide, repave, repave, repave, repave.? The show concluded with Vernon crooning ?Youlogy,? accompanied by nothing but a gong and light synth. He then left the stage, leaving the band to thank the audience. ?You guys were fucking awesome,? Roseneau said. ?Repave? is out now.

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A Volcano erupts