Tom Odell, an English singer-songwriter, brought his No Bad Days tour to The Imperial in Vancouver on Friday, October 21. Odell is originally from Chichester, West Sussex, England and released his first album, Long Way Down, in 2013. Odell’s music from that album gained recognition after his songs, “Can’t Pretend,” “Long Way Down,” and “Grow Old With Me” were featured in TV shows. His current album, Wrong Crowd, was released in 2016 and featured songs such as “Magnetised,” “Wrong Crowd,” and “Here I Am.”
The venue opened their doors at 8 p.m., but Odell was not scheduled to come on stage until 10:15 p.m. However, the audience was not left unattended as opening act Barns Courtney entertained the crowd with his folk-pop music and guitar playing. Courtney’s performance had impressed the crowd. Not only was he a great singer, but his charisma and interaction with the audience gained him constant applause and cheers from the crowd. There are many opening acts that have lacked the ability to gain the audience’s attention and build their excitement; however, Courtney had no trouble in that area. He had easily gotten the audience to sing along to his music towards the end of his set and it was clear that his astounding performance had gained him new fans.
Courtney had raised our expectations of the night and generated more excitement and anticipation for Odell’s arrival. When Odell did arrive, he immediately began singing, “Still Getting Used to Being