Ed Sheeran: One Man and One Guitar; Rocking A Football Stadium

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     Ed Sheeran brought the singing crowd at METLIFE Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. to their feet with only a guitar and a loop pedal. Sheeran played packed shows on both Friday and Saturday night, September 21^st and 22^nd, in the support of his 2017 release, ‘Divide.’ Tour openers included Anne-Marie and the band Snow Patrol, which Ed thanked for taking him out as the band’s opening act in 2012. Upon taking the stage Friday night, Sheeran thanked his fans of all ages, from kindergarteners to grandmothers. Sheeran confessed this is his first large outdoor stadium tour and the largest venue he’s played in the New York City area, citing previous concerts at more intimate indoor venues like The Cutting Room and Radio City Music Hall.

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Sheeran opened with ‘Eraser’ where he layered his vocals to create a rich harmony. The artist briefly explained how he could make music with one acoustic/electric guitar. The technology allows Sheeran to record as he plays or sings a few bars, then repeat the recorded piece while he adds concurrent tracks on top. While looping a cacophony of rhythms and harmonies in the bridge of ‘So in Love,’ Sheeran went from a single voice to a chorus of Sheerans in about a minute flat. 

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Sheeran, a self-professed “awkward concertgoer” brings a level of theatrics to the stage. He seamlessly transformed his demeanor between tender love songs like “Thinking Out Loud” and edgy Eminem-style raps like ‘Don’t.’ The songwriter’s true performance is in playing his guitar. Sheeran changed guitars multiple times during the show, although most of the guitars were small acoustic/electric Martin models.  Sheeran cemented his status as a prolific guitar player while tacking his 2014 hit, ‘Bloodstream.’ The stage, bathed in fuzzy red light, pulsated with his driving guitar beat. As the lights intensified and video footage of Sheeran became more erratic, Sheeran looped at least 5 separate rhythms that mashed up into a musical storm. His voice echoed and reverberated on the words “…Tell me when it kicks in” over and over as his chilling tri-tone repeat of “Ohs” looped in and out.  

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     It was through his cover of Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ that Sheeran introduced a third side to himself. With his guitar dangling from his neck, he sang the often covered jazz standard a capella, with the slightest hint of a guitar strike looped in to keep the beat. The artist showcased a side of himself that was completely different from his radio hits. His voice was soulful and free, similar to his control of the stage.

     Sheeran paid homage to his Irish background with two songs from the Divide album. Before launching into the bouncy ‘Galway Girl,’ Sheeran told the crowd. “Don’t be like me at a concert. Get up and dance. Encourage the person next to you to dance.” He took on the role of balladeer for ‘Nancy Mulligan,’ a song he wrote about his grandparents who met during World War II and fled their Irish hometowns to marry. Taking inspiration from his own life, Sheeran dedicated ‘Perfect’ to his fiancée, Cherry. He took the romantic ballad and sped it up to a mid-tempo ballad. The artist asked the crowd to bathe the stadium in cell phone light as Sheeran strummed and sang about dancing in the dark.

     Sheeran’s ability to talk/sing has led to some of his biggest hits, including 2014’s ‘Sing.’ The song was a crowd favorite, partly due to the easy to sing chorus. Sheeran announced ‘Sing’ and the crowd responded back with a syncopated soccer-like chant. For his encore, Sheeran performed two more songs where he sang/talked. He came out to sing ‘Shape of You’ in an NFL jersey split down the middle, half NY Giants and half NY Jets, to honor the teams that call Metlife Stadium home. His closing number was ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’ from his first album, (+). This song went on nearly 10 minutes while Sheeran rapped about everything from using a loop pedal to proving his worth to his admiration for singer Damien Rice. Catch Sheeran on the Divide tour in the U.S. through November 10^th or join him in Europe and Africa in the spring of 2019.  ‘Divide’ is available on Atlantic Records.