Sufjan Stevens recap

I'd like to take a moment and talk about encores.

There's like this weird rush that comes over you, the fan, when an artist leaves the stage. It's like the ultimate power trip. If you're loud enough. Obnoxious enough. Worshipful enough, you can get them to come out and sing more songs.

So you do crazy things, like try to clap or chant in unison. For minutes on end. All to see if you can will them out of their comfortable dressing rooms and back under the spotlight.

But I'm convinced that encores are pre-planned. That they're just the artist's way of getting you to glorify them for however long they deem necessary. Why?

The lights.

When an artist leaves the stage, the house lights will either come on or they will stay dim. If they come on, there won't be an encore. No matter how many fist pumps and cheerleader chants you direct at the stage. If they stay low, you may as well sit back and wait for Act II.

I tested my theory at the Sufjan Stevens concert Tad and I attended last Thursday. And sure enough ... even after two hours of playing music, when Sufjan left the stage the lights stayed dim. The people then screamed for five minutes. And Sufie came back out.


That's of course not the only noteworthy thing that happened at the concert.

A world record was broken.

The largest gathering of Unique Individuals who all happened to be wearing pea coats, scarves, plastic rimmed glasses and skinny pants.

Imagine my sigh of relief, knowing that I had changed back into my black skinny pants at the last moment. Because man … there’s nothing worse than being in a group of people who like to express their individuality and realizing you don’t fit in.

But that's just me making fun of hipsters ... when I probably don't have room to talk, considering I was out until 2am just to attend a Sufjan Stevens concert.