It was easy to understand the hype once they kicked off: With two drummers, a horn section and several multi-instrumentalists on stage, Bon Iver build Vernon's minimalist folky ballads into surprisingly chaotic - and at times, unhinged - symphonies.
Their widescreen ambitions were a perfect fit on a vastly reworked Creature Fear, as Bon Iver's drummers hammered the song into a wonky electronic close, while Blood Bank heaved in a similarly freaky fashion.
Anyone wondering why hip-hop star Kanye West loves them so much found out why on ballads Wash and Calgary. The artists share a love for stirring, off-kilter orchestral arrangements, and they perfectly match Vernon's startling falsetto.
The show came to a head on a rare solo version of re: Stacks, a song from 2008's heartbreaking album For Emma, Forever Ago that was so emotionally charged, Vernon had the crowd eating out his hand. You could have heard a pin drop.
But the biggest screams of all were saved for shouty standout Skinny Love and an encore of The Wolves (Act I and II), as Vernon and the raucous crowd soared together through the "what might have been lost" cresendo.
It was an effort that had band and fans giving each other a standing ovation, and inspired an obviously elated Vernon to declare: "We will never forget this show".
For just a minute, his mile-wide smile belied his image as an angsty troubadour. It's unlikely anyone else will forget this show either.
What: Bon Iver
Where: Wellington Town Hall
When: Monday, February 27
* Bon Iver also play the Wellington Town Hall on Tuesday night.
