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Music

The Wisconsinites of Wisconsin's Eaux Claires Festival Weigh in on Wisconsin

We asked attendees at the Bon Iver-curated festival about their personal preferences regarding the state's most famous politicians, beers, quarterbacks and serial killers.

Photos by Meghan Wanserski

Wisconsin is known in the collective consciousness is as a place where a shit ton of cheese is created and consumed. But America’s Dairyland is more than just cheddar—beer and football are also primary obsessions and statewide pastimes. So, too, is the music of local son Justin Vernon, frontman of Bon Iver and founder of the Eaux Claires Festival, which is now in its second year. The two-day event went down on the banks of the Chippewa River in Vernon’s hometown of Eau Claire. It featured performances by Erykah Badu, The Staves, Tickle Torture, Vince Staples, and Nathaniel Rateliff, along with the live debut of Bon Iver’s forthcoming album, 22, A Million.

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Taking the local spirit in stride, we asked attendees at this Wisconsin-as-fuck festival about their personal preferences regarding the state's most famous politicians, beers, quarterbacks and serial killers, as well as whether they call the thing you drink water from a “bubbler” or a “water fountain.”

Name: Jeff
From: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Scott Walker or Paul Ryan? Neither.
PBR or Miller High Life? PBR is usually cheaper.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers? Don Majkowski.
Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein? Ed Gein, because one of his victims haunts a gas station in Plainfield. Her job was to restock the antifreeze. Think about all the shitty jobs you ever had and then someone kills you. For the rest of her life she’s doomed to stock antifreeze at a shitty gas station
Bubbler or water fountain? Water fountain.

Name: Gerri
From: Madison, Wisconsin
Scott Walker or Paul Ryan? Neither.
PBR or Miller High Life? I don’t drink.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers? Aaron Rodgers. Brett Favre was big when I was a kid, but Aaron’s the man.
Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein? Neither.
Bubbler or water fountain? I switch back and forth!

Name: Bob
From: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Scott Walker or Paul Ryan? I’m all for Walker, although I like Ryan too.
PBR or Miller High Life? Miller High Life.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers? I’d say Aaron Rodgers is more beloved than Brett, although Brett was a wonderful quarterback. He kinda messed up at the end there.
Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein? Ed Gein for sure. He outclassed Dahmer.
Bubbler or water fountain? I’d have to say bubbler.

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Name: Katie
From: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Scott Walker or Paul Ryan? Can I say neither? Neither!
PBR or Miller High Life? PBR, because it won a ribbon like, a hundred years ago.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers? Well, I’m a Bears fan, but probably Brett Favre, because of the nostalgia. He was killing it in the 90s.
Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein? Gross. Let’s go with Dahmer. I don’t know why.
Bubbler or water fountain? Water fountain. And can I just add that Wisconsin is the best? I friggin’ love it here. I got it tattooed on my arm so I never forget where I’m from.

Name: Kelton
From: Ontario, Canada
Scott Walker or Paul Ryan? Paul Ryan, but I don’t know why.
PBR or Miller High Life? PBR. It’s cheaper and tastes a little better.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers? Favre was definitely more fun to watch, but Aaron Rodgers is more comforting. I’m going to go with Favre though.
Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein? I have to choose one? Can I choose none? None.
Bubbler or water fountain? Water fountain.

Name: Steven
From: Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Scott Walker or Paul Ryan? Paul Ryan. He’s more intellectual and more principled. He has values.
PBR or Miller High Life? High Life. I’m just more of a Miller guy.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers? Aaron Rodgers, because he’s gotten two MVPs, has a more accurate throw and is a nice guy—or at least he seems that way through the television.
Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein? Ed Gein, because Psycho was based on him.
Bubbler or water fountain? Bubbler. This is Wisconsin.

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Name: Jenna
From: Madison, Wisconsin
Scott Walker or Paul Ryan? Oh god, Bernie Sanders.
PBR or Miller High Life? High Life, because it’s the champagne of beers.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers? Aaron Rodgers because I’m originally from Minnesota, and the fact that Brett Favre went from the Packers to the Vikings wasn’t cool to me.
Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein? Eew, neither.
Bubbler or water fountain? Water fountain, for sure.

Name: Paul
From: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Scott Walker or Paul Ryan? Are you kidding me? I’m going to have to say Paul Ryan. I think he has a little bit more reason in him than Scott Walker, who seems completely independent of any ideals. He’s an asshole and an idiot, to be honest. He’s done no good for the state of Wisconsin.
PBR or Miller High Life? High Life, because it is the champagne of beers. There’s nothing better than a High Life in a bottle on a hot summer day.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers? Neither. Jay Cutler. I’m a Bears fan.
Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein? Ed Gein, because there’s more mystery to him. He had more of an interesting profile. Plus he’s from rural Wisconsin, which has a whole different kind of energy.
Bubbler or water fountain? Bubbler.

Name: Adam
From: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Scott Walker or Paul Ryan? Paul Ryan, because his smile is infectious.
PBR or Miller High Life? High Life, because the champagne of beers is best for bromosas, which is a mimosa with beer instead of champagne.
Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers? Brett Favre, because he had a better run and came to Minnesota for a little while and crushed it.
Jeffrey Dahmer or Ed Gein? Jeffrey Dahmer, because he was better at what he did.
Bubbler or water fountain? It’s a water fountain.

Katie Bain loves Brett Favre in the same way you still love that ex-boyfriend who completely broke your heart. Follow her on Twitter.