Sufjan Stevens Makes First Live Appearance in Over Eight Years
Sufjan Stevens made a surprise appearance at Meg Lui’s concert in Kingston, New York, accompanying her on piano and backing vocals. The performance, his first public musical appearance in more than eight years, comes after Stevens disclosed in 2023 that he had Guillain-Barré syndrome and was relearning how to walk and use his hands.
The appearance took place on 25 September at the release event for Lui’s debut album, *Instant Validation*, which Stevens produced and which was released through his label, Asthmatic Kitty. Lui previously sang backing vocals on Stevens’ 2023 album *Javelin*, and the pair recorded her album at his home studio. Stevens said last year that he was not ready to tour, but was beginning to see a sense of direction; since his diagnosis, he has also worked on reissues, produced a children’s album and continued other music and label projects.
In short
- Stevens performed publicly for the first time in over eight years.
- He joined Meg Lui at her album release concert.
- Stevens has said he is not ready to tour.
Explained simply
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter known for albums including Illinois and Javelin. He releases music through Asthmatic Kitty, the record label he co-founded. Meg Lui is a singer whose debut album, Instant Validation, was made with Stevens as producer.
In 2023, Stevens said he had Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare illness that can affect movement and strength. He described relearning how to walk and use his hands, and said he was not ready to tour. Since then, he has continued working on music and other projects, though his public musical appearances have been limited.