Evelyn Nelson, McKenna Scherer, photos by Andrea Paulseth, Luong Huynh |
An undeniable blend of curiosity and familiarity seemed to burst at the seams from all generations of ticket holders, as wave after wave of eager attendees stepped onto the historic grounds of Carson Park (100 Carson Park Dr., Eau Claire) for the return of the Eaux Claires music festival.
Beyond its shifting lineup (something less surprising for previous fest-goers; remember when Eaux Claires didn't reveal any of its lineup ahead of the 2018 iteration?), the festival's revival – a two-day shindig, held from July 24-25 – was perhaps most defined by its sense of small-town connection and open-minded spirit.
By design, thanks in part to RT Vrieze, creative director of this year's Eaux Claires and co-founder of the local Knorth Studios, the festival set clear intentions to reach those dedicated repeat attendees, Chippewa Valley residents and curious first-timers.
"We wanted to be intentional, so things are really stripped back," Vrieze shared with Elizabeth De Cleyre in The Outfielder: A Daisy Picker’s Guide to Eaux Claires. "Now, it's baseball, art, and state fair vibes ... we wanted to celebrate Wisconsin, embracing the little, weird things that make the place special."
Folks of all ages, from all parts of the country and beyond, poured into the Carson Park grounds across each of the fest's two days. Some of this year's batting order nodded to previous Eaux Claires bills, when the festival was held at its original Foster Farms venue on the outskirts of the city, with other first-time additions from across the Midwest music scene's fabric – spanning everything from experimental punk rock to soulful ballads and a surprise Bon Iver set performed by a solo Justin Vernon.
The (locally) familiar expanse of Carson Park, anchored by its historic baseball stadium and football field, was transformed into an open-campus style fairground which welcomed the first waves of attendees on July 24 around 11:30am.
Avid Eaux Claires fans and those who kept up with the festival's promotional videos and social media posts already knew to expect a different experience than the former festival they once knew – something swiftly affirmed by the two-stage setup just inside the grounds. Some of the best parts, though, were found in the hidden nooks, dugouts and museum grounds beyond those stages.
One can't help but compare this year's re-imaged Eaux Claires to its previous beloved iterations. Still, familiar faces and features served as welcome through-lines, likely guided by co-founders Aaron Dessner and Eau Claire native, Justin Vernon.
With the grounds' fences removed and barriers open, Bizhiki – a project led by Sean Carey (S.Carey), Joe Rainey and Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings known for its fusion of Indigenous Powwow singing, hand drumming and electronic indie soundscapes – returned to Eaux Claires, now as its opening act.
Offering an initial blessing, Bizhiki embraced those early afternoon attendees with open arms and a rousing performance of songs from their debut record with Jagjaguwar, Unbound.
“I have met so many people through this festival and still talk to them to this day,” Joe Rainey, vocalist of Bizhiki, told the crowd. “If it weren’t for the meaningful conversations and communication that we had here with different artists that happened in those (initial) years, we wouldn't be standing before you.”
An evolved, realized version of its former self – one that previous Eaux Claires goers will remember as a group which formed at those early iterations, not on stages but among the previous grounds' grassy basin – Bizhiki invited attendees to engage in their own “round dance.” The communal and often healing ceremony features a circular, clockwise movement and unscripted participation where all are invited to join.
As Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings and Joe Rainey shared on Friday afternoon, an environment such as Eaux Claires serve as a vital conduit for human connection. In both Native and non-native contexts, their setlist represented a coming together for a common purpose and celebration of all that would unfold as the festival went on.
This was my fourth time catching Bizhiki live – I’ve seen them all across town from their album release at the Downtown Micon Cinema to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in buildings connected to its sacred Council Oak.
Traditionally, video projections of Indigenous jingle dress dancers have framed the performances of Joe, Dylan and Sean. Yet, on this particular afternoon, dancers – some of whom I recognized from this year’s Gathering of the Waters Powwow – were brought forth from the screen to share their talents before us in real time.
It’s worth noting how many of us continue to be humbled by the ongoing journey of decolonization in our fractured world. But, seeing those dancers right there in front of me was such a powerful reminder of how storytelling – in any form – is such a gift. Bizhiki frames it best. It speaks the truth, unbound.
