Sufjan Stevens 2010 tour

[TallGuyCM]

All the new tracks are what do it for me. They just work so much better live then on record.

This.

[ultraslow]

Uh... so do you think I should bring my friend, who has never heard of Sufjan, to the Vancouver show on Thursday? I'd like to make him into a fan, but would 90 minutes of Sufjan live be "too much" for a newbie?

[bmack86]

Nope. The show's that good.

[ultraslow]

Awesome

[wmgaretjax]

if my memory serves right opened with seven swans and closing with UFO -> To Be Alone With You -> John Wayne Gacy

great set.

[GeezrRckr]

still processing. pretty blown away. what an artist.

my only regret is no "Dress." you LA people sucked it out of him.....sigh.

[indietron]

To Be Alone is pretty darn awesome. In fact, I think I'd take that over Dress if given the choice

[GeezrRckr]

that was indeed a nice surprise. the setlist and amazing energy (fucking dance party during Impossible Soul) really was enough to overcome my sorrow for not hearing it. i don't usually build up expectation for a show, but i kinda did wrt that song.

[GeezrRckr]

EDIT: it was Futile Devices (and sounded gorgeous!)

Seven Swans
Too Much
Age of Adz
Heirloom
I Walked
Futile Devices
Vesuvius
The Owl and the Tanager
Get Real Get Right
Enchanting Ghost
Impossible Soul
Chicago

Encore:
Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
To Be Alone With You
John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

[TeamCoachellaHellYeah]

In hindsight, I am much happier we got All The Delighted People in our set. I was unfamiliar with the song before the performance but now I think it is my favorite song/track of the year.

[xanman86]

Great set last night. I was pretty far back in the balcony so I am even more grateful that I scored those front row tickets for Monday.

Part of me has to feel like me asking him Monday night about what surprises he had in store for us during the next show is what brought out "To Be Alone With You", but of course I can't prove it ;-)

[Sleepingrock]

Off to Vancouver for the show

[kyleuga]

I went the 2nd night in Oakland. I had to make a 4 + hour drive to take a friend to SF (she had to get to the airport early the morning.)

I told her I would drive her, but she would have to come to this little concert with me.

We walked up at 6:30 and got some dead center seats in the orch, row E!

And the show just floored me. I hadn't seen him since 2004. (Athens, Ga 40 Watt)

It was so much fun....and the new material...WOW!

My friend had only heard the few tracks I played for her on our drive, and she LOVED the show too.

Best last minute trip ever.

[Sleepingrock]

The Vancouver show was FANTASTIC I think at the encore he was feeling odd or something because it called it 2 songs short, which on the setlist said Casimir and Dress were to be played, but they weren't But over all it was amazing, Impossible Soul for twenty five minutes worked great!! Loved the dorkiness and such! And he forgot a line to Jacksonville in the encore!

[RoyaleWithCheese]

that was indeed a nice surprise. the setlist and amazing energy (fucking dance party during Impossible Soul) really was enough to overcome my sorrow for not hearing it. i don't usually build up expectation for a show, but i kinda did wrt that song.

Yeah I really enjoyed the show as well. I could have done with out the 10 minute rambling about the cover art artist. It was incoherent and all over the place. I was glad we got "Seven Swans" and "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.", two of my favorite songs of his. I would have liked to have heard "All Delighted People" and a little more from his past albums, but I guess it will have to be next time.

[kreutz2112]

My rationalization for him playing "the transfiguration" tonight is that this is a religious state and it's a religious song. so he should play it, right?

[wmgaretjax]

I could have done with out the 10 minute rambling about the cover art artist. It was incoherent and all over the place.

This was kinda the point yeah? The whole thing was explicitly rehearsed as such I'd say. There is no doubt it was part of some of the thematic material on the album... What better way to portray this genuine confrontation with discomfort and public exhibition than to present yourself as a manic artist struggling to articulate your process. There is no doubt it was riddled with tongue in cheek moments as well... Him rattling off about the restricted nature of working with computers and synthesizers had to have been this kind of a coy wink.

[kreutz2112]

I was not expecting that. Incredible.

[YouinReverse]

I'm still in awe from last night. Seven Swans was such a perfect opening song.

Call me crazy, but I actually preferred hearing the newer stuff more than Illinoise era songs...

[Miroir Noir]

I realize I am in the minority with this, but I really didn't feel that "Impossible Soul" was made any less of an indulgent, overly long mess in its live incarnation. However, this shit will kill at 12:15 AM in the Mojave tent next year.

Overall very, very good show. Kudos to Sufjan for having the courage to play a set that is almost exclusively made up of new and (very different) songs. It wasn't a transcendent experience (I was lucky enough to have one of those at a Sufjan show in NYC back in October 2006), but it was quite excellent.

[Yablonowitz]

I could have done with out the 10 minute rambling about the cover art artist. It was incoherent and all over the place.

Your mom is incoherent and all over the place.

[Boourns]

Pretty much. Impossible Soul is next-level epic.

[Thisismyname]

I realize I am in the minority with this, but I really didn't feel that "Impossible Soul" was made any less of an indulgent, overly long mess in its live incarnation. However, this shit will kill at 12:15 AM in the Mojave tent next year.

While I agree with the sentiment, I just feel the need to point out Sufjan has gotten waaaaay too popular for the Mojave.

[Miroir Noir]

I'd agree, but after last year -- Fever Ray, Devo, etc. -- those late night Mojave sets are nothing to sneeze at. And I purposely picked the tent because it would seem the most likely venue to host his projection stuff.

[Boourns]

I mean this in the best way possible, but what the fuck did I just see? Wow. Hey Gorillaz, this is how you do a multimedia spectacle. Impossible Soul is one of the most mind-blowing things I have ever witnessed. Everyone got up to dance at the end of it, too.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I mean this in the best way possible, but what the fuck did I just see? Wow. Hey Gorillaz, this is how you do a multimedia spectacle. Impossible Soul is one of the most mind-blowing things I have ever witnessed. Everyone got up to dance at the end of it, too.

YUP. Glad you had a great time. I wish i was able to see the show more than once.

[GeezrRckr]

yeah, i can think of the perfect venue for this show.

[LooseAtTheZoo]

The show was quite phenomenal. He seems bored of his old material.

[indietron]

Sufjan will be on Jimmy Fallon this Friday!

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/episode-guide/

[Boourns]

Oh yeah, we got balloons in New York.