Ed Sheeran at Air Canada Centre

Photographs by Matt Klopot. 

You don’t have to be a fan of Ed Sheeran to agree he is a phenomenal performer. The English singer-songwriter won over a crowd of screaming Torontonians at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday night.

He walked on stage with confidence opening with “I’m A Mess”, a track from his new album X followed by fan favourite “Lego House”. Sheeran was not only the main attraction but the backup singer, the band, the hype man, all rolled into one. Armed with only a guitar and some floor pedals (for creating beats and looping his vocals), he managed to keep the audience energized and entertained for the entire show.

You could immediately see the passion in Sheeran’s performance as he alternates between the microphones and pressing the foot pedals. It was like watching a painter create a masterpiece.  For some, the multitasking while trying to sing might be difficult but for Ed it was as easy as breathing air. But all his hard work would be for nothing if the crowd wasn’t entertained. 

He wanted the crowd to enjoy themselves, embrace the energy without doing the typical concert antics. Sheeran wanted full participation and his fans didn’t let him down. Occasionally, he would jump on top of the monitors and engage the crowd while he raps effortlessly for “Don’t” which featured a snippet of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” at the end.  When he wanted to his lyrics to evoke emotion, he would ask for silence as he plays.

I believe The X Tour has been filled with some of Sheeran’s best performances.  You would have to try really hard to watch him perform and not leave wanting more. His take on acoustic-based folk songs which is updated with hip hop influence sets him apart from other artists in the same genre. Not only is he a musical wiz but a beautiful soul full of swagger. What’s not to love!  

The encore featured the Grammy nominated song from his debut album +, “The A Team” followed by hit single “Sing”.