Jon Stewart, David Byrne and Sufjan Stevens Join David Eggers' Cause on "Bookeaters" tour

Next, Sufjan Stevens, toast of the indie world (and quite a pedant himself), walked onstage with a six-piece band, including a trumpet player, violinist and a trombone player. Stevens' music -- with his sweet, breathy voice and stylized tunes -- can sometimes border on precious, but Wednesday night, he demonstrated a more reserved and mature sound. Tracks from his latest album, Illinois, including "Jackson," built around a trickle of piano and fritters of brass, translated as cool and restrained but utterly expert.

Closing the evening, David Byrne and his crack four-piece band played what the singer called a "country set," including obscure covers and two Talking Heads songs. Byrne and company nailed the searing "The Big Country," with its vitriolic refrain and closing staccato guitar flare-up, and invested the plangent "Give Me No Flowers" with lovely urgency, courtesy of some gorgeous pedal steel.

As a final bonus, the evening's emcee, writer John Hodgman promised the crowd that if fans successfully raised $5,000 during the mid-show pledge drive, Byrne and Stevens would share the stage. Well, after more than tripling the requested sum, the duo treated fans to a low-key, lyrical duet of Bill Anderson's "Saginaw, Michigan," trading verses with aplomb. It was the sweet, perfect moment that left everybody -- authors, musicians and audience members -- feeling as if they left winning.