Sufjan Stevens- Riverside Theater, 4/24/15

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Breathtakingly beautiful is not a phrase that I think I've ever used in describing a concert until last night's stunning performance by Sufjan Stevens at the sold-out Riverside Theater.  The capacity crowd hung on every note sung and played by Stevens and his exceptional crew of backing musicians, creating a silent and eerily serene environment at the Riverside during the two hour performance.

Sufjan had the audience in the palm of his hands and delivered one of the best performances I've ever had the privilege of seeing.  The often flamboyant Stevens is known for bombastic shows with long tunes backed by orchestral arrangements and a wacky array of props. He and his eleven-piece band played in elaborate winged costumes during their 2006 show at the Pabst Theater.  Then Stevens returned in 2012 to Turner Hall, dubbing himself "Surfjohn Stevens" for a concert titled, "The Seasonal Affective Disorder Yultide Disaster Pageant on Ice." The setlist for this show featured over thirty renditions of holiday songs with some other material peppered in, performing a concert which literally had confetti raining down upon the crowd and a stage set up which would put the most festive home on Candy Cane Lane to shame.  

Last night's performance was nothing like these other two shows.  Yes, it was Sufjan with his same layered arrangements and soft voice, but the performer has never appeared more earnest or exposed as an artist. The result was a concert that held the audience, quite literally, on the edge of their seats, and as quiet and respectful as I've ever seen a crowd in Milwaukee behave for a concert (and that includes going to the symphony!)

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

The show consisted of two parts.  The first was Sufjan playing his entire new album Carrie and Lowell, a record that serves as an homage to his mother who passed away of stomach cancer two years ago and his stepfather.  Sufjan played ten of the eleven tracks off of the album straight through without any banter.  Each of the Carrie and Lowell songs was constructed with unique lighting arrangements which set the mood for the track.  Sometimes grainy home videos of Stevens growing up were played behind him.  Other times scenery of the western United States flowed on the monitors as Stevens recalled trips he and his family would take out west when he was young.  The gut wrenching sense of loss and yearning that comes across when listening to Carrie and Lowell resonated ten-fold live.

The second part of the show featured songs that thematically tied into the themes of family, live, loss, and yearning for belonging, many of which came from Stevens 2004 banjo driven spiritual record, Seven Swans. Highlights included, "Sister" and "All the Trees in the Fields Will Clap Their Hands" from Seven Swans, along with "For the Windows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti" from Michigan.  Each track was played with the utmost precision.  By the time the concert ended, Stevens had brought the crowd to their feet giving the artist a thunderous and deserving standing ovation. This was the least we could do for a man who bore his soul, delivering an evening of majestic music.

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Setlist- Courtesy of Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

1. "Redford (for Yia-Yia and Pappou)"

2. "Death With Dignity"

3. "Should Have Known Better"

4. "Drawn to the Blood"

5. "All of Me Wants All of You"

6. "Eugene"

7. "John My Beloved"

8. "The Only Thing"

9. "Fourth of July"

10. "No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross"

11. "Carrie & Lowell"

12. "The Owl and the Tanager"

13. "In the Devil's Territory"

14. "For the Widows in Paradise, for the Fatherless in Ypsilanti"

15. "Futile Devices"

16. "Sister"

17. "Blue Bucket of Gold"

Encore

18. "Concerning the UFO sighting near Highland, Illinois"

19. "All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands"

20. "The Dress Looks Nice on You"

21. "Chicago"