While singing along, I remained in awe of each chance to learn a new word or two in Anishinaabemowin, as I too danced alongside my neighbors. –Evelyn Nelson
As the crowd dispersed from the Bizhiki-led round dance, many moved over to the football field stage setup for Hotline TNT's performance. For frontman Will Anderson, the festival was something of a homecoming, as the Chippewa Falls native acknowledged on stage.
The four-piece New York-based ensemble – Anderson (vocals, guitar), Lucky Hunter (guitar), Haylen Trammel (bass), Mike Ralston (drums) – delivered guitar-heavy, crashing and almost blown-out waves of sound to an appreciative and engaged crowd. A taste of Raspberry Moon, Hotline TNT's latest album released in 2025 with Third Man Records, was a welcome jolt of energy in the early afternoon sun.
Those who tuned into Radio Milwaukee's pre-festival simulcast, hosted at SHIFT (615 Graham Ave., Eau Claire) that morning and open to the downtown coffee shop's patron, heard Anderson speak some on his Chippewa Falls roots.
Growing up next-door to the Cook family (Phil and Brad Cook babysat Anderson; Phil taught Anderson how to play piano when he was in high school), Anderson was among that crop of musicians and artists including the brother duo and Justin Vernon.
While those memories and other Wisconsin references aren't really found in Hotline TNT's body of work – at least, "not as much as Vern does," Anderson told Radio Milwaukee – that's not what the indie-rock noise band's fans were there for.
The absolute shreddery that Hotline TNT committed was worth all the post-festival neck strain from headbanging, and certainly brought the energy up as just the second act of day one, priming audience members for the rest of the day's activities and performances. –McKenna Scherer
After an afternoon of headbanging to Hotline TNT, some much-needed noshings followed. As guests filled up on local beer, wine and brats, powerhouse vocalists Leslie Gardner and Simone Appleby – the two frontwomen of The Union – took the baseball field stage, accompanied by Eau Claire's own Phil Cook.
The trio – with roots in New York, North Carolina and Wisconsin – most recently collaborated and produced their latest record, Eclectic. This Friday afternoon around 2:15pm, the trio’s music and lyrics brought a much needed dose of gospel, dance and joy to the baseball field stage as the afternoon heat carried on.
The set, for Cook, invited both celebration and reflections on just how the local landscapes of his upbringing have evolved into a stage brimming with creative possibilities.
"I’ve had the great fortune of playing in tiny little living room shows, to art galleries, to warehouses … to arenas to Masonic temples to churches," Cook shared with Volume One. "I've played in every kind of space you can possibly think of. Every space has energy, like a promise, there’s a potential."
Reminiscent of a wedding with its familiar reunions and crowd-wide sing-alongs, The Union brought their own “thank you” gifts to the celebration. The first physical release of their collaborative record was made available for purchase and quickly sold out by the second day.
"When I look out I see all these familiar faces and so many people that I have just known for my whole life … I’ve got friends and family in the crowd from every chapter of my life," Cook said of wedding-like atmosphere. "I have so much pride in how much we just really push like the culture and regionality of ‘here’ to share with people and it’s such a generous sharing of community and the culture. The music has so many ties to the world that come back to home." –Evelyn Nelson
From the Reddit threads to real life conversations, ticketholders were less than pleased when both Lil Yachty and Daniel Caesar dropped out of the Eaux Claires revival weeks before. Some of the most recognizable musicians pulling out wasn't the best vibe-setter.
But plenty of attendees agreed, both during and after the festival – Eaux Claires delivered what it has become known for: memorable, unexpected collaborations and the introduction of folks' new favorite musicians.
Still, when Kevin Morby dropped out just two days before the festival kicked off, it was a blow to fans. But he had one of the best reasons in the world for doing so; Morby and partner Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee welcomed their first child into the world.
There was, perhaps, simply no time to book another act for that 6:55pm slot on day one, so "Bon" was announced as the new evening performer. Fans figured Vernon would walk across that stage, but whether or not he would be joined by the Bon Iver ensemble was an unknown.
When he did indeed walk out, clad in all black and a bandana, alone – introduced by festival emcee and musician/author Michael Perry – the warmest of welcomes were whooped and hollered from the crowd. Armed with a guitar and not much else, Vernon delivered the first Bon Iver set since 2023, in his hometown.
