Sufjan Stevens

Count yourselves among the fortunate, Philadelphians. Celebrated songwriter Sufjan Stevens is playing only 14 shows on his tour that launched at a sold-out Johnny Brenda's on Monday, and with a repeat performance scheduled last night, two of the indie auteur's dates were set at the cozy Fishtown club. Stevens' 75-minute set with his six-piece band was notable for more than just its intimate setting. (Last time through town, Stevens - who brought the indie-music world to ecstasy with his 2005 folk-baroque album Illinois - sold out the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, roughly 10 times the size of Johnny Brenda's.

Sufjan Stevens' sold-out show Wednesday at the Theatre of Living Arts was the best I've seen this year. Not just because the glee club-style performance featured his seven-piece Illinoisemakers dressed like cheerleaders, pom-poms and all, doing songs quirkily dedicated to statehood. And not just because the background-vocal-heavy outfit, complete with brass and xylophone, had its dance steps down cold while running through the complex yet compact melodies. But also because Sufjan (pronounced SOOF-ee-on)

A funny thing happened to Sufjan Stevens and his celebrated folk-baroque, American history-obsessed style of songwriting, on the way to the Academy of Music. He got tired of it. Stevens, who put on a fascinating and fabulous two-hour-plus sold-out show Wednesday at the 153-year-old Broad Street opera house, built a sizable following largely on the strength of Illinois , the sparkling 2005 banjo-happy song cycle that was his second album focused entirely on one of the 50 states.

Sufjan Stevens has his work cut out for him. Sure, he's a singularly talented 31-year-old singer-songwriter with a staggering creative drive. But the multi-instrumentalist and musical history teacher still has 48 states to go. Stevens - who pronounces his first name Soof-yan and will play a sold-out show tonight at the Tower Theater - came to prominence last year with Illinois. His geographical-concept album of beautifully rendered, spiritually seeking, baroque-folk songs topped many best-of-the-year lists.

There are too many Grammy awards. Wednesday night's telecast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles will go on for (at least) 3 1/2 hours - and still the vast majority of this year's record 108 gold gramophones will have to be given out off camera. Trying to make sure it doesn't miss anything, the Recording Academy issues nominations as if they were Reese's Pieces on Halloween. In the Oscar race, Brokeback Mountain is the clear front-runner, with eight nominations. For the Grammys, Mariah Carey, Kanye West and John Legend each have eight, while Beyonc? Knowles, 50 Cent, Stevie Wonder, and Will.

With Vampire Weekend's second album, Contra, topping last week's Billboard chart, it's a happy moment for fans of precious indie pop laced with exotic rhythms. And one of the most worthily hyped of these pop bands, Freelance Whales, sold out the Fishtown area's Kung Fu Necktie on Friday night, with the band Animal/Tropical in tow. Together since '08, Freelance Whales, from Queens, N.Y., became a darling of the blogosphere even before their first album, Weathervanes, is released on CD in March.

Perez Hilton Presents. Online gossip maven Perez Hilton has been sticking his nose in the music business for a few years now, whether bad-mouthing Lily Allen, squabbling with the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am at awards shows, or championing artists, some on his own music label. Hilton brings his first tour to Philadelphia tonight, highlighted by the divine Norwegian rock powerhouse Ida Maria. (At the TLA Sept. 13) Kid Cudi/Wale. This pair of verbally gifted, new-school MCs, from urban centers without long histories of hip-hop heroism, finally move from mixtapes to official releases this fall.

Sufjan Stevens likes a good challenge. Like, when producers for NPR's All Things Considered asked the eclectic, 30-year-old folk singer to write a song about the ivory-billed woodpecker - the bird thought to be extinct for the last 50 years until it was recently spotted in an Arkansas swamp - he jumped at the chance, handing over "The Lord God Bird. " The folk epic took him all of a month to research, ponder and write. "Writing the song was a nice release for me because I like working within guidelines, obviously," says Stevens, who's best-known for loftier goals like setting out to write an album about every state in the union.

It's all about the Spectrum. The long-awaited closing of the storied South Philadelphia venue is the unquestionable focus of the pop season. On Halloween, Pearl Jam will close the building with the last of its four shows - 42 years, 4 months and 1 day after the sports arena hosted its first event, the Quaker City Jazz Festival, in 1967. The final show by Eddie Vedder and his Seattle cohorts will cap off a doozy of an October packed with marquee acts. Pearl Jam's four shows (Oct.

