Employing the outrageousness of a confetti cannon, inflatable pink unicorns, tinsel trimmed boots, Christmas trees, a plethora of lights, Superman capes, and feathered headdresses draped in balloons, Sufjan Stevens and his backing band invaded Emo’s East and put on one of the best shows of the year. The stage was so full that the eye found it almost impossible to take in completely, and I later found myself trying to recall simple details like how many people were onstage. Rosie Thomas opened the night, performing awkward standup as a character named Sheila Saputo, who munched Sun Chips and poked fun at Christmas. She barely moved onstage, confined by the clutter of instruments and decoration surrounding her.
Dominating the backdrop for the setup towered the “Wheel! Of! Christmas!”—an enormous circle painted with various songs of Christmas. After Stevens made his way onstage and opened with a few songs, audience members were called up to spin the wheel, which often resulted in cheating as someone scooted the selecting arrow to a song just past or before the one actually chosen. “Fate has determined that the next song will be…,” Stevens quipped several times after decidedly altering the fate of the wheel. Following this, we were all instructed to turn to the correct page in our hymnals (distributed at the door) and raise our voices unabashedly. Most of the evening consisted of this format, though Stevens did play a few hymns and other songs not on the wheel. I had greatly looked forward to this show, but I underestimated just how fun it would be caroling and carousing with a room full of people belting out classic Christmas songs.
Around a dozen songs into the set, Stevens took a brief break from his almost exclusively Christmas-song-filled set to play “The Dress Looks Nice on You” from Seven Swans, an earlier album in his discography. Toward the end of the set, Stevens took another reprieve to play “For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti,” to the delight of fans. Much like a Sufjan Stevens song, the set’s music, along with my own joy, built on energetic nuances almost imperceptible, and I found myself grinning like a fool as I cheered wildly and shouted lyrics as the night wore on. This euphoria reached a crescendo with the epic, magnum opus closer “Christmas Unicorn” as the song fell into the final expansive groove during which original lyrics, “I’m the Christmas Unicorn; it’s all right; I love you,” blended into Joy Division’s classic “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” Ultimate musical high. Stevens seemed to feel it too, adorned with a headdress of feathers, balloons, and a unicorn horn as he climbed up onto something on stage to chant the song’s lyrics triumphantly. Around him swirled a barrage of confetti and bubbles that rivaled the spectacle of a Flaming Lips show.
Stevens returned to the stage for only three songs, all of which were originals culled from his album Illinois: “Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois,” “Casmir Pulaski Day,” and “Chicago.” After almost a decade of avidly following and attending independent live music events, there are very few bands (except those exceedingly new on the scene) that I haven’t managed to see. Stevens is one of those artists. I felt some sadness at not hearing more of Stevens’ original material, but the show’s unique nature made it all the more memorable, and the trade-off seems well worth the sacrifice. Dropping hints here: when Pop Press International publishes its list of the top shows of the year sometime this month, you should plan on seeing this one in the mix.