With respect and gratitude, Vernon opened with a performance of Morby's "Die Young" before giving the crowd something treasured: a visit to chapters goneby, to the early years of Bon Iver marked by 2007's For Emma, Forever Ago and 2009's Blood Bank.
It would have come as no surprise, to see every cell phone up in the air, recording solo Vernon singing those deeply loved, rarely performed songs. But the relationship between locals and longtime fans, and Vernon, was on beautiful display; few phones in sight, a quiet over the crowd that surely never happens when Grammy Award-winning artists take their hometown's stage.
A quiet respect that feels uniquely Midwestern took the scene, and when the flag behind that stage – emblazoned with an orange-yellow gradient word, "MAGIC" – rippled to the sound of Vernon's croon, it did indeed feel as though magic was unfolding before our eyes.
For a few lines here, I'll be vulnerable.
I grew up in Eau Claire. Disliked my hometown as much as every other teenager does by the time they graduate high school (when I did, I left for a few years). But I went to the same high school Vernon did, as did my older sister – she is the person who showed me For Emma, Forever Ago, for the first time. She rarely returns to Eau Claire for reasons that aren't mine to share, but she flew back from the east coast for this festival.
A few years ago, when she walked down the aisle on a Wisconsin farm, toward her high school sweetheart, she did so to those early-era Bon Iver songs.
We held hands during this set. The first few chords of "Speyside," from Bon Iver's latest album, SABLE, fABLE, triggered a spill of emotion I hadn't been prepared for down my cheeks. When I looked around, nearly every person around me was going through much the same. I squeezed her hand for the remainder of his set. –McKenna Scherer
Four words: Harmonica MF'in Phil Cook.
Bon Dylan likely drew the largest crowd of the entire two-day festival, as the closer of day one (no surprise, but worth mentioning). While so much of this year's Eaux Claires has been described as smaller-scale – not necessarily for better or worse – than its former iterations, it has always leaned into its role as a place for unexpected collaboration.
That said, unlike the hastily-announced solo "Bon" set, the 11-person Bon Dylan ensemble's performance was over a year in the works.
The revelry that each of those people – JT Bates, JP Brooks, Camaja Byrd, Sean Carey, Phil Cook, Ben Lester, Michael Lewis, Katira Lutterman, John Pieter, Courtland Pickens and Jeremy Ylvisaker – felt was clearly, joyously on display through ear-to-ear grins and movement across the stage.
Bob Dylan has long been known to honor and respect musical history, a sentiment mirrored by Vernon this weekend as he channeled Dylan's iconic 1960s-1990s songwriting as the night went on.
As our introduction to this section notes, Vernon often took the back seat throughout the setlist to invite Cook center stage to not just dance across the keys on the piano, but absolutely rip the harmonica on timeless classics like Dylan's "Tangled Up In Blue" or "Meet In The Morning."
It comes as no surprise to my close friends (and chosen family at SHIFT), that watching Sean Carey – or as we called him that night, "Sean Iver" – deliver a cheerful rendition of "Lay Lady Lay" from Dylan's 1969 Nashville Skyline era easily became a highlight of the closing performance.
For us Eau Clarians, there is a genuine sense of pride in watching homegrown creatives like Sean perform on the big stage – cheesin' real hard – especially when they are people you have come to know over shared laughs or cups of coffee.
Perhaps even more awe inspiring, was the quartet of backing vocalists for Bon Dylan – each with their own connections to the Known MPLS scene, another artist on the Eaux Claires "batting order."
JP Brooks, I'm lookin' at you – you absolutely outdid yourself on Dylan's iconic "Shot of Love." The crowd around me fell silent at the sound of your soulful interpretation of both gospel and rock-and-roll blues.
Though future appearances of the Bon Dylan persona remain uncertain, we'll always remember the multi-generational crowd – from grandparents to grandchildren – whose voices came together for one night only, to honor the unwavering power of Bob Dylan's legacy. –Evelyn Nelson & McKenna Scherer
We'll be rollin' out the rest of our 2026 Eaux Claires writeups and photosets July 27-28 (hey, our team needed to rest up after the festival weekend too, okay?), so keep up with us online (@VolumeOne) – there's plenty more to come.
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