Last month’s Bon Iver sunrise show at LA’s Hollywood Forever Cemetery was an awe-inspiring and uniquely memorable musical event for the ages, which led us to wonder: how the hell did it happen? Stranger Dance caught up with the cemetery’s Executive Vice President Jay Boileau for the inside scoop on how Justin Vernon ended up playing in a foggy cemetery at six in the morning with a group of Buddhist monks as his opening act.

Stranger Dance: Whose idea was it to put together the cemetery show?
Jay Boileau: I have been working with [music booker] Brian Smith to bring music to the cemetery for over a year now. Brian has booked seven concerts in the Masonic Lodge since December 2008.

In July 2009, Justin Vernon approached Brian about doing a sunrise show somewhere in LA. He wanted to do something special to end his two-year tour. Brian came to me and asked if it would be possible to do it at the cemetery. I had to work through some logistical challenges, namely timing — but in the end — the answer was yes.

SD: Who was the mastermind?
JB: It was a collaborative effort between Bon Iver and Brian and myself.

SD: What had to happen in order to pull off the all-night event?
JB: Really just the basics. Getting the right sound equipment from the right vendors. The right projection equipment. Staffing the event. I met with Hollywood Police Department twice to cover my concerns and theirs.

SD: Why was Bon Iver chosen?
JB: Brian and I are big fans of Bon Iver. We had been pursuing a few other artists to be the first outdoor show, but when they called, we decided they would have the honor of being the lucky band to get to do the first outdoor concert.

SD: How did you approach band?
JB: They approached us.

SD: What was the crowd size?
JB: 2,500+

SD: What were the logistical challenges of having that many people hang out in the cemetery all night?
JB: Nothing too extreme. The decision to open the gate at midnight was key to opening up the evening for more extensive programming and to ease the flow of people into the cemetery. It also overcame the challenge of people having to get up at 4:30 a.m. to make a 6 a.m. show.

SD: How did you get the monks involved?
JB: I had wanted to play some Tibetan chanting to wake up the audience before the band went on, then I realized, why not get some real monks? So through a Thai friend we made contact with some local Thai Buddhist monks who had performed a ceremony at the cemetery a few months before.

SD: Was this Hollywood Forever’s most unique event?
JB: In many ways, yes. And we do produce a lot of cultural events.

SD: Did you have any contact with the band before or after the show? What were their feelings about the event and how it went?
JB: They are thrilled. We have had several email exchanges and we are all still remembering how beautiful it was and hope to put on something together again in the future.

SD: Do you consider the event a success?
JB: It was a huge success. From the incredible response we have received from the audience and the media and everyone involved to the fact there were no logistical problems or people problems, we couldn’t be more pleased.

SD: Is there particular a moment that stands out?
JB: The fog rolling in at 4:30 a.m. It was amazing, and rather than it detracting from the “sunrise” show, it merely added to the magical qualities.

SD: What made this event so special?
JB: The people, the careful planning, the surroundings, and most importantly — the music.