Sufjan Stevens (Lincoln Center Allen Room, New York, NY 14 January 2006)

It's a cold night here in New York City. Rain is pouring hard, the wind is just causing havoc with people's hairstyles and the bitter cold is forcing everyone to seek shelter. However, there was nothing but love, warmth and great hairstyles at the Sufjan Stevens show at Lincoln Center. Part of the American Songbook series, Sufjan played two shows (8:30 & 10:30) at the Lincoln Center's Allen Room last night. It was a surreal concert and definitely one of the finest Sufjan Stevens performances yet. This review is about the earlier of the two.

We arrived at the Allen Room a few minutes after the scheduled showtime. Fortunately, the show hasn't started yet, but the orchestra was already in place. We arrived at our seats and the first thing we noticed once we sat down was the beautiful view of Manhattan's Columbus Circle and parts of the Upper East Side as the stage's backdrop. There was nothing but a glass wall, with a full view of the skyline and Columbus Circle behind the stage. Next, we noticed the hordes of strings, percussion and other instruments that filled the small stage. The Allen Room is a small venue, with not a single bad seat in the house. We were even more fortunate because we sat orchestra, a stone's throw away from Sufjan himself.

Sufjan went on stage 10 minutes after the scheduled show time. Compared to his touring costume, he was dressed in a simple black button up shirt and slacks. He sported some feather necklace thing around his neck. He was accompanied by three singers, all of whom were female and may have been part of his larger touring circle.

He opened up with "Casimir Pulaski Day" which almost brought me to tears. The sheer beauty of his voice, the perfect incorporation of strings and horns and the spectacular view of Manhattan was just overhwelming. This was typical of the entire show. It seemed like all the senses were at work at the same time. It was just too much to handle, but the crowd enjoyed every minute of it.

"Sister" was the second song played. At this point, my friend and I were just about to burst. It was just so beautiful that words cannot fully express it. The full set list, sans the songs previously mentioned, are as follows:

Jacksonville
They Are Night Zombies...
The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us
A Good Man is Hard to Find
He Woke Me Up Again
All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands
Chicago
The Transfiguration
Seven Swans
The Maple River
John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
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Romulus

The highlight of the show was when Sufjan sang the high notes. For example, during "Seven Swans," when he says, "He is the lord..." Sufjan's voice just echoed throughout the entire venue despite him singing a couple of feet away from the microphone. It was just so surreal to have someone sing so well.

Sufjan talked seldomly during the entire show, which was appropriate given the intimacy and beauty of the venue. He did speak a couple of times, to tell us that he was wiping his brow with a towel or to apologize to a fellow band member for stepping on his guitar cable. Otherwise, there was no talking.

If there was anything wrong with the show, it was the CNN billboard in the backdrop. Not Sufjan's fault, but it was just annoying. However, it was nice to keep track of the weather and time.

Despite cutting it close to the second show, Sufjan came out for an encore. He was by himself, and sang "Romulus." It was a fitting ending to a wonderful show.

Overall, it was one of the most beautiful shows I've ever seen. This review doesn't even give it the description it so deserves. Safe to say, it was a surreal experience that can only be shared by the people who were there.

Beer Rating: 0 Beer

Article and Photos: Clarisse Campdoras