Live in 2010: Part 4

I return at last to complete my Live in 2010 series with what was my most highly anticipated live event of the year. In October, I saw Sufjan Stevens play the legendary Wiltern in Los Angeles in support of his new album, The Age of Adz.

I have to admit, I was skeptical about this new album at first. I had heard the rumors all year: that Sufjan was sick of the banjo, that he was going in a new direction with his sound, that the whole Fifty States project was a joke, and that the album as an art form is dead. I expected that any new music by Sufjan would be too experimental for me.

When I finally heard The Age of Adz, it was more accessible than I expected. Sure, it sounded different Seven Swans, Michigan and Illinois, albums that seem likely to maintain their status as a gateway to Sufjan fandom. But it was still distinctly Sufjan. The instrumentation may have changed, but the chanting, layered orchestration, switching time signatures, and earnest lyrics remained.

Also gone, obviously, is the minutiae-obsessed musical road trip through a state. Instead, this album draws inspiration from the art of the apocalyptic artist, Royal Robertson. With this as his inspiration, Sufjan takes the listeners on what feels like a cosmic journey into a tortured psyche.

This feeling was only enhanced during the experience of the live show, which Sufjan described as a "sonic voyage into the intergalactic psychobabble of my brain." Throughout the performance, psychedelic videos and lasers played images reminiscent of the artwork of Royal Robertson. I often attend concerts with a distracted mind. I am curious about the instruments used and the dynamic of the performers. I like to see how the musicians handle their instruments, and I often forget to simply listen to the music. However, between the imagery and the soundscape, I couldn't help but let go and follow Sufjan down the rabbit hole.

Sufjan played mostly songs from his new album and a few from the All Delighted People EP. I was glad to hear "The Age of Adz", and I thought "Vesuvius" was greatly improved by the live performance. I wish he would have played "All For Myself", but really I can't complain because instead we were given an awesome performance of the twenty-five minute opus, "Impossible Soul." It was a fantastic show--I hope I don't have to wait another five years before I get the opportunity to see Sufjan play live again....

Here is the set list:

Seven Swans

Too Much

The Age of Adz

Heirloom

I Walked

Futile Devices

Vesuvius

Now That I'm Older

Get Real Get Right

Enchanting Ghost

Impossible Soul

Chicago

Encore:

Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois

Casimir Pulaski Day

The Dress Looks Nice On You

John Wayne Gacy, Jr