Feb 24, 2016

Sufjan Stevens @ State Theatre

It is very hard to describe a Sufjan Stevens concert. Without dipping into cliche and overflowing with superlatives, it's difficult to truly give adequate descriptions that could possibly give you a sense of what it is like. This was my fifth time seeing this musical genius and I don't think I will ever tire of seeing him live. He inhabits a space that I doubt any one us can truly understand. He has a spiritual beauty and a purity of heart and soul that is truly astounding. Suffice to say that his show Tuesday night at the State Theatre was special and wonderful and amazing and well, just add your own adjectives and multiply them. That will probably do.

In short this show was similar to his show last May at the Sydney Opera House. The first part of the night was basically 'Carrie & Lowell' in overdrive. 'Fourth of July' started whisper quiet and ended in thunder. 'Blue Bucket of Gold' descended into ten minutes of feedback and distortion. 'No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross' was a sublime acoustic beauty. And so on. All pretty damn great. But it was the encore that truly elevated to something else. Or rather I would say it was a second set, considering it was reasonably lengthy. Sufjan, as he opened up for the first time on the night, said they would play a 'few old songs'. 'Mainly about death'. So his band of five huddled at the front of the stage in front of one microphone and without amps gave us seven songs of stunning acoustic beauty. See the songs below and you get the picture. I am sure many people cried. 


Set List
Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)
Death With Dignity
Should Have Known Better
Drawn to the Blood
All of Me Wants All of You
The Only Thing
Fourth of July
No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross
Carrie & Lowell
Eugene
John My Beloved
Blue Bucket of Gold

For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti
The Dress Looks Nice on You
Heirloom
To Be Alone With You
John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
Casimir Pulaski Day
Chicago

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