Sufjan Stevens Played Prospect Park

By Joe Housel Sufjan Stevens brought his neon-circus, wonder tour to Prospect Park yesterday for two final nights in support of his most recent album. Given the booming, electronic-orchestration hybrid that was crafted from Age of Adz, it was only appropriate for him to open up solo with the simple, elegant grace of “Seven Swans”. Once the remainder of the band entered midway through the track, the black screen protecting the stage was raised and the neon-drenched musicians and dancers took full flight as angelic wings sprouted from Sufjan’s back. His main set was nothing short of spectacular as they marched through Age of Adz nearly in full. Highlights included “Too Much” featuring the bizarre, backing music video for the studio release (here) and the epic 25-minute closer, “Impossible Soul” accompanied by dozens of clear beach balls that burst into the energetic crowd. The backing band’s vibrant sounds and dancers’ rhythmic motions highlighted Sufjan’s majestic voice perfectly while guiding the 70-minute set to conclusion. The encore dialed back the grand scale theatrics but was nothing short of beautiful with three wonders from Illinois: “UFO”, “Casmir Pulaski Day” and the sing-along specialty, “Chicago”.

I was surprised at how heavy the show was focused on the new material but given the complex performances from the entire ensemble, it was a pleasant surprise to watch the scope of it all come to life on a beautiful Tuesday in Brooklyn. My Brightest Diamond, an Asthmatic Kitty label-mate, was the opener but I didn’t arrive in time to see her live act. Shara Worden (aka MBD) might as well be the female Sufjan as she is a multi-tenanted artist who focuses on overlapping classical and folk genres. Rumor has it; she was on-stage later with Sufjan as a backup singer. This would make perfect sense as she was one of the Illinoismakers during his 2005 tour. 

A neon and electronically enhanced Sufjan Stevens was on display last night and whether you were in the audience or picnicking in the park outside the fences, you couldn’t help but be dazzled by this cosmic space pageant.