Black Mountain with Bon Iver @ Rock & Roll Hotel, 2/19/08

As usual for the Rock & Roll Hotel, the doors opened late. Although the venue doors were scheduled to open at 8:00, with an 8:30 start time, both acts could faintly be heard sound checking behind the closed doors well past 8:30. During the 45 minute delay, most patrons were instructed to wait on the second floor, with an employee's assurance that they would be notified when doors were opened. By 8:45, well over 100 people were packed upstairs, patiently waiting for the call to rush down to the main room.

However, despite the employee's oft-repeated assurances, no call ever came. Seemingly without prompting, small groups of attendees began surreptitiously filing down the stairs a few at a time and failing to return. Sure enough, investigation revealed the main doors open and over 50 people already standing inside; business as usual at the Rock & Roll Hotel.

Opening act Bon Iver started shortly before 9:00 to a sizable group of dedicated fans. Audience members cheered the announcement that tonight was the (re)release date of their debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago. As they kicked off their tour with Black Mountain, Bon Iver seemed in good health, good spirits, and good voice, with each member providing their share of haunting vocals.

The three-man act delivered more than a faithful recreation of the album; live performance lent each song greater passion. Watching the band members interact, each pause and change in dynamics made sense.

Between sets, a good deal of time was spent sound checking each microphone for Black Mountain--yet another example of the last-minute haste of the set up. More than a few Bon Iver fans cleared out at this time, leaving room for Black Mountains' eager audience.

The ominous beginning of Black Mountain's "Stormy High," the first track on their new album, elicited cheers from the crowd. The strong guitar line and drumming delivered, and the vocals were on, but somehow the song failed to really take off. The band offered songs from both of their albums, yet nothing whipped the audience into a frenzy. The musicians made little--if any--eye contact with the audience, nor did they directly address their fans at any time.

Some enthusiastic hoots and applause and ushered them off the stage before the encore, but the overall energy level of the audience wasn't high. Their return to the stage left the crowd waiting patiently and chattering amongst themselves, not screaming in anticipation. The encore track was the much-called-for "Druganaut," a slow-burning, 10-minute-plus number that, like the rest of the performance, failed to really catch fire.