When I took the photo of Sufjan just before he went on stage, I asked him if it was ok to do so because I was standing so to him, and I didn't want to assume that it was ok. He was very cool about me taking the photo, but it was clear that he wasn't looking to be photographed.

I had a great vantage point being along side the stage. The music wasn't as loud because I was behind the speakers, which allowed me to actually hear the music.

Also, I saw a lot. Sufjan appeared to be a bit nervous. His legs shook a lot throughout the show. But he was great. He had total command of his voice and of the audience.

I also noticed that he was on his tip toes a lot during the concert.

About the music:
Sufjan played almost all of Illinoise. He coupled John Wayne Gacy, Jr. from Illinoise with A Good Man is Hard to Find, from Seven Swans. That worked well for me, particularly because of my passion for Flannery O'Connor.

The music held together really well. This show also showed that the band isn't overly produced. The sound was true to the cd. I'm glad that I knew the cd so well because I was able to sing along to my favorite songs. I could see the audience doing the same. In fact, as I told my friend, Owen, I felt that people in the crowd were more than fans of Sufjan Stevens. At least in the front, there was devotion to Sufjan.

One of the MTV crew members was a summer intern who had just graduated from college in Virginia. He commented on his surprise that the crowd (which was somewhere around 600 people or a bit more, I think) was so young. They appeared to be mostly undergraduate university students, although there were people who appeared to be in their late twenties, and some older - not many, though.

I hope that you'll get to see Sufjan Stevens and the Illinoise Tour.

I did take these photos. You may use them non-commercially and with attribution. Thanks!