Win Butler and Bon Iver to Play Charity Basketball Game
Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler is an avowed basketball junkie, and while occasionally, he allows his passions to boil over, he also uses his love of the game for good.
Case in point: His annual Pop vs. Jock charity basketball game, held during the Pop Montréal festival. Details of the third installment – set for September 20 – have just been announced, and this year, Butler’s lined up a genuine all-star team to play.
Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, the Strokes’ Nikolai Fraiture and Butler’s brother Will have agreed to lace ’em up, along with reigning NBA champ (and good friend of the War on Drugs) Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs, former NBA Slam Dunk Contest king Brent Barry and members of the local McGill and Concordia University teams.
Of course, there will also be a star-studded halftime performance (featuring “very special guests”). In previous years, David Byrne jammed with the Butlers, Win’s wife Régine Chassagne – who appears to have dressed as Teen Wolf for the occasion – and Kid Koala.
Previous players in the game itself include Vampire Weekend drummer Chris Tomson, Miracle Fortress’ Graham Van Pelt, actor Martin Starr and former pros like Paul Shirley (Bonner, unsurprisingly, is also a vet).
All proceeds from the game will benefit DJ Sports Club, a non-profit charity organization that offers programs in sports education for children ages 7-17. More information on Pop vs. Jock III can be found here.