If immense talent, unique artistry and fascinating lineage were keys to success, the pairing of My Brightest Diamond with Clare and the Reasons should have packed the Wachovia Center on Friday. Instead, it was the cozy confines of First Unitarian Church that hosted each woman's brand of chamber pop with a polite, raptly attentive throng at their feet. Intimacy was essential, giving the low-lit proceedings the feel of a 1930s radio program, as did the costumed string ensemble that accompanied both women.

A funny thing happened to Sufjan Stevens and his celebrated folk-baroque, American history-obsessed style of songwriting, on the way to the Academy of Music. He got tired of it. Stevens, who put on a fascinating and fabulous two-hour-plus sold-out show Wednesday at the 153-year-old Broad Street opera house, built a sizable following largely on the strength of Illinois , the sparkling 2005 banjo-happy song cycle that was his second album focused entirely on one of the 50 states.

With Vampire Weekend's second album, Contra, topping last week's Billboard chart, it's a happy moment for fans of precious indie pop laced with exotic rhythms. And one of the most worthily hyped of these pop bands, Freelance Whales, sold out the Fishtown area's Kung Fu Necktie on Friday night, with the band Animal/Tropical in tow. Together since '08, Freelance Whales, from Queens, N.Y., became a darling of the blogosphere even before their first album, Weathervanes, is released on CD in March.

Count yourselves among the fortunate, Philadelphians. Celebrated songwriter Sufjan Stevens is playing only 14 shows on his tour that launched at a sold-out Johnny Brenda's on Monday, and with a repeat performance scheduled last night, two of the indie auteur's dates were set at the cozy Fishtown club. Stevens' 75-minute set with his six-piece band was notable for more than just its intimate setting. (Last time through town, Stevens - who brought the indie-music world to ecstasy with his 2005 folk-baroque album Illinois - sold out the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, roughly 10 times the size of Johnny Brenda's.

It's all about the Spectrum. The long-awaited closing of the storied South Philadelphia venue is the unquestionable focus of the pop season. On Halloween, Pearl Jam will close the building with the last of its four shows - 42 years, 4 months and 1 day after the sports arena hosted its first event, the Quaker City Jazz Festival, in 1967. The final show by Eddie Vedder and his Seattle cohorts will cap off a doozy of an October packed with marquee acts. Pearl Jam's four shows (Oct.

Perez Hilton Presents. Online gossip maven Perez Hilton has been sticking his nose in the music business for a few years now, whether bad-mouthing Lily Allen, squabbling with the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am at awards shows, or championing artists, some on his own music label. Hilton brings his first tour to Philadelphia tonight, highlighted by the divine Norwegian rock powerhouse Ida Maria. (At the TLA Sept. 13) Kid Cudi/Wale. This pair of verbally gifted, new-school MCs, from urban centers without long histories of hip-hop heroism, finally move from mixtapes to official releases this fall.

Sufjan Stevens has his work cut out for him. Sure, he's a singularly talented 31-year-old singer-songwriter with a staggering creative drive. But the multi-instrumentalist and musical history teacher still has 48 states to go. Stevens - who pronounces his first name Soof-yan and will play a sold-out show tonight at the Tower Theater - came to prominence last year with Illinois. His geographical-concept album of beautifully rendered, spiritually seeking, baroque-folk songs topped many best-of-the-year lists.

There are too many Grammy awards. Wednesday night's telecast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles will go on for (at least) 3 1/2 hours - and still the vast majority of this year's record 108 gold gramophones will have to be given out off camera. Trying to make sure it doesn't miss anything, the Recording Academy issues nominations as if they were Reese's Pieces on Halloween. In the Oscar race, Brokeback Mountain is the clear front-runner, with eight nominations. For the Grammys, Mariah Carey, Kanye West and John Legend each have eight, while Beyonc? Knowles, 50 Cent, Stevie Wonder, and Will.

Sufjan Stevens' sold-out show Wednesday at the Theatre of Living Arts was the best I've seen this year. Not just because the glee club-style performance featured his seven-piece Illinoisemakers dressed like cheerleaders, pom-poms and all, doing songs quirkily dedicated to statehood. And not just because the background-vocal-heavy outfit, complete with brass and xylophone, had its dance steps down cold while running through the complex yet compact melodies. But also because Sufjan (pronounced SOOF-ee-on)

Sufjan Stevens likes a good challenge. Like, when producers for NPR's All Things Considered asked the eclectic, 30-year-old folk singer to write a song about the ivory-billed woodpecker - the bird thought to be extinct for the last 50 years until it was recently spotted in an Arkansas swamp - he jumped at the chance, handing over "The Lord God Bird. " The folk epic took him all of a month to research, ponder and write. "Writing the song was a nice release for me because I like working within guidelines, obviously," says Stevens, who's best-known for loftier goals like setting out to write an album about every state in the union.