I had a great time at the Sufjan Stevens concert last weekend in St. Louis. I’m not going to give a full review of the show because I think Chase has done a much better job than I could ever do in his blog. But I will give my basic thoughts on the show and the experience. As expected, the show took attracted a very interesting crowd. It was your basic indie type crowd, complete with the people who know how to dress with style, and the people who think they know how to dress with style. Like the girl that wears the high boots that just aren’t quite working for her. But, nonetheless, it was a pretty amazing show. The show was opened by a girl that sings in Sufjan’s band/ensemble/orchestra/songbirds. From the first note that came out of her mouth, I knew that this girl had an incredible voice. Apparently she is classically trained in voice, and it definitely showed. The only thing that bothered me was that she was acting very strange. The kind of strange where people just say weird things to look strange. I just can’t figure these type of people out. I mean are they really that strange or are they just putting on an act for everyone? What is the thought process that is going on in her head when she says obscure things? I wonder if she is thinking…hmmm that sounds really strange..yeh..that will freak them out. It’s kinda like how Dave Matthews acts really strange when he is on stage. I don’t think he is really that strange in person, judging from many of the interviews and other footage I have seen of him. Granted, Dave is a pretty strange guy, but I think he still puts on a little show when he gets on stage. Sufjan seems to do the same thing when he is on stage. I have no problem with people being weird, but I think I do have a problem with people being weird just for the sake of being weird, or to make them more popular or “mysterious.”

Regardless of how weird or strange Sufjan was on Sunday night, his performance was nothing short of incredible. While I was listening to his ensemble perfrom intricate, technical passages of music, I found myself wondering if I was at a pop/band concert or a performance of the N.Y. Philharmonic. After seeing Sufjan perform, I think of him as more of a composer/songwriter than anything else. This is the true strength and genius of Sufjan Stevens. Yes, his voice is very good, the kind of voice that makes you want to just sit back and revel in its smoothness, but the true genius of Sufjan is what lies behind the voice, the lyrics and the music. His melodies are complex, yet simple enough to recall without listening. His lyrics are incredibly honest, and perhaps this is one of greatest traits, he sings about life, about his weanesses, his feelings, and his beliefs. Songs like John Wayne Gacy, Jr., Casmir Pulaski Day, and The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades are incredibly honest, almost to the point of being juvenile or childish. But just when you begin to pass him off as being childish or juvenile, you realize the beauty and genius of his composition, and the simplicity that creates complexity. Highlights of the night for me were definetely an acoustic version of John Wayne Gacy, Jr., The Dress Looks Nice on You, and The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades. Sufjan will never be a major touring act, but I believe he is on his way to becoming one of the most important artists of our generation.

Check out tao photography for some pictures from the show.

First of all, if you haven’t heard of Sufjan Stevens by now, you should go to the store and buy his album “Illinoise” right now. I was first introduced to him by my friend Chase who seems to know all of the great musicians at all times. He knows about them before they even release an album it seems like. I honestly think it is a conspiracy or something, he’s definitely got connections in high places. Back to Sufjan. His music is in one word, “brilliant.” It is so incredibly different from any music that I have ever heard yet it is still very enjoyable to listen to. There is a lot of music that is different and just plain weird, but his music is different…and it works. Musically, it is gorgeous, with powerful melodies and subtle nuances that stream throughout the entire album. The melodies are powerful enough to be recalled without the music, yet they are not as annoying as pop music melodies that simply drone on and on.

I recently bought his new album on iTunes, “The Avalanche” which is actually the outtakes from his Illinoise album. These outtakes are just as good or better than the original album. Unbelievable!! I mean seriously, this guy has so much music inside of him it’s ridiculous. He has made as much music in 2 or 3 years as some artists make throughout their entire life. I wish I could be this prolific with my photography.
I especially like the acoustic version of “Chicago,” which offers a different interpretation of the song. Another standout is “Pittsfield.

While his music was accompanied largely with critical acclaim, Sufjan has been receiving some bad press lately. AMG music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine blasts Sufjan in “The Case Against Sufjan.” Erlewine writes:

“His pretension — his convoluted song titles, his cloying song about Saul Bellow, his adolescent fascination with John Wayne Gacy, Jr. — all comes across like a precocious high school student in his senior year, where he’s smug enough to want to prove that he’s smarter than the rest of the school. Appropriately, his lyrics often read like the work of a gifted but sheltered high schooler, and his music sounds like a drama student’s idea of a pop opera.”

I don’t think that Sufjan’s music would have had quite the appeal if his music was as sophomoric as Erlewine describes. He has opened up a completely new genre of music for me personally, and his lyrics are very intriguing and thoughtful. They are so honest and simple at many times that you seem to listen to him as a person, like he is in the room telling a story. He takes you back to moments in his life with his songs and lets you glimpse into his past. Most musicians are not very transparent, but Sufjan’s honesty creates a believable and understandable humanity. Whatever the criticism may be, Sufjan has impressed me, and I’m looking forward to the next releases. Hopefully he can continue to innovate as he has done in the past.