Review of Sufjan Steven at The Olympia Theatre, Dublin on May 17th 2011
Review by Tadgh O’Connor
Photos by Kieran Frost
As an aspiring young indie-head I would bother the older boys for their musical wisdom. As anyone who’s entering any unknown field, I wanted to start with the greats. After inquiry upon inquiry, I was met near unanimously with the following three acts; Arcade Fire, Belle and Sebastian and Sufjan Stevens. The year was 2005 and I was in awe of these beautiful folk ballads. After exhausting Sufjan’s back catalog I found myself wanting more. Little did I know I’d have to wait half a decade for another full length release.
Fast forward to 2010 and “The Age of Adz” is released. Abandoning his previous folk aesthetics and his 50 state project, Sufjan weaved a web of abstract electronics and apocalyptic verses. Though coming under criticism from some fans, critics remained positive, and rightly so. “Adz” is a far cry from the likes of “Michigan” or “Illinois” but under all that it has the lyrical finesse of Stevens.
Stepping away from the stubble, knitwear and denim of folk, Sufjan embraces his new electronic sounds by discovering himself and his band in neon tape. Behind a mesh, with the neon reflection of black-light, Sufjan commences the subtle, beautiful intro of “Seven Swans”. As the song amounts to a cacophony of vocal harmonies, horns and of course banjo. Sufjan and his back up singers sing out a refrain of “He will take you. If you run”. As they do, the mesh lifts, Stevens raises his angelic wings and the immensity if his stage presence takes hold, sending shivers down even the most cynical of spines.
Despite being quite an enigmatic introvert, Sufjan’s work is full of theatrics and operatics. Asides from the visuals Sufjan breaks his songs into what you could call movements. Wrapping each up with an solo, folk epilogue. Each movement tackling it’s own particular subject matter be it the afterlife, the apocalypse or cosmology. With the day that it was, there was a overhanging theme of royalty. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Williams faces placed upon the stage and the word “royal” donning Steven’s guitar. Sufjan taking advantage of coincidence between local politics and the importance of the artist Royal Robertson to “Adz”. Not only providing the art work, but as Sufjan took a moment to explain during his set his art provided much inspiration for the album.
Powering through much of “Adz” and the “All Delighted People” EP, Sufjan wraps up with the immense “Impossible Soul”. The song spans 25 minutes and includes costume changes, a space ship and explosions of confetti. After truly trashing the stage, wrapped in streamers and microphone lead, Sufjan finishes the song with “I got to tell you, boy, we made such a mess. Boy, we made such a mess. Boy, we made such a mess together”. Making strikingly aware the poignancy of his performance. The lyrics not only pertaining their original intentions but reflecting the onstage happenings.
Finishing up one of the more surreal experiences I have witnessed, Sufjan and crew leave the stage to what could be understated as a lengthy applause. Returning in street clothes Sufjan begins his encore with “Concerning The UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinoise“. The band join him and he let’s the crowd know that this is the absolute last song they can play, being an hour over schedule. The more than familiar opening tones of “Chicago” paint’s smiles across the entire room. Balloons are released about the room and everyone sings along in unison.
Sufjan takes what could be construed as gimmicks and validates them. He puts effort into every imaginable aspect of his shows, treating each with equal importance. Though regarded in the media, Stevens keeps to himself, he connects with the crowd and wears who he is, unashamedly, on his sleeve. A presence that is unmatched and a raw honesty that is refreshing and welcoming. Sufjan represents, what is unfortunately, a niche of artists creating art for the love of the form.