Five years ago, well before Snow Patrol was writing songs about him and “Little Miss Sunshine” trailers put “Chicago” everywhere, most people could barely tell you who Sufjan Stevens was. A chance bump into an early hipster might have garnered a mumbled, “He’s that dude doing that 50 states project, right?” So five years ago, when I first saw Sufjan, it was in a tiny black box of a room in Omaha with a handful of those early hipsters. He had just released Come on Feel the Illinoise and Sufjan and his Illinoisemakers were packed onto a tiny stage in their cheerleading uniforms and abundant instruments. It was a quirky performance that couldn’t help but melt even the most jaded audience member’s heart. 
Nowadays, things are a bit different. Sufjan Stevens has gone from an obscure musician singing about Superman to being the indie-lover’s modern day hero. His audience has multiplied tenfold and he’s upgraded from venue basements. I caught him at Kansas City’s Uptown Theatre, a venue that housed a sold out, 2500-capacity crowd. But just as Sufjan’s audience has changed, so has the singer and his music.
If you’ve already listened to the new album, The Age of Adz, you already have a taste for how much Sufjan’s changed. The music is more experimental and more electronic-based. He still utilizes the heavy brass section, keys and a wide array of percussion, and, of course, his vocals are unmistakeably Sufjan. So what’s changed?
This new material is much more personal — which is understandable since he has moved on from historical national events and U.S. States for his inspiration. And perhaps more surprisingly, it is a lot darker than many probably expected from the brilliant songwriter. Sufjan really lets you inside his head on this new album and tour. Before the explosive tune known as “Vesuvius,” Sufjan said, “The end of a relationship doesn’t have to mean the apocalypse…but it sure can feel that way, huh?” Before “Get Real, Get Right,” Sufjan explained how he discovered the work of an artist: Prophet Royal. He detailed how the experimental, sci-fi art really spoke to him and how he was similar to Royal. Turns out Royal was a crazy, but then, who isn’t? Royal’s artwork actually provided the video backdrop art for most of the night. 
Then, perhaps in the biggest trial of his audience’s patience, Sufjan played another song that lasted over 25 minutes. “Impossible Soul” began with twisting electronic lines and dark twisting vocals. Midway through, “Boy, we can do much more together” went from a dark conversation to a crazy early 90s style dance party complete with silly string. The backing vocalists really took it away during this part. But then it cooled back into a more acoustic number. This was like the musical equivalent of stream of consciousness. And as cool as it was that Sufjan was doing this, it was really difficult to make it all the way through.
Perhaps knowing this and as a thank-you for how politely the audience accepted his forgetting of the lyrics during “Enchanting Ghost,” Sufjan ended the set with the song that the more casual fans had been praying for: “Chicago.” Triumphant horns and the familiar words made this almost a cathartic moment. Tensions were relieved from that dark entry into Sufjan’s mind that had preceded. The set was already pushing two hours, but Sufjan still treated the audience to a solo, acoustic encore before releasing his hipster worshippers into the street.
Be warned: if you’re only familiar with older Sufjan material, this tour might not be for you. You’ll find yourself standing with a confused arched brow. However, if you’ve embraced everything Sufjan has put out over the years and can handle a bizarre stage show, then this is a not miss performance. 
Set List:
Seven Swans
Too Much
Age of Adz
Heirloom
I Walked
Futile Devices
Vesuvius
Now That I’m Older
Get Real, Get Right
Enchanting Ghost
Impossible Soul
Chicago
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Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Ill
John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
