The Carrie & Lowell Tour was the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Sufjan Stevens. The tour supported his seventh studio album, Carrie & Lowell (2015). The tour began in the spring of 2015. Stevens played over 100 shows in North America, Australasia and Europe.
Background The tour was announced in January 2015, with tickets going on sale January 30, 2015. In April, shows in the Europe were announced. Following his festival appearance in Sydney, Stevens mentioned wanting to do a full tour in Australia. The dates were released in September 2015.
Critical reception The tour was well received by concertgoers and critics. Piet Levy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote: "But the approach was absolutely appropriate for what is clearly a deeply personal body of work, one whose sentiments of abandonment and regret and nostalgia resemble what audience members have experienced during their own complicated lives". The Atlantic'''s Spencer Kornhaber praised the concert in Washington, D.C.. He wrote: "Seeing Stevens live is like upping the contrast in a photo. Carrie & Lowell sounds much the same throughout—it's mostly acoustic, mostly percussion-free, and definitely not a jam—but in concert there are higher highs and lower lows and a wider array of sounds". The concert in Pittsburgh was attended by Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He stated: "Between the acoustics of Heinz Hall, a microphone he must have spent a fortune on, exquisite melodies and a voice that glides so beautifully from whisper to falsetto, it was a stunning effect. With multi-instrumentalists Casey Foubert, Dawn Landes, 'Zardok' and drummer James McAlister, it was five-person symphony blending delicate strings with moody electronics, percussion and choral vocals that built to sneaky crescendos that don't appear on the record".
In the United Kingdom, the shows received glowing reviews, all getting five out of five stars. For the Dublin concert, Siobhán Kane of The Irish Times stated: "Atmosphere is something Stevens brings to The Helix, a sympathetic space for his show, lending itself well to his invitation to church; at one point mirrorballs and clever lighting suggests stained glass windows which, along with the confiding nature of the performance, provide a genuinely transcendental experience. Something the haunting Vesuvius, with a semblance of choreography, harnesses". During the Edinburgh festival, Charlotte Runcie of The Daily Telegraph wrote: "It was a soothing and nourishing coda after the eardrum-bursting swoops earlier in the night. From sublime to fragile, sombre to beautiful, and universal to intimate, this was an exhilarating concert of perfect balance, with Stevens the best he has ever been". For the London show, David Smyth from the London Evening Standard'' wrote: "Stevens is always capable of making beautiful, emotional acoustic music but prone to eccentric projects such as collections about Christmas or a Brooklyn freeway — and the still, quiet anguish of his new material is devastating. During the main body of the performance he did not speak between songs. The repeated refrain of 'Fourth of July' — 'We're all gonna die' — could not have been clearer".
Opening acts
Cold Specks Little Scream Moses Sumney Helado Negro Gallant Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear Mina Tindle Basia Bulat Austra Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens Dawn Landes
Landes also performed as part of Stevens's backing band.
Example Setlist The following setlist was obtained from the June 3, 2015 concert, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour. "Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)" "Death with Dignity" "Should Have Known Better" "Drawn to the Blood" "All of Me Wants All of You" "Eugene" "John My Beloved" "The Only Thing" "Fourth of July" "No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross" "Carrie & Lowell" "The Owl and the Tanager" "In the Devil's Territory" "The Dress Looks Nice on You" "To Be Alone with You" "Futile Devices" "Casimir Pulaski Day" "Blue Bucket of Gold" Encore "Concerning the UFO Sighting near Highland, Illinois" "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!" "Chicago"
