Sunday, September 9, 2007

Sufjan Stevens

I'm going to see Sufjan Stevens at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) on November 2. He is putting on a show about the BQE. I think its going to be a great show. I'm really into Sufjan at the moment. His music has been playing non-stop in my car. And the BQE is dear to my heart since I used to live right by it in Kensington, Brooklyn. I guess I was neighbors with Sufjan as he lived (and currently lives) in Kensington back when I lived there in 2002-03.

My brother-in-law CT was the first to tell me about Sufjan and his Illinoise CD. A couple of weeks later after I forgot about what CT had told me, I was watching Austin City Limits on HD PBS. On the show was this large band with horns, back-up singers, a drummer, keyboardist, violinists and a singer on a piano. They were all dressed up like boy scouts with butterfly wings attached. Really odd, but they were playing really great music. I googled the artist and realized it was Sufjan Stevens. After watching the Austin City Limits show, I downloaded the Illinoise album off of Itunes. Really great stuff. Anyway, here is a link to a live performance by Sufjan Stevens and his band performing "Chicago"



While searching for a video of Sufjan to post on my blog, I came across this video of
The Carleton Singing Knights from Carleton College performing Sufjan's "Chicago" a cappella:



To bring it full circle, I'm also listening to Brooklyn's very own The National. Was reading through the song info on The National's latest album Boxer. Sufjan plays piano on two songs, "Ada" and "Racing Like a Pro".

Sufjan Stevens and The National. Really great stuff, check them out.

CK

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