If anyone asks me who my favourite artist is, I answer Sufjan Stevens. He has been since my first listen of Seven Swans in 2004. Most of the subsequent releases have simply reaffirmed how much I like him and how much his music means to me. It's not a slavish devotion. Some of the releases have been merely interesting or good, rather than great; but the body of work, as well as what I know of how he creates it and why, has never added up to less than being my favourite.
With this, it's been a major issue for me to have never seen him live, bar his messing around with the National once at the Brixton Academy. So, I was more than a little excited to find that he was headlining at the End of the Road. And more than a little apprehensive - how would his music translate to a festival setting? To cut to the chase, when asked what my favourite ever show was, my answer will be, instantly, Sufjan Stevens at the End of the Road Festival. That would also be my answer to my favourite ever experience of any type of art.
Of course this is all subjective, but it was everything you'd want: heartfelt, fun, exciting, moving and, throughout, almost impossibly beautiful. I'll never, ever forget how I felt while watching this performance. I'll never forget the effect that the show seemed to have on others: often fragile, subtle songs of loss were played to a festival crowd who were moved to near silence (even those who were worse for wear and asking at the start if this was the War on Drugs…).
So, this is less of a review than a relating of a very personal experience. There have been other reviews of his recent shows (all raves) and of this show (ditto). I'll leave it to them to list the songs, relate wonderful intra-band dynamics of camaraderie and changing of instruments, the playfulness of confetti sprinkling, etc. For me, it was just unforgettably special.
Kevin B.
Photo: KenJamesWallace