Milwaukee gets official "Bon Iver Day"

Mike Paulus |

Gets a day.
 
Gets a day.

What, now? Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett – the man who could have been our governor, the man who got attacked trying to break up a mugging and survived – has declared July 22, 2011 as "Bon Iver Day" (in  Milwaukee) Wow. That's just ... uh ...

As the Onion's AV Club points out, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon has actually bad-mouthed Milwaukee in the past. But who cares! Here's the full, mayoral proclamation:

WHEREAS, Bon Iver was founded in 2007 by Justin Vernon in his hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he continues to record music in a new state-of-the-art recording studio; and,

WHEREAS, Bon Iver’s music embraces Justin Vernon's Wisconsin heritage, as he has become an international ambassador for both Milwaukee and Wisconsin, while they travel across the world playing music and interact with national media; and,

WHEREAS, Bon Iver’s self-titled album debuted at number two on the Billboard charts in June 2011, and has gained attention from The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, SPIN Magazine, Late Night with David Letterman, The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; and,

WHEREAS, The City of Milwaukee joins supporting fans to enjoy the entertaining performance of Bon Iver and commends the band for their musical accomplishments

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TOM BARRETT, Mayor of the City of Milwaukee, do hereby proclaim Friday, July 22, 2011, to be BON IVER DAY.”

Hmm. What would life be like if Tom Barrett had been elected governor?