Ed Sheeran at Rogers Arena

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      So, there we were, all set to write a Straight Choices plug for the Ed Sheeran concert that takes place Friday (June 19) at Rogers Arena.

      Suddenly, we realized that we couldn’t name a single Ed Sheeran song, a fact that serves as a remarkable reminder of the disconnect between what music critics like and what most people who aren’t music critics actually listen to. So let’s just assume he sounds like a cross between Jason Mraz and Passenger, with a bit of Sam Smith thrown in. His audience is probably a freshly scrubbed, clean-smelling lot.

      It doesn’t matter what we say anyway, because if you’re the sort of person who would go to an Ed Sheeran concert, you’re also the sort of person who buys tickets way in advance.

      On the other hand, you might just be going because your significant other is making you go. Perhaps you would rather be heading out to see Goatwhore and Ringworm play at the Rickshaw Theatre that same night. We can’t name any of their songs either, but we’re guessing they don’t sound much like Jason Mraz or Passenger.

      It’s also a safe bet that their audience doesn’t smell as nice as Ed Sheeran’s.

      Comments

      5 Comments

      Abdel Naroth

      Jun 18, 2015 at 3:21am

      I also cannot name one of his songs but I see him more as an offspring of the cult of Van Morrison. He is talented, he just needs to dig into his soul.

      Lindsay W

      Jun 18, 2015 at 7:00am

      Mr. Sheeran has written a song about a teenage hooker (The A-Team). He has also written songs about alzheimers - the struggles of being a musician - how the music industry needs artists not the other way around. He raps. He is humble.

      Having said that a review that "assumes" and "coudn't name a single song" ... well how could anyone take it with any seriousness. Maybe you should take a minute or perhaps an hour and listen and you would appreciate his talents. After all, he's sold out 3 shows at Wembly and he's been selling out arenas around the World with only his guitar and a loop pedal.

      I find the "Suddenly" part of the piece to be funny - I can picture it now - all of the Straight music people sitting around a table talking their amazing musical tastes - all pretending that they live in a cave and have never heard "Thinking out Loud" a song (whether you like it or not) that has blown up globally. But "Suddenly" as if they've been shocked into pretending they have never heard a single song of his.

      I suggest listening to Bloodstream - this kid is talented - sure he's made it big mainstream - but that doesn't mean he's not talented or cool or worthy of being listened to - no doubt Ringworm's music would be!

      The writer of this comment is not a clean smelling 16 year old fan.

      Pbeetles

      Jun 18, 2015 at 9:47pm

      What a poorly researched and ignorant review.

      Martin Dunphy

      Jun 19, 2015 at 12:18am

      Pbeetles:

      What a poorly researched and ignorant comment. (Hint: that's not a review.)

      Lindsay W

      Jun 19, 2015 at 4:59am

      Correction on my post. Preview not "review."