Hear Bon Iver today on 'World Cafe'

Didn't get tickets to Bon Iver's waaaay-sold-out shows next Tuesday and Wednesday at the Orpheum? You can at least get a taste on today's edition of public radio's "World Cafe," where Eau Claire indie-folk hero Justin Vernon -- who's been press-shy of late -- will chat and perform songs from his gorgeous new album "Bon Iver, Bon Iver."

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (photo by Leslie Plesser)

Sadly, Minnesota Public Radio no longer carries the show. As a music locavore, I understand the reasoning: The Current covers a lot of the same ground, so why turn over precious air time to a syndicated program? Still, the refreshingly eclectic "World Cafe" regularly pulls off the kind of surprise that's increasingly hard to find on the more tightly programmed Current.

Hey, ratings are up, so MPR's strategy seems to be working. Meanwhile, you can still stream "World Cafe" or hear it at 3 p.m. weekdays on KUMD and KMSU if you're lucky enough to live near the Mankato State or University of Minnesota-Duluth campuses. (Long live college radio!)