Drawn to the Blood
I don’t really know how to write reviews. I went back and read through some of the other gig reviews I’ve written over the years and while they are a treat for me and bring back clear, sharp memories of the gig itself, I don’t know how helpful they are to readers wanting to hear how it was (not that I actually get readers!). But despite my lack of actually knowing how to write a proper review, I simply cannot help but come here today to ‘review’ or just share an appreciative blog post about Sufjan Stevens’ VIVID Live concert he performed at the Opera House on Friday night. It’s been on my mind the past three days and I believe my head will only clear itself once I write some words about it. Here we go! Sorry for how long it’s going to be.
This tour in particular is a unique one for Stevens. His latest album Carrie & Lowell is mostly about his mother, her death and his resulting grief. Lets not forget strong themes of Stevens’ struggle with his faith, and, I would argue, the hope he finds within. Actually, the only hope I find in the album is when Stevens is alluding to his faith. But I digress. The uniqueness of this tour was its simplicity. Having seen Stevens 3 times previously, he normally puts on a huge spectacle of lights, music, a massive accompanying band including strings, brass, percussion and woodwind and, on his Age of Adz tour, giant balloons and confetti falling from the ceiling. For VIVID Live this time around, Sufjan brought along just 4 other musicians and and the stage backdrop was beautiful and minimalistic – not at all like the last time he came to Sydney for his Planetarium collaboration (which I reviewed in 2012).
‘Simplistic’ isn’t quite the right word though. Sufjan and his band were incredible to watch, each of them talented multi-instrumentalists, switching from guitar to banjo to piano to trombone to trumpet to vocals as each song called for it. Hardly anything simple about that. And even though the majority of the songs Stevens played from Carrie & Lowell were gentle and contemplative, sometimes with only one instrument being played, they were complex in lyrics and emotion. After several songs Stevens stopped to wipe his face, looking exhausted from putting his all into each song, but always soldiering on.
The lights of the show (barring those during Blue Bucket of Gold, but more on that later) were simple, but effective. During the coda of Fourth of July as Stevens and his band sang ‘We’re all gonna die,’ several spotlights started moving around the audience, illuminating each of our faces – indeed, we’re all gonna die.
Part of the magic of the performance was that Sufjan didn’t utter a word to us until around 45 minutes in. The lights went down at 8:15, without the audience even realising that Stevens was already behind the piano. He started playing Redford (For Yia-Yia and Pappou) and from this moment didn’t speak until much later, after The Owl and the Tanager. And when he did speak, he of course spoke of death. And it was beautiful, really. From past concert experiences I’ve found that Sufjan typically alludes to God but doesn’t quite come right out and talk about him. This time however, the very first thing he said to the audience was that God created us with eternity in our hearts, but our bodies are finite, so there is an interesting conflict there. Death is a refiner – the great refinement, he told us. “This all sounds really bleak,” he said, chuckling. “But it’s not…it doesn’t have to be.”
He went on to discuss the creation account in Genesis – that the earth was dark, devoid of meaning, utter nothingness. And then God spoke, which filled the Earth with an ‘inherent sound,’ which commanded ‘inherent light.’ And we, said Stevens, when we clap and cheer after each song, are evidence of this light and sound – we are ‘imbued with light and sound’ just as they were at Creation. During Should Have Known Better, Stevens sang ‘my brother had a daughter/the beauty that she brings/illumination,’ each time pointing upwards on the word ‘illumination.’ The beauty that she brings, illuminating evidence of sound and light, of God.
He made it uplifting. He shared his grief with us and he made it hopeful. As tragic as his experience was, and continues to be, there was still hope throughout, and Stevens made sure this hope was illuminated to us. And at the closing of the show he played Blue Bucket of Gold, which finished with an astounding instrumental. It was almost indescribable. Strobe lights flashed violently all throughout the concert hall. The drums and bass were so powerful you could feel the pumping in your legs, your chest, your head. The music was so loud and the lights were so bright you wanted to turn away, you felt constricted, you wanted it to end even though you could see and hear beauty in it the whole time. It was invasive, anxiety-producing, even to some extent, violating. Like dying. And then…it finished. And instant relief washed over me and likely my fellow audience members. Was Sufjan trying to show us a shadow of ‘the great refinement’ with this piece? I think yes. Refinement hurts. But after comes relief, and a superior version of ourselves.
As I’m sure everyone who was able to see the show would agree, it was an unforgettable night.
Tidbits & Observations:
-Does Sufjan have a metronome inside his head or something? I have no idea how he can play Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois without anything to assist him with keeping in time. That song has one heck of a crazy time signature, that’s for sure.
-In speaking of his fondness towards Sydney, Sufjan told us he suspects flying foxes are probably just like rodents to us, like pigeons to a New Yorker, but he is amazed by them and goes on a ‘vision quest’ every time he sees one. He also said he’s been to Sydney 4 times but the mystery and the wonder of the city always surprises him.
-In thanking VIVID and the Opera house for having him, he referred to Vivid comically (but fondly) as “a celebration of…lights on buildings.” Can’t argue with that summary!
-This was mine and my husbands face when Sufjan started playing Casimir Pulaski Day:
And now for the complete setlist as best as I can remember it- some of these are potentially slightly out of order:
Redford (For Yia-Yia and Pappou)
Death with Dignity
Should Have Known Better
Drawn to the Blood
All of Me Wants All of You
John My Beloved
The Only Thing
Eugene
Fourth of July
No Shade In the Shadow of the Cross
Carrie & Lowell
The Owl and the Tanager
In The Devil’s Territory
Casimir Pulaski Day
Futile Devices
To Be Alone With You
My Blue Bucket of Gold
Encore
Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
The Dress Looks Nice On You
For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti
Chicago
Thanks for another amazing performance, Sufjan – you really stand above the rest when it comes to live music.
