I have been impatiently waiting to see Sufjan Stevens live since Illinois stole my heart back in 2005. It’s been a long wait, but it was all worth it. I finally saw him last night at The Beacon Theater, and it’s a night I will never forget.
Opener DM Stitch was a singer songwriter similar to early Sufjan, proudly playing 4 excellent songs for the crowd. He is on the same label as Sufjan, and he also plays piano in Sufjan’s band. So it was a nice way to warm up for what was to come.
Sufjan started with the familiar favorite, Seven Swans. It eased us into the new material which clearly was vastly different. Next was “Too Much’ and right then and there I knew this wasn’t going to be just another show. There were lights, a big screen displaying images, glowing consumes etc. This was a full on grand experience.
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For many, if not all, of the Age Of Adz tracks that Sufjan played, he awkwardly danced to. These were specifically designed for each song. It came off as awkward at times, as he was almost imitating the shifting rhythms of these highly experimental songs. This went along with Sufjan’s explanation from him moving away from “songwriting”, moving towards making music based on pure sound.
It was amazing how well the complex songs from Adz came to life live. He had a full band with 3 girl dancers/singers, two drummers, and various other helpers who played almost every instrument one can imagine. With every song came a costume change. Hell, Sufjan threw on neon strings, capes, wings,and hats, mid song. The show was a non stop display of art in more ways than one.
Sufjan called the show “Avatar meets Cats, On Ice..”, and described their costumes as “being from 1969…in the future…” Sufjan came off as someone who was brilliantly eccentric. I could probably listen to the man lecture me about things I don’t understand for days.
From the new album, “Vesuvius” and “The Age Of Adz” were fantastic, but “Impossible Soul” stole the show, hands down. Sufjan played all 25 minutes of it (on the dot too…), pulling off the auto-tune part with precision. The transition to the jumpy middle section was awkward at first. However, a few select crowd members rose from their stiff seats and began to dance. Slowly but surely Sufjan had the entire crowd dancing while balloons fell on top of the crowd. I never would have guessed that I’d write that fans were dancing at a Sufjan show.
The Age Of Adz is one of my favorite albums of the year, but it was the simpler moments from his set like “Heirloom” and “Futile Devices” that did it for me. For his calmer, more folk based moments Sufjan came out from the shadows, singing to his fans at the front of the stage. I came in expected more moments like this (as a fan of Sufjan’s older days), and I wish there were more.
He ended the set with a brilliant run of Chicago, Concerning the UFO Sighting, Casimir Pulaski Day, To Be Alone With You, and John Wayne Gacy Jr. It was really special to hear these songs in a live setting, and even more amazing to hear how brilliant Sufjan really is. I seriously think my life has been changed by hearing the mega “Chicago” live.
Sufjan Stevens gives you more than your moneys worth. His light show is incredible, and his band brings his songs to life like you could never imagine. His dancing was awkward and sort of unnecessary, but I can fault the guy for getting into his music. There’s simply no crime in that.
If you have a chance to see Sufjan Stevens live do it. It will be worth your hard earned cash, and you will see a magical show that you truly will never forget.
Setlist:
Seven Swans
Too Much
Age of Adz
Heirloom
Futile Devices
Vesuvius
Now That I’m Older
Get Real Get Right
Impossible Soul
Chicago
Encore:
Concerning the UFO Sighting
Casimir Pulaski Day
To Be Alone With You
John Wayne Gacy Jr.
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