All Hail Sufjan

Sufjan Stevens and the Illinoisemakers wowed a sold-out Somerville Theatre audience last night with big sounds and pep rally pageantry. Arriving at 7:45 pm, 15 minutes before the opening act Laura Veirs took stage, the line of anticipating fans extended down the block past the Someday Café. Bostonist, failing to foresee such a broad display of punctuality, was forced to settle for a remote corner of the upper balcony. But despite the compromised location and hazardous build-up of dust and grit, the Somerville Theatre proved to be an ideal venue.

The show was a tribute to Sufjan Stevens' latest album, Illinois, released in July 2005. The second installation of his 50 States Project, Illinois is a valentine (albeit sometimes heartbreaking) to the great state. A mix of baroque, brass band meets bluegrass sound, the Illinoisemakers create a well woven tapestry of Americana music. With the overlay of Sufjan’s thoughtful, story-telling lyrics, Illinois is like nothing you’ve heard before; his occasional foray into banjo, electric guitar and piano only helps the effort.

Last night’s live rendition fittingly brought the album to life. Sufjan and the Illinoisemakers dressed in costume, donning orange and grey jersey cheer-fits emblazoned with large letter “I”s. In between tracks, the audience was treated to well-rehearsed cheers accessorized with pom-poms, state seal plaques and all. Theatrics intact, you may be wondering about the music: it did not disappoint.

Sufjan opened with “The 50 States Song” roping in Bostonist with the first shout-out to the Buckeye state. “Casimir Pulaski Day”, a track named after the Polish war hero, but in fact a painful account of a friend coping with cancer, garnered notable applause. On these more somber notes, the Illinoisemakers were appropriately subdued, thank goodness. Other favorites included Sufjan’s take on the “Star Spangled Banner” and the windy-city tribute, “Chicago”. Though playing from Illinois almost exclusively, Sufjan made a short mid-set departure to visit Detroit with the “Sister” track off of his 2004 faith-driven record Seven Swans. As Sufjan gains speed, critics (and bloggers with too much spare time) have begun to ponder: Is it the music that charms, or just the gimmick? Bostonist’s take: the music makes the gimmick. And come on, who doesn’t love a good cheer-fit? $16 well spent.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com / user: peterskim