I wonder how many people were startled last night when they walked into Sufjan Stevens’ sold-out performance at the Long Center expecting an evening of folk-pop jangle and got a multimedia experience worthy of Laurie Anderson.
The Michigan-bred songwriter’s latest, The Age of Adz, is a decided turn from his past work. “Songs of love and heartbreak and the apocalypse” he called them, early in a two-hour set that was heavy on electronics and orchestral cacophony. The stage featured a screen behind the band where sci-fi and random images were projected; a transparent screen in front of the band that was raised and lowered throughout, allowing for three dimensional laser effects; and a ninepiece band that included two female singers/dancers, two trombones, and two drummers.
Musically, Stevens approached rock closer to early Genesis, full of deathly roar and then amazing quiet. To the relief of many, I’m sure, he spent some time explaining the new material, referencing Louisiana folk artist Royal Robertson, whose paintings crudely depict end times, as a prime influence. “It’s good for my own heart to work these issues out in public,” he smirked before launching into “Impossible Soul,” a 25-minute suite that included Auto-tuned vocals, a ridiculous tinsel and sunglasses getup, and disco dancing.
The set ended with a symphonic pop rendition of “Chicago” that would have made Brian Wilson proud, while the four-song encore, which included “Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois” and “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.,” highlighted the indie folk most had come to see, pure and melodious, with an edgy undercurrent.
“He almost lost me a couple of times,” someone said as the crowd headed towards the exits. But they stayed, and were rewarded with an evening that was oddly moving and endlessly inventive.
This article appears in October 15 • 2010.