A Belated Dance Party with Ellie Goulding and the Bag Raiders

Dear readers, I apologize for the time that has elapsed between my seeing Ellie Goulding live and my report on it. I usually try to write these immediately after the concert, so the memory is still fresh, but let me say that in the week that has passed the experience has not faded.

I saw Goulding at Toronto's Kool Haus venue, and because I got there more than two hours early I managed to get a spot up close. Goulding's style seemed to be as addictive as her music- I saw several young Ellie Goulding lookalikes.Her opener, Australian duo Bag Raiders, got the crowd dancing with their electro-pop remixes, and their adorably bearded Chris Stracey won some hearts with his sweet accent and jokey demeanour. For those of you who don't know them (I didn't!) I'll post a link to some of my favorites.

Goulding came on around 9 (the doors opened at 7) with the crowd favourite "Under the Sheets". Everyone in the crowd knew the words, and was singing their heart out, which seemed to delight her. The British singer has shot up in popularity since the American video version of "Starry Eyed" was released in July this year, and has been compared to Kate Nash and Lykke Li. Going in, I have to say I was skeptical- though I've long been a fan of Goulding's music, I've found that most artists who rely heavily on electronic sound don't pack a punch in concert- but I was wrong about Ellie Goulding. Not only can she sing, but she also is quick to remix her own songs, using her considerable vocal talents to hold notes for so long that the audience stopped singing along and applauded in wonder and making slower songs more danceable. Her rendition of Elton John's classic "Your Song", which has won her awards in her home country, was sweet and soulful, one of the only quiet songs of the night. Though at first she seemed a bit crowd shy, going straight from one song to another, she warmed up to us, regaling us with the stories behind the songs. "The next time you think you've made a mistake, well, I made a bigger one, so I win," she told us, giggling, before launching into "Your Biggest Mistake".

Although the concert was short (including the encore, we got out at 10:15), Goulding packed a punch- the crowd was cheering even as it streamed out of Kool Haus. Keep an eye on Goulding- I have a feeling she'll be making a lot more critics go "Starry Eyed" in the future.

photo credit: Rachel Gould