Sufjan Stevens

Saturday eve Sufjan Stevens played at the Wiltern - a music venue in Koreatown in Los Angeles. Some fancy photos are posted here.

Sufjan in my mind is remembered as the man who wanted to make an album based on every state - "the states project." After making Illinois and Michigan, he disappeared somewhat for 3 years, only to reappear with "The Age of Adz" album. Instead of the classic folk banjo tune he typically boasts, this album plays with the fundamentals of sound, or so he said during the concert. Believe him. One of the songs is 25 minutes long, and well worth every minute of the listen. He explores music ideas and leaps into the techno-dance vibe. After the 25 minutes, he rewarded us with Chicago - a crowd pleaser.

I appreciated the extent of effort Sufjan put into making an unforgetable concert. There were two dancing singers in the back who coordinated with Sufjan in aerobic dance moves. The singers dressed in space-like suits which matched the images displayed on the screen behind the 10 piece band. The images honed the art of the late Royal Robertson, a schizophrenic art? type with apoctaliptic visions from which Sufjan drew his inspiration of this latest album. The music soared. And the night was unforgetable; one of the best concerts I have ever seen.