Sufjan Takes Flight At The Wiltern

I have officially forgiven The Wiltern LG for all its past sins. The place still has a stick shoved up its you-know-what; however, the experience of Sufjan Stevens' voice swirling off every wall in perfect pitch, made me want to hug every uptight security guard (even the one that made me spit out my gum). It was a night of flight, and Sufjan and his band had the wings to prove it.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me say a quick word about My Brightest Diamond. As Jon (aka THE_KING) expressed a little while back, MBD is the brooding soundtrack for a haunted soul. Shara Worden and her band looked like, in the words of Natalie, "Arcade Fire dressed up like the White Stripes." I thought they looked and played like something out of The Nightmare Before Christmas, with Shara's striking vocal range, and crashing guitars, accompanied by her red velvet dress and Christmas light mic stand. Their performance was an electrifying start to the evening, and one of the best opening acts I have seen all year.

After a quick stage rearrangement, Sufjan Stevens and his winged band manned their instruments, and soared into the rafters. Did I say band? I meant 11 piece orchestra. 2 cellos, 2 violas, 4 violins, 1 trombone and 2 trumpets. Not to mention a drummer, guitarist,Shara on guitar and vocals, and of course Sufjan himself. Through the soaring heights of "Chicago" to the low heartbreak of "John Wayne Gacy Jr.," Sufjan performed above and beyond my expectations. He was animated and talkative, but the music took priority, and the set was jam packed. To add to the joyous mood, a massive bundle of blow up Superman were thrown into the crowd during the show (as well as Santas!).

We even got to hear a jaw dropping new song called, "Majestic Snowbird." Bringing back the metaphor of flight, the song has a slow, but steady build that eventually spreads wings and leaves the nest. After attending a slew of small club shows, it felt good to take a seat in the mezz, and enjoy a concert that felt more like an evening of classical music. Don't worry, I'm not getting all stuffy on you - it was just a great change of pace.

Sufjan is definitely here to stay, and it will be fascinating to see what new directions he takes, and what State he records next!
[mp3] Sufjan Stevens - Majestic Snowbird
[mp3] Sufjan Stevens - That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!

We even ran into George "freaking' Michael from Arrested Development!!!

Photos by the always amazing Braedon