15 Butterflies play indie rock with a choir while Superman and Santa look on

Last night was weird. I was supposed to be holed up in my office grading, programming, and just generally TKOB (takin' care of business). Instead, I was watching an indie rock group dressed like butterflies and ringed with inflatable Santas and Supermen. It was a Sufjan Stevens concert (I spelled "Stevens" with a "ph" initially; sorry). Sufjan (pronounced like Soof-yan) was there along with a string octet, trombonist (tromboner doesn't sound right...), two trumpeters, bassist, drummer, pianist/guitarist, and a sizable choir.

If you're into Sufjan Stevens, this was a great concert (in case you're wondering, I'm into Sufjan Stevens). The opening band, My Brightest Diamond, was amazing. I was in a state of ecstasy when a hundred inflatable Santas rained from the balcony. Maybe that's overstating it. Nevertheless, it was a great concert for a guy/band that can't, by definition, "rock out". Instead, these two performances focused on musicianship, instrumentation, and sad-bastard lyrics.

I didn't know I was going to the concert until 3 hours before. Even then, I wasn't sure if I could get in. I don't want to go into why because Ticketmaster would hunt me down and flay me. But it was unconventional; I'll leave it at that.

The take-away message: check out Sufjan Stevens if you get a chance. With so many people involved and expecting a paycheck, I'm guessing they didn't earn too much individually. Give 'em a hand. Also check out My Brightest Diamond.