Walking into Hiro Ballroom is like descending into the Kill Bill scene where Uma Thurman goes absolutely bat shit samurai on fifty Yakuzas. But last night there was a bit more British of an air, and instead of the "5.6.7.8's" playing garage rock, Ellie Goulding graced the Japanese-chic dance hall's stage. And by graced, I mean I nearly fell in love with her.
To say Ellie killed it, would be easy and pretty accurate, and not the whole truth. She's incredibly talented--singing, playing guitar, and going apeshit on the drums--but shes got a little ways to go. Half her set she was a disco queen: her sultry voice dominant over heavy synth, her presence mesmerizing the room. This was especially true of her hits: "Starry Eyed" and (the peak song of her show) "Under the Sheets" where the aforementioned drum apeshitting was to the hilt. These moments were flashes of the queendom which she can reach. However, intertwined with the floor banging stuff was pieces of the singer-songwriter past from where she has come. Her Hiro set was scattered with more introspective ballady type songs reminiscent of a late-90s Jewel or Sarah McLaughlin. Now, I dont want to completely knock these, because some of them were quite good (even James Brown had his ballads), and a lot of the audience (most of the ladies) was eating it up, especially "The Writer." But for Ellie to kill it, these songs need to become fewer and farther in between.
Seeing Ellie Goulding at Hiro was seeing someone at the cusp. From everything I've heard, her live stuff has been improving by leaps and bounds. Next time I'm hoping to fall head over heels.
music:
Ellie Goulding: "Lights" (album version)
Ellie Goulding: "Under the Sheets" (album version)
Ellie Goulding: "Starry Eyed" (Russ Chimes Remix)
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