After Alexa wrote a great article on Sufjan Stevens evolution as an artist I was able to experience his artistic process firsthand at his concert. Since so much has been said about his specific transition and evolution as an artist, I would like to specifically talk about his creativity as a performer.
Although I go to many concerts, I’ve never blogged about one until now. This concert was different, it was like riding a roller coaster. The tension between his older, calmer, folkier sound and his wild, new, and more synthesized style was beautifully orchestrated. The set started with him standing in front of a scrim with just a spotlight and his banjo. For the next song the scrim was lightened to reveal a large orchestra. The newer songs were accompanied by visual clips on a projector. The visual clips included cartoons and other artwork inspired by an artist who thought he was a prophet who had been repeatedly visited by aliens. This artist, Royal Roberts, had a huge impact on Sufjan and his new album. Some of the video clips, like the one below, are Stevens and friends dancing in stop motion.
Sufjan explained in an interview that his new style was developed after he suffered from a viral infection that affected his nervous system. The way the body works and the question of what is organic became a huge theme for Stevens. He mentioned at the concert that his new approach meant collecting sounds as opposed creating it. In that way the show reminded me of the performance we saw at Le Poisson Rouge, the way the composer incorporated collections of sounds into his music.
Sufjan Stevens was also accompanied by backup singers who doubled as dancers. As the whole thing went, the musical style was interesting and the theatrics resembled that of Lady Gaga. I personally like when musicians incorporate other art forms into their performance. Towards the end of the show, confetti and balloons were showered upon the audience. I thought it was over at that point, but then Stevens came out for an encore and ended the show with his creepiest song ever, John Wayne Gacy Jr., about the infamous clown serial killer. I still don’t know what to make of it, but thought I should share.
http://pitchfork.com/tv/%23/musicvideo/9957-sufjan-stevens-too-much-asthmatic-kitty
Cool stuff.