London Calling

A delay again! Sorry everyone! I've arrived in London and ended up not blogging at all, even though I have access to an awesome computer all of the time for the first time in months. But I owe you a Japan wrap-up as well as a few more "At the Half" posts. So look for those soon...probably.

Okay, definitely. I will be writing those over the next couple of days.

But I wanted to talk a little bit about London before I get into those because, simply put, London is awesome. Or somehow more awesome than it was before - which was already pretty great.

As you may or may not know, I visited London and surrounding areas in 2009. When I did that, I stayed with my friend Ryan's dad and step-mom Mike and Debra and had a fantastic time doing so. I got to know London, I caught a play, I visited Bath, Dover, Stonehenge, Canterbury and other things. I did a lot. It was a great time.

Now I am back, and this time for a completely undetermined period of time. I know that my next step is heading to Europe proper, but I have had a very difficult time deciding when to do so. I personally blame Mike and Debra as they have made it so nice to stay here that I haven't wanted to leave! I am on my sixth day here, and every day has been getting up, hanging out with Debra and her parents, eating breakfast, heading into London, enjoying the city and the sights, and often catching absolutely fantastic experiences that I couldn't get anywhere else. Granted, it isn't all perfect (the walk home at night terrifies me - seriously), but it has been a marvelous time so far.

I think a lot of that stems from the fact that this is the first time I've really felt home on my whole trip. Previously, the most time I spent consecutively in one place was 4 days, but here I can just enjoy and relax and feel like I am completely comfortable. It's really nice to have that. Incredibly enough, yesterday I spent reading, doing laundry, helping clean the house, reading newspapers in a nearby cafe, and genuinely being a good for nothing lazy guy. And it was marvelous. Then dinner guests came over and we enjoyed a delicious dinner and it was pretty much perfect. Nothing to complain about at all (unless you think spending my day doing nothing but lazing is a bad thing).

As I said though, there have been some extraordinary experiences as well, and I want to highlight those.

- THEATER!

Interestingly enough, I have never been to a play anywhere besides London. Last time I was here I saw a play starring James McAvoy called Three Days of Rain that was very enjoyable. This time I've upped the ante considerably.

First off, I caught a matinee of In the Forest, Dark and Deep, a 2 person play starring Matthew Fox (Dr. Jack Shepherd people!) and Olivia Williams (Miss Cross from Rushmore) and written/directed my Neil LaBute. It came recommended by Debra, and it was a dark and entertaining play highlighted by a fantastic performance from Fox. Granted, he was inherently hilarious because he was a redneck with a disgusting beard (something I know a lot about), but his performance was searing and dangerously funny (it makes sense). I very much enjoyed it, and it was my second experience with the more intimate plays the West End has to offer people.

The second play I saw was absolutely wonderful. It is a bit of a phenomenon in the West End, and it is a World War I play called War Horse. It's about a boy and his best friend - a horse named Joey - who is recruited for the cavalry for the Brits (the horse, not the boy), and their eventual quest to reunite with one another. The horses in the play are handled by what can only be called puppeteers but that word truly does it no justice - these horses are alive thanks to the actions of these handlers It's stunning to watch, and the story itself is beautiful and haunting (I was welling up tears like none other at the end). Throw in a golden voiced man who helps transition scene to scene and you have a play that will likely stick with me forever. I also love the fact that I lucked out and got the second-to-last ticket that just happened to be right on stage essentially. It was incredible (also, War Horse US was just nominated for the Best Play Tony - it better win!).

- SUFJAN STEVENS!

Sufjan Stevens, the multi-instrumentalist musician extraordinaire and one of my favorites, was visiting ol' London Town for 2 nights of shows in the prestigious Royal Festival Hall (the glorious hall that the London Symphony Orchestra performs). I...was not going, sadly. It was sold out both nights and I was already seeing him in Barcelona for Primavera Sound, so no Sufjan for me. That evening, I was wandering the South Bank of London, checking out the Tate Modern museum, the Globe Theater (you know, Shakespeare's theater), and various other things on a beautiful May day in London. As I walked by the hipster heavy area that was the Royal Festival Hall (this was like a beard and cardigan convention - I think these folk need some sort of support group), I decided, why the hell not - why don't I go find out if there is magically an extra ticket or two?

