Anticipation was heavy in the air of Adelaide's fully seated Festival Theatre as patrons waited quietly for Sufjan Stevens to take the stage. While no one knew what was going to happen, everyone knew it was going to be something mind blowing. So naturally, as Sufjan and the band came on to the stage, the crowd was rapt. Immediately, the multitude of fluoro adorning the performers hinted at the spectacle that was to come. The show started with some noisy, offbeat percussion and Sufjan playing banjo and singing "Seven Swans", from the 2004 album of the same name.

From this humble beginning, the show then exploded. The lights came up, exposing the two drumkits and varied array of instruments on stage. Images were being projected not only behind the band, but seemingly in front of the band as well. And soundwise, 11 people were blasting out the biggest sound I’d ever heard 11 people make. In addition to the two drummers, Sufjan had with him two backup vocalists, a guitarist, bass player, a guy on upright piano, one on a band of synths and two trombone players. Plus, it seemed that in addition to all these instruments, ever player was adding vocals to the mix too.

After the first track set the scene, the second track got the party started. "Too Much" is one of the better known tracks off the recently released Age of Adz, thanks to its catchy pop vocals, and it was fantastic to hear the clarity in the vocal parts live. The two trombones also added a most impressive sound to the mix, becoming a key focus of much of the melody throughout the show.

What was so obvious immediately was the near perfect balance in the sound. The mixing was impressively precise, to the point it was possible to hear every instrument clearly, even when there was more going on than it seemed possible. And throughout all this, Sufjan’s voice stood comfortably above the mix.

Sufjan’s voice is quite possibly one of the greatest voices in music today, something clearly proven by his incredible ability to pull off a flawless, crisp tone that is both powerful and incredibly delicate. Sufjan has a wonderful sense of personal style, as illustrated by his witty and intimate banter with the audience - not to mention his out-of-the-ordinary dancing.

The third track, "Age of Adz", started with what could only be described as a zoo of sound; there was just so much unknown noise going on. But when the song was well underway, it was clear that this was the best version of the song I had ever heard.

Hearing the songs translate so well live was also impressive, as they are clearly difficult songs to play. The compositions are complex and the instruments are wildly varied. The choice of two drummers positioned to the far left and right of stage gave a truly delightful quality to the music, not just because of the perceived stereo effect, but because providing each with a drumkit, an electronic drumkit and percussion, made the beats so intensely complex that they not only did the album justice, but far surpassed it in terms of overall sound.

The programming and arrangement of the show was full of ebbs and flows, juxtaposing opposites like loud and soft or acoustic and electronic. Songs would exhibit softly sung verses followed by big, bold choruses and simple acoustic compositions against complex, electronic and orchestral arrangements. By the fourth track, "Heirloom", Sufjan had wound back the set with a softer folk song on acoustic guitar and banjo.

Track five, "I Walked", brought back the big sound, with electro drum parts and Sufjan jumping on some live sample and synth manipulation. "All For Myself" followed, which introduced new elements to the show including Sufjan on the piano and band members playing what seemed to be some kind of piccolo. Then again Sufjan mixed it up with "Futile Devices", which included a portable Casio style synth solo up front of stage by the synth player.

The visuals were brilliant and varied, keeping the crowd transfixed, as if the 11 performers were not enough. The addition of the front screen, which rose and fell throughout the show, created a 3D effect when it was down, effectively encasing the band in a box of visuals. These visuals included cut out and animated photos and drawings, geometric shapes, rain, planets and butterflies - to name but a few.

The visuals took an interesting turn for "Vesuvius", as they seemed to rise and intensify with the building of tension in the song. This was easily the stand out track of the night, with incredible, passionate vocal performances, hugely complex composition and a completely surprising crescendo of unintelligible noise and feedback that unexpectedly shut down to a quiet piccolo melody.

Sufjan described his music best when he said it's 'rooted in folk but ventures off into outer space'. "The Owl and the Tanager" gave us another taste of his softer, folky roots which was quickly followed by his tribute to Royal Robertson, an eccentric artist from whom came much of the inspiration for the album. "Get Real Get Right" was a funked up dancey track, with a bomb vocoder at the end.

Following one more soft acoustic track, Sufjan introduced his 'magnum opus' and it was pretty clear that "Impossible Soul" was going to close the performance. True to the 25:35 minute song, the live version had all the varied parts – the guitar solo, the repeated vocal parts, the high female vocal melodies, and of course the crazy glitch electronic manipulation. But no one knew Sufjan had saved the absolute best for last. After more stage props, costume changes, a disco beat, a big funky beat and finally a descent into madness and chaos the whole band started riffing on the “it’s a long life” chorus. Sufjan got the crowd to their feet and released hundreds of balloons from the ceiling. For the next ten minutes everyone was part of the most carefree and happy celebration. It was easily the most memorable way to end a show I have ever been part of.

After a good five minutes of rapturous applause, the band came out for an encore with the old favourite "Chicago". It was a fitting way to bring everybody down from such an intense high. Although it is an intense high that I’m sure no one is going to forget.