sufjan stevens makes me love america

[builtthenburn]

i found this pic on some guys myspace

last nite i saw sufjan stevens at the troubador. highlites included:

• awesome boy scout-esque attire
  
• an awesome self-made map of michigan behind the band, where sufjan would point out which we were going to next (song-wise).
  
• his employment of the two opening solo artists as members of his band (denison witmer played bass and joanna newsom on keys/vocals/tambourines)
  
• sufjan starting the nite off with the first two songs off of michigan
  
• a more funky, very "live" version of "the upper peninsula"
  
• sufjan's incredibly intriguing and funny personality (and awkwardity)
  
• a new song he wrote ("we are now leaving michigan," he said) entitled "chicago"
  
• the best version of the national anthem i have ever heard (ever) [[he added lyrics, took on a variation of the melody--it floored me in its simplicity and beauty]]
  
• his solo encore of "romulus" gave me a new appreciation of the song, whereas i never really thought too much of it before
  
• a full appreciation of sufjan's virtuosity on guitar, banjo, and the wurlitzer
  
• picking up a copy of seven swans on vinyl (which, although obviously not as great as michigan, is a very adequate album [the first words of the album are "if i am alive this time next year"--how awesome is that!])
  
• being able to share it all with jan :)
  

EDIT: i like sufjan stevens so much because there is not part of his music that lacks--its all just right. his songwriting and lyrics, his instrument arrangement and use of female vox, his playing and singing style are all perfect. he doesn't do anything revolutionary, and (even better) he doesn't try to--he masters what he attempts to do: make well-tempered, well-thought out music.