At his recent show Sept. 16 at the Allstate Arena (6920 North Mannheim Rd.), British band Rudimental opened for Sheeran. Though Rudimental’s quirky sound was enjoyable, it was ultimately too heavy to clearly connect with the audience with its high-powered beats and dubstep-like bass — far removed from what the audience had come to hear.
In contrast, Sheeran emerged to deafening cheers and screams from an audience that spanned in age. I was surrounded by a set of teenage girls accompanied by what appeared to be one of their mothers, a group of grad students and a couple in their fifties.
Opening with “I’m a Mess,” Sheeran’s setlist ran across the many styles and speeds that characterize his experimental range. Many commentators worried that he would lose his popularity with the change in style between his first album, +, and his second, x (read ‘multiply’). Instead, x became Sheeran’s first album to break the No. 1 spot in both the UK and U.S.
I came away with three clear impressions of the singer-songwriter that night:
First, the guy is incredibly talented. He harmonized vocals live on stage where auto-tuning is impossible. Those slight variations in tone and timing are the hallmarks of true musical talent, and were some of the most impressive things I have ever musically experienced.
Second, his talent is not limited to his singing. He is a dynamic musician, whether on the strings of his guitar or using the instrument to give off a drum-sound, supported by brilliant beatboxing. This included his rapping in such songs as “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” and “Take It Back,” which was just as, if not more, impressive than his singing ability.
Third, it is clear that Sheeran legitimately enjoys being onstage and performing. Measured against the clinical, over-rehearsed performances of many pop musicians, the effort and enjoyment that Sheeran puts into his live performances was reflected in the amount of attendees’ voices that were lost during his two-hour set.
Whether by taking selfies with the audience or dropping in excerpts of songs like “No Diggity” (Pitch Perfect 2 cast member, anyone?), Sheeran demonstrated that he performs not just for the money or fame, but also for the sheer enjoyment of the experience.
I’ve been an Ed Sheeran fan for several years, since his breakout EP, No. 5 Collaborations Project. He has done it all: performing song commissions for movies (including “I See Fire” for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which was perhaps the most well-received song of the entire night), supporting huge artists like Taylor Swift on tour, and writing for other artists including One Direction and Lewy White.
His work has stood up as creative, talented and groovy. While he hasn’t won a Grammy yet, I suspect that he’ll be walking away from the ceremony with some bling for the trophy cabinet this year. Sheeran’s show proved his multi-faceted talent and inventive writing is one for all ages to watch and enjoy.