Sufjan, The Pageant and the pageantry

Sufjan Stevens at Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, September 21, 2006. Photo by Flickr user, Pelana. More here.

I'm well aware that the music of Sufjan Stevens is not palatable to many TBR readers. I wish that wasn't the case. He's been my favorite artist for a little over a year now and, quite honestly, it surprised even me. I first became a fan back in the fall of 2004 when I first stumbled upon free downloads of "Holland" from 2003's Greetings from Michigan and "Sister" from 2004's Seven Swans. I gave both songs heavy rotation every time I was at the computer. However, I was never compelled to buy an album and Sufjan slipped to the dank corners of my music box.

In the summer of 2005, I happened upon an article that mentioned an album recall because an independent musician had used Superman's likeness with full consent from DC Comics. As I read further, I found that the musician was none other than Sufjan Stevens and the album was entitled Sufjan Stevens Invites You to Come On Feel the Illinoise! (with Superman being a reference to the southern Illinois town of Metropolis. This album was the second in the "50 States Project", wherein Sufjan planned to write an album for each of the fifty states in the USA. That being the most intriguing venture I've ever heard of and being an Illinois resident, I rushed out to a local record shop and picked up the album. Fortunately, I got a copy of the original artwork before the store sent it back.

Needless to say, I was blown away by the album. It was like a history lesson, motion picture and sermon rolled into a collection of twenty-two songs. Some were folk ballads. Some were grandiose and operatic. But all were thoroughly intelligent and for me, in a new way, worshipful.

Anyway. On Sunday, Alisha and I got the chance to see Sufjan in concert for the second time. He, and his mini-orchestra, played The Pageant in St. Louis. We were fortunate enough this time around to bring some friends along... Caleb, Keli, Jonny, John Corson, Brad and John Robert. (In case you're wondering, you do have to blog to be my friend.)

I won't bore you with all of the details that were completely intriguing to me. The show was amazing. To put it simply, Sufjan took it to hole nuvva lebel. Here's the setlist:

Sister
The Transfiguration
The Lord God Bird
Dear Mr. Supercomputer
Jacksonville
Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!
The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!
John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
A Good Man Is Hard to Find
Majesty Snowbird
Casimir Pulaski Day
All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands
Chicago

Encore:
The Are Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!
The Dress Looks Nice on You

For me, the best part of the night was during "All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands" when Sufjan sang:

And I am throwing all my thoughts away.
And I'm destroying every bit I've made.
And I am joining all my thoughts to you.
And I'm preparing every part for you.

I hope you see what I mean by worshipful. Sufjan professes faith in Jesus Christ. He understands what it means to be made new and to live for the glory of God. That's why Sufjan sings about throwing all his thoughts away and destroying the parts of himself that he's made. He wants to be a pure and true reflection of Christ. I dig music that reminds me of that. I hope you do, too.