Sufjan Stevens and My Brightest Diamond in Indianapolis, IN

As I mentioned on Friday, the GF and I drove the three, flat, straight, cruise-control hours to see Mr. Stevens and My Brightest Diamond in Indianapolis yesterday. It was raining pretty much the whole drive there, however once we arrived at the Murat Center, it was as if Mother Nature had decided to give the weary travellers in line a reprieve. Some concert goers near us came from as far as Steubenville, OH (that's about six hours according to Google) which was not as odd as it may seem. Most of the people we spoke with were from somewhere in Ohio, and hopefully someone in Sufjan's management company caught wind of this fact and will make changes accordingly next time he goes on tour(ie- Stop somewhere in Ohio, for crying out loud).

The first thing that struck both of us about the concert was the utter and absolute niceness of everyone involved. From the band to the crowd, everyone was courteous, kind, respectful and sincere. While were in line we met a wonderful gentleman named Nathan (one of the few folks from Indianapolis that we ran into). He gave us directions out of the city and we all traded gig stories. We talked about life and jobs and music and we didn't even know one another. Between My Brightest Diamond and Sufjan we also struck up a conversation with the three high schoolers from Dayton that were behind us. We all made fun of a perpetually busy Sean Lennon look-a-like in the front row, we again traded gig stories, advice about concerts, and favorite venues, all with total strangers. It was a refreshing change from the hip, aloof crowd of most of the concerts I've been to in recent memory. Not since the crowds at They Might Be Giants have I run into a more accomodating, more genuinely nice group of people. It was especially surprising given the 10:1 Hipster-to-Normal Person ratio.

After waiting in line and conversing with Nathan and the guys behind us, we were all eagerly anticipating the performance of My Brightest Diamond. Her voice was instantly ethereal and dramatic. It was like a Henry Miller play set to music. The songs took on an intensity in the live setting that would rival an iceberg for hidden meaning. With "Something of an End" she gained a drummer to her string section and lone guitar and with it came a fullness and power that was not quite apparent on her album (nor, for that matter, in the precluding songs). The cymbals were the crash of a tidal wave, perfectly accompanying her shaking, emotive voice. On "We Were Sparkling," the quiet intensity of the song was heightened by the loneliness in her sparse guitar. The surprising segue of the night came in the form of the unexpected acid funk organ/guitar breakdown in the last half of "Workhorse". From this we were plunged headlong into the hand-clap classic, "Use Me" by Bill Withers. The crowd was electrified by the change of pace and we were left breathless for the start of Sufjan's set.

When Sufjan's band made their entrance to the instrumental overture of "Concerning the UFO Sighting..." and "The Black Hawk War...", the crowd sat spellbound. Every member of the band had donned a pair of colorful wings and elaborate feather masks, Sufjan included. The entrance and subsequent slow, powerful build gave many in the audience chills, myself and the GF included. "The Butterfly Brigade" was led in every sense of the word by the gold-epauletted Stevens. His sprawling eagle wings were larger than any on stage, but it was apparent from his body language and stage placement that he was not better than any of his bandmates. His modesty and deference were reflected in his careful, deliberate vocals. With "The Transfiguration" it was the horn section, rather than Sufjan himself, that were placed prominently front and center (literally and figuratively), with the crystal, clarion call of the trumpets blasting into the back corners of the elaborate venue. The vocals themselves seemed to be more acute and assured since the release of the breakout, "Illinois."

I was also struck by the utter showmanship that the man seemed to possess, the kind of showmanship that a band like The Flaming Lips have built an entire career on. After seeing countless shows of three, four, and maybe five piece "indie" outfits standing in one spot, chugging along with mechanical precision, it was incredibly refreshing and exciting to see a band that gave two-shits about the audience having a good time. I think this kind of attitude toward the crowd and their enjoyment of the show is the most direct link to the courtesy and respect that all the fans seemed to possess. During the song, "Jacksonville" the vid screen behind the band was showing home movies of them all just having fun. They were blowing up inflatable Supermen, dancing around and goofing off. Either this band is incredibly familial and close, or they're all damn good actors. I've gotta say I'd put my money on the former. This song also highlighted a skill that I think many bands often lack, that being the skill to translate a song into a new and different version than what was recorded. We want to hear the songs in a fashion that is recognizable, yet at the same time, we want something special. This track at the concert was definitely 100% more rockin' than it was on the album.

I think it was with, "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us" that I began to truly appreciate the skill that Sufjan has for the written word. In a mere 31 years he's managed to achieve something that writers can struggle with their entire career: he is able to write with a clarity and truth that is incredibly powerful. Maybe it was being able to see his face when he said the words, maybe it was finally, intently listening to the lyrics, maybe it was just being in the right mindset, whatever the reason, though, when I heard him utter the line, "Oh, how I meant to tease him/Oh, how I meant no harm/Touching his back with my hand I kiss him" I was utterly dumbstruck with emotion. If this were the only time, I might chalk it up to a fluke, he might have gotten lucky, but later, with "Casimir Pulaski Day" I nearly cried. Hearing such a beautiful song about such a crushing tragedy, with such perfect and intricate detail, was almost too much. It's a skill I've often tried to cultivate in my own writing, using images and emotions that no one expects but everyone knows, it seems to come with such effortless grace to this prog-folk genius.

With the last strains of "Chicago (Full Band, Wall of Sound Version)" fading into the glimmering faces of the stunned crowd, Sufjan and his band of Butterflys were regaled with a standing ovation. It was mere moments before we were rewarded with a two song, pared down encore. "To Be Alone With You" and "The Dress Looks Nice On You" were both performed with a wingless entourage of Sufjan, Shara Worden (of My Brightest Diamond), a guitarist, and the drummer (oddly, he was playing piano on "Dress"). It was different, it was original and it was special. Whenever we go to a concert, we want it to have something that we can't get elsewhere. We want to know what we're hearing, but we want it to be different. We want our experience to be something singular and unique, something that we can carry with us for the rest of our lives. And that, my dear friends, is something that Sufjan and Co. were able to deliver.

Pictures and Videos to follow tomorrow evening. This time we've got a special surprise in the form of a new Sufjan Song called, "Majesty Snowbird," well, most of it anyway, YouTube didn't like the size of the file, so 5:15 of the 8 minute song is up.