PHOTOS BY SIMON BISWAS

Indie rock heartthrob Sufjan Stevens played to a full house Thursday night (Nov. 1) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of the 25th Next Wave Festival. The songwriter debuted the musical and cinematic piece "The BQE," which he described as a "bizarre and beautiful ode to one of the world's ugliest expressways." Stevens performed with a full orchestra as the film he directed aired above him -- shots of neighborhood stoops, bustling traffic and billboards off the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway matched the instrumental swells of the symphony. A troupe of day-glo hula hoopers even came out during the performance to accompany the epic score.

Following an intermission, Stevens performed a series of his familiar hits, including "Jacksonville" and "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," while projections of psychedelic animation, fireworks and (of course) cheerleaders aired behind his band. Before closing the set with "Chicago," the Midwest native donned a pair of paper wings and kicked back his chair as he furiously pounded on the piano. The show brought the audience members to their feet and revealed that life was more than just a highway -- with his set of touching folk vignettes, Stevens led the crowd on a journey through land, air and even hula hoops. 

We asked: Which New York landmark would inspire you to write a symphony?

Name: Mark Welker
Age: 26
Hometown: Seymour, IN
Occupation: Pastry chef
"Where I'm from -- East Harlem."

Name: Noah Ruede
Age: 18
Hometown: New Brunswick, NJ
Occupation: Rutgers student
"My favorite hookah bar -- Rico Café on Avenue C."

Name: Michael Pavlou
Age: 18
Hometown: New Brunswick, NJ
Occupation: Rutgers student
"Shea Stadium."

Name: Beth Thomas
Age: 26
Hometown: Jackson, MS
Occupation: Secretary
"Pulaski Bridge."

Name: Cindy Vandenbosch
Age: 30
Hometown: Flint, MI
Occupation: Museum educator
"The part of Ellis Island that hasn't been restored."

Name: Daniel Schulman
Age: 25
Hometown: New York, NY
Occupation: Works in finance
"Grand Central Station."

Name: Evan Silva
Age: 21
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Occupation: Student
"Flatiron Building."

Name: Emily Wallar
Age: 23
Hometown: Oberursel, Germany
Occupation: Works at an architecture firm
"The Apple at Shea Stadium."

Say Yes! To Sufjan Stevens! / Photo by Simon Biswas

Stevens with full orchestra / Photo by Simon Biswas

'Come On! Let's Boogey' to Sufjan Stevens / Photo by Simon Biswas

Stevens, giving the BAM crowd 'One Last "Whoo-Hoo!"' / Photo by Simon Biswas

Hula hoopers take over the BAM / Photo by Simon Biswas