Ellie Goulding Fills the Fillmore

I saw Ms. Ellie Goulding a little over a month ago across the pond at Brixton Academy in London. A resident of London, Brixton Academy is about as close to a home gig as Goulding will ever get. Naturally, I was curious to see how Goulding would adapt for her sold out show at the Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Fillmore is less than half the size of Brixton Academy, but what the audience lacked in numbers, they more than made up for in enthusiasm.  

Exceptionally professional and polished for a supporting act, St. Lucia brought their brand of electronic rock to the Fillmore and set the tone for the evening. The audience was attentive and gave off a high energy from the beginning of St. Lucia’s set to the end of headliner Ellie Goulding’s. However, as loud as the audience was singing at times, there was a huge number of attendees filming the concert on their cameras, which makes one wonder how much they are actually enjoying the concert when they view the majority of it through their iPhone screen.

Nevertheless, Goulding blasted through her set starting with the haunting “Don’t Say A Word” and continued with high-energy songs like her current single “Figure 8.” The audience’s presence was felt especially on the joyous “Halcyon”, the title track from her second album, when the audience took over the chorus and nearly drowned the music out. Midway through the show, Goulding performed several songs acoustically, including her cover of Elton John’s “Your Song.” This stripped down section showcased Goulding’s musical talent and proved that she did not need high production values or a full band to captivate an audience. The highlight of the evening was the euphoric “Anything Could Happen,” the first official single from her recent sophomore effort. The crowd couldn’t help bouncing along with Goulding and entirely lost themselves in the song.

Goulding seemed quite comfortable on the stage in Silver Spring, Maryland, even going as far to describe the venue as her “perfect show,” not too big, not too small. While she typically does not banter much between songs, Goulding appeared to feel very much at home and shared several personal tidbits throughout the performance. She went on several tangents such as the various colors she has died her hair over the years, her jealously of her brother performing in a heavy metal group, but the most touching moment was when she prefaced the powerful ballad “I Know You Care” by telling the audience it was a song she wrote for her father and wondered if he had ever heard it.

The only legitimate criticism of the show is Goulding feels the need to pump in loops of background vocals during intros/outros/choruses of the songs. It’s understandable that Goulding wants to fill out the sound in her songs, but she has a solid voice and the loops are more often than not unnecessary. Because it is her voice from the studio versions of the songs used in the loops, at times Goulding’s live vocals can get lost in the mix.

Having finished a tour of the United Kingdom in December and, roughly halfway through her American “Halcyon Days” tour, Goulding has gotten into a solid touring groove. She is a true delight to see perform live and if you are ever given the opportunity to see her, make sure you take it.