Sheila Saputo | pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

REVIEW: Sufjan Stevens presents the Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice @ Aladdin Theater (Portland, OR – 12/6/12)

7th Dec 12 (Fri) 5 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Sufjan's 2012 hristmas Sing-a-long Tour

I hate Christmas music. There are a few rare instances where it doesn’t make me cringe. Over the Rhine’s Darkest Night of the Year and Monk’s How Like A Winter are rare exceptions. One of my favorite artists, Sufjan Stevens, has put out Christmas EPs each year for his closest group of friends, and then they eventually make their way out to the public via now two EP boxsets (Songs For Christmas & Silver and Gold). While some of the more standard Christmasy songs from Sufjan make me cringe (it’s not his fault), he finds a way to have some experimentation and wild unique new songs that makes the boxsets fully enjoyable… even for a bah-humbug like me. And the boxsets also include cool arts and crafts…

Sheila Saputo (aka Rosie Thomas)

Despite my dislike of Chrtistmas songs, when I found out that Sufjan was bringing his 2012 Christmas Sing-a-Long tour (the Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice) through Portland’s Aladdin Theater, I knew I needed to go.

His opener / tour co-hort is Sheila Saputo… the quirky comedic alter ego of singer-songwriter Rosie Thomas… see her trailer here.

Sheila put on a 20 minute set of fairly ridiculous, self-depricating humor.. partially eating a carrot throughout the set, making balloon “animals” (term used very loosely), and spelling out the important aspects of the acronym CAROLS: Carnal Treasures, Armageddon, etc (see photos at the bottom).

At 8:45pm, Sufjan and his band hit the stage (including the de-frocked Sheila Saputo/Rosie Thomas in a snowman suit). They started things off in front of the stage curtain with a gentle acappella version of “Christmas Time Is Here,” then… curtains up and behold the majesty of the Wheel of Christmas!!!

The set was obviously going to be full of Christmas songs. Some on their setlist and some chosen “randomly.” For many of the Wheel of Christmas Sing-a-Long tunes, they brought up members of the audience to spin for the selection. Near the end, some rigging of the wheel had to be done to fit in some we hadn’t done yet. I think we hit everything on the Wheel except for “Silent Night.”

They also threw in a few non-Christmas tunes throughout the set and at the encore…

Setlist: 2 hrs 10 mins

Christmas Time Is Here (acappella) [Vince Guaraldi]
Christmas Woman
Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance!
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Justice Delivers Its Death*
Joy to the World (Wheel of Christmas Sing-A-Long)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Wheel)
A Holly Jolly Christmas (Wheel)
Jingle Bells (Wheel)
We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Wheel)
Vito’s Ordination Song*
Put the Lights on the Tree
How Shall I Fitly Greet Thee?
I Am Santa’s Helper
“Frosty” (improv rock, chant, Rosie cutting santa up with plastic chainsaw)
Sister Winter*
Ah Holy Jesus
The Child with the Star on His Head*
Sleigh Ride (Wheel, noted as “Slay Ride”)
O Holy Night (Wheel)
We Need a Little Christmas (Wheel)
Auld Lang Syne* (Wheel)
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Wheel)
For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti*
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!*
Christmas Unicorn*
Encore: Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois*
Futile Devices*
Chicago*
Come On! Feel the Illinoise!*
*– personal favorites from the night

I truly hate most Christmas music, but this was a FUUUUUUUUUUUUUN show! Sufjan and his band make the music fun, the original tunes (even if Christmasy) are spectacles of greatness or touching, gentler tunes, and the overall party factor of this tour is truly astounding. I’d hate to have been on the clean-up crew… confetti, streamers, popped balloons, and random blow-up animals and santas…