Noise Reduction

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Sufjan Stevens on stage
Photo by Denny Renshaw

One may say that Sufjan Stevens is a modern indie rock enigma. It seems as though everyone has some sort of opinion about him, whether it's his music, his ambitions or his unique name, but nobody can quite define his particular brand of music making. When I first heard his music, I was not a fan. While Pitchfork and the rest of the indie rock glitterati were fawning over him, I quietly shunned him, not understanding the fuss.

Frankly, I would have completely shut this Sufjan guy out of my life had it not been for my wife, who is an ardent fan. She downloads every Stevens mp3 that she can find, listens to his music religiously and drags me to his shows.  

The last time I had the pleasure of seeing Stevens perform was 4 years ago.  On that particular tour, Stevens was promoting Come Feel the Illinois, when he was in the midst of a very ambitious undertaking, composing full-length albums for every single one of the 50 states. He had already composed one opus about his native state, Michigan, and when we saw him, he and the "Illinois Makers" were in full marching band regalia (complete with a cheerleading squad, no less). Stevens had thrown me a curveball, as that particular performance was outstanding. The sold out Beachland crowd seemed to be under Stevens' spell, as everyone gleefully listened to the orchestral chamber pop compositions booming from the stage.

Fast forward to fall 2009, when I was once again summoned to the same venue for the same musician – though this time much less reluctantly. My wife and I found ourselves among another sold out crowd at The Beachland, feeling a lot like déjà vu.   

Although Stevens played several of his more popular numbers ("Casimir Pulaski Day", "Chicago", and "The Dress Looks Nice on You"), the focus was on his new compositions. These arrangements started off innocently enough – just like the same beautiful arrangements we'd heard before – before transforming into a cacophony born of brass-driven, funk-like rhythms, with Stevens' jazz improvisations. At times, these freeform jazz sessions would meander for minutes, sounding reminiscent of a Mars Volta breakdown. Unexpectedly, this performance brought me back to days of listening to ska. That was the last time I could remember hearing a band really rock out with so much brass and soul.  

Stevens is constantly redefining his sound, and it is refreshing to see him grow fearlessly with his music. Everyone may not be along for the ride, or understand where it is taking them, but I will follow.

Learn more at http://asthmatickitty.com/sufjan-stevens.