I walk in, and it looks like there is no hope. Bespectacled literati and happy faced hipsters roamed these halls, gleefully talking about how they were excited for the opener but how they preferred Sufjan pre BQE (or so I can only assume they were talking about this, aren't these the things that hipsters speak of?). Sheepishly, I walk up to the line and wait my turn. I'm zoned out looking at the reflection of my Benny's Taco Wagon shirt wearing self ahead of me as a staff member frantically tries to get my attention. I scurry over and bow my head.

Me: Are there any tickets left for Sufjan tonight? (Then a blur of "I know it is sold out" based lines escape from my mouth as the vendor looks taken aback by my verbosity)

Ticket Vendor: Umm...yeah. Actually, the guy right before you just returned two tickets. They are up near the front and on the aisle. Do you want the one on the aisle?

Me (completely bewildered but also thinking "holy crap, this means I have to walk back in the dark!"): Yes I would like that please give me the ticket now please please please.

Ticket Vendor: Ooookay. That would be 24 pounds 50.

Of course, knowing me, I spaz out and lose the ticket as I stalk the halls looking like a kid on Christmas morning assuredly (NINTENDO 64!!!!), and then feel my heart sink into my feet when the realization hits about 10 or so minutes later.

Believe it or not, I found it on the ground, face up near a staircase stating "Sufjan Stevens - Admit One."

Thank god.

The show itself was okay. Only the best show I have ever seen.

Here's the set-list:

Seven Swans
Too Much
Age of Adz
Heirloom
All For Myself
I Walked
Now That I'm Older
Get Real
Vesuvius
Enchanting Ghost
I Want To Be Well
Futile Devices
Impossible Soul

Encore:
Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
Chicago

The opener DM Stith was very good - I have to note that - but afterwards, when Sufjan came out playing his folk neo-classic Seven Swans wearing angels wings and the entire band glowing in the dark with their day glo suits on, you knew it was going to be a special evening. Every song was superbly performed, Sufjan's banter was pantheon quality (he spoke for 15 minutes about his craft and every person in the audience was hanging on his very words as he dryly made fun of himself and enlightened us at the same time), the spectacle was unforgettable (best light show I have ever seen, and that is with The Flaming Lips' UFO show and Ghostland Observatory under my belt), and the feeling in the air was...inspirational.

That's really all I can say about it. It made me feel better than any concert I have ever seen. I had chills running up and down my spine, I was euphoric, I was emotionally destroyed by some of his soulful performances...it was incredible. I honestly didn't know live music could surprise me any more, but this was more than that. It was an experience, and one that was completely saturated with positivity and hope for 2 and a half hours.

It was all captured in the main set closer Impossible Soul. If you know the song, you know it is a 25 minute stunner that finishes his newest album The Age of Adz. You also know it switches styles effortlessly, beginning with soulful electro, turning into a dance number later, and finishing out with a sweet folk close. About 10 minutes in, the most organically wonderful thing happened I have ever seen in a show, and it was because of the power of Sufjan.

Throughout the whole show, Sufjan encouraged fans to get up and dance. He said dance is the most pure language in the world and he wants us to share...but no one budged (although dancing in our seats was very common). Then, during Impossible Soul, one well-dressed man gets up and starts dancing in his seat. Then the floodgates opened. Then three more people were dancing. Then five more. Then people (including myself) ran down to the stage and started dancing. What went on from there was us helping sing the next 10 minutes, Sufjan and his two back-up singers dancing at the front of the stage, confetti flying, and literally everyone in the room gleefully singing "Boy, we can do much more together it's not so impossible/It's not so impossible" and any number of other lines from the song.

It was pure bliss. It was cathartic. It was monumental.

When the song closed, for the first time in my life I didn't want an artist to perform an encore. It was too perfect. But when Sufjan came out and performed two beautiful songs from his most popular album Illinois solo and closed with a life-affirming full band performance of Chicago (as massive balloons fell from the ceiling and the band and audience danced), I forgot that desire and gave into the good times that were being had.

As I wrote all of that, I thought of the performance and I just grinned and felt a buzz on my skin. This was the best performance I've ever seen. As he left the stage, Sufjan shook everyone's hands in the front row (sadly not mine) and departed, leaving the lot of us stunned and repeating to each other lines like "that was the best gig I have ever been to." It was universal - only the soulless could not appreciate this wonder.

I beg of you, if you ever get the chance, go see Sufjan Stevens live. The guy is a master of his craft, and one hell of a performer too. I can't imagine you'll regret it.

I know I don't.

Oh yeah, and London is totally great, right?

Music of the Day: Sufjan Stevens. Obviously.