Tour dates Date City Country VenueNorth AmericaApril 9, 2015PhiladelphiaUnited StatesAcademy of MusicApril 10, 2015April 11, 2015New York CityBeacon TheatreApril 12, 2015HartfordMortensen HallApril 14, 2015PortlandMerrill AuditoriumApril 15, 2015AlbanyPalace TheatreApril 16, 2015ClevelandMasonic AuditoriumApril 17, 2015ColumbusPalace TheatreApril 18, 2015IndianapolisMurat TheatreApril 20, 2015St. LouisPeabody Opera HouseApril 21, 2015Kansas CityArvest Bank TheatreApril 22, 2015MinneapolisNorthrop AuditoriumApril 23, 2015MilwaukeeRiverside TheaterApril 24, 2015ChicagoChicago TheatreApril 25, 2015April 27, 2015DetroitMasonic TheaterApril 28, 2015Grand RapidsCFAC AuditoriumApril 29, 2015TorontoCanadaMassey HallApril 30, 2015MontrealSalle Wilfrid-PelletierMay 1, 2015New York CityUnited StatesKings TheatreMay 2, 2015May 4, 2015BostonWang TheatreMay 5, 2015Washington, D.C.DAR Constitution HallMay 6, 2015RichmondAltria TheaterMay 7, 2015DurhamDurham Performing Arts CenterMay 9, 2015New OrleansSaenger TheatreMay 10, 2015DallasMajestic TheatreMay 11, 2015HoustonJones HallMay 12, 2015AustinBass Concert HallMay 13, 2015AustralasiaMay 22, 2015SydneyAustraliaSydney Opera HouseMay 23, 2015May 24, 2015May 25, 2015North AmericaJune 2, 2015San DiegoUnited StatesCopley Symphony HallJune 3, 2015Los AngelesDorothy Chandler PavilionJune 4, 2015June 5, 2015OaklandFox Oakland TheatreJune 7, 2015June 8, 2015PortlandArlene Schnitzer Concert HallJune 9, 2015VancouverCanadaOrpheum TheatreJune 10, 2015SeattleUnited StatesParamount TheatreJune 11, 2015July 18, 2015Eau ClaireFoster FarmsJuly 25, 2015NewportFort Adams State ParkAugust 14, 2015LyonsPlanet Bluegrass RanchEuropeAugust 28, 2015DublinIrelandMahony HallAugust 29, 2015August 30, 2015EdinburghScotlandEdinburgh PlayhouseAugust 31, 2015ManchesterEnglandO2 ApolloSeptember 2, 2015LondonRoyal Festival HallSeptember 3, 2015September 4, 2015BrightonBrighton Dome Concert HallSeptember 5, 2015Tollard RoyalLarmer Tree GardensSeptember 6, 2015BristolColston HallSeptember 8, 2015ParisFranceGrand RexSeptember 9, 2015September 10, 2015BrusselsBelgiumSalle Le BœufSeptember 12, 2015OsloNorwayOslo SpektrumSeptember 13, 2015StockholmSwedenGöta LejonSeptember 14, 2015CopenhagenDenmarkFalkoner SalenSeptember 15, 2015HamburgGermanyMehr!-Theater am GroßmarktSeptember 16, 2015BerlinAdmiralspalastSeptember 17, 2015September 19, 2015EssenColosseum TheaterSeptember 20, 2015VersoixSwitzerlandThéâtre du LémanSeptember 21, 2015MilanItalyTeatro della LunaSeptember 23, 2015AmsterdamNetherlandsRoyal Theatre CarréSeptember 24, 2015September 25, 2015ReimsFranceComédie de ReimsSeptember 26, 2015Luxembourg CityLuxembourgGrand Théâtre de LuxembourgSeptember 27, 2015Caluire-et-CuireFranceSalle RadiantSeptember 29, 2015BarcelonaSpainAuditori FòrumSeptember 30, 2015MadridTeatro Circo PriceNorth AmericaSources for tour dates in North America, Leg 2:October 24, 2015Santa BarbaraUnited StatesArlington TheaterOctober 25, 2015PhoenixOrpheum TheatreOctober 26, 2015AlbuquerquePopejoy HallOctober 27, 2015DenverParamount TheatreOctober 28, 2015OmahaOrpheum TheatreOctober 30, 2015BuffaloMainstage TheatreOctober 31, 2015Jersey CityLoew's Jersey TheatreNovember 1, 2015BaltimoreMeyerhoff Symphony HallNovember 3, 2015PittsburghHeinz Hall for the Performing ArtsNovember 4, 2015CharlotteOvens AuditoriumNovember 5, 2015AtlantaCobb Energy Performing Arts CentreNovember 6, 2015OrlandoWalt Disney TheaterNovember 7, 2015MiamiOlympia TheaterNovember 9, 2015North CharlestonNorth Charleston Performing Arts CenterNovember 10, 2015BirminghamAlabama TheatreNovember 11, 2015NashvilleRyman AuditoriumNovember 12, 2015LouisvilleWhitney HallNovember 13, 2015CincinnatiProcter & Gamble HallAustralasiaSources for tour dates in Australasia:February 22, 2016SydneyAustraliaState TheatreFebruary 25, 2016CanberraCanberra TheatreFebruary 26, 2016MelbourneHamer HallFebruary 27, 2016February 28, 2016February 29, 2016AdelaideThebarton TheatreMarch 2, 2016PerthRed Hill AuditoriumMarch 4, 2016BrisbaneQPAC Concert HallMarch 6, 2016WellingtonNew ZealandMichael Fowler CentreMarch 7, 2016March 8, 2016AucklandAuckland Civic Theatre Festivals and other miscellaneous performances
Vivid Live Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival Newport Folk Festival Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Edinburgh International Festival End of the Road Festival New Zealand Festival Auckland Art Festival
Box office score data VenueCityTickets sold / AvailableGross revenueBeacon TheatreNew York City2,693 / 2,803 (96%)$121,185 Palace TheatreColumbus2,459 / 2,459 (100%)$97,334 Northrop AuditoriumMinneapolis2,509 / 2,509 (100%)$91,579Chicago TheatreChicago6,931 / 6,931 (100%)$218,327Masonic TheaterDetroit3,041 / 3,500 (87%)$120,296Kings TheatreNew York City5,946 / 6,163 (96%)$267,570Wang TheatreBoston3,363 / 3,514 (96%)$134,198Altria TheaterRichmond2,283 / 3,610 (63%)$81,549Durham Performing Arts CenterDurham2,622 / 2,712 (97%)$95,275 Jones HallHouston2,368 / 2,817 (84%)$89,968Bass Concert HallAustin5,065 / 5,582 (91%)$193,295 Fox Oakland TheatreOakland3,891 / 3,891 (100%)$175,095 Arlington TheaterSanta Barbara1,883 / 1,883 (100%)$95,124Orpheum TheatreOmaha1,400 / 2,097(67%)$59,920 Ovens AuditoriumCharlotte1,421 / 2,327 (61%)$53,677Olympia TheaterMiami1,315 / 1,591 (83%)$56,933Alabama TheatreBirmingham1,580 / 2,164 (73%)$61,775TOTAL50,770 / 56,553 (90%)$2,013,100
Personnel Production & Lighting Designer: Marc Janowitz Content Designer: Josh Higgason Lighting Director: Jason Rothberg
Band Guitar: Dawn Landes Bass guitar: Casey Foubert Drums: James McAlister Keyboards: Steve Moore
References