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September 15, 2006
Sufjan Stevens at Lakewood Theater (0)
Karen and I saw one of the best live performances I have seen-- a sold out Sufjan Stevens show on Wednesday. The Lakewood Theater is an old art deco theater and a Lakewood landmark. The majority of times I have been there is to use the bathroom. A great little bar called the Balcony Club is located behind the theater balcony and it has no bathrooms of its own. This was the first time I had ever sat in the actual balcony.
The show opened with My Brightest Diamond, I had never heard her before, but I had read a few good reviews of her debut album. Shara Worden is a fantastic vocalist and has some incredibly moving songs. It is rare that I hear an opening act that I have never heard before and end up liking it.
The Sufjan (soof-yan) Stevens portion of the show was near perfect. When I go see someone play I generally have the hypothetical question answered, “If I could hear just one song, what would it be?” After coming out wearing huge bird wings (many in the band wore butterfly wings) he played “Casimir Pulaski Day” (which you can see most of by clicking HERE) as his second song.
He had a huge band. 8 string players, 3 brass, several guitarists and a drummer. He moved between the grand piano and his various stringed instruments throughout the show and during songs. The sound was incredible. They would go from a quiet moment to room busting sound in a flash and back again.
All in all he played the five songs I felt I had to hear and in my order of preference-- “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!,” “The Great God Bird,” “John Wayne Gacy, Jr,” and “Chicago.” He also played two song from his Seven Swans album that were amazing. I had never heard the album before, but the songs moved me as if they were old favorites (the album is on the way from Amazon).
The show couldn’t have been better if I had made the play list, because its as if I had. See him on TOUR if he comes to your town.
Posted by Rich at September 15, 2006 9:40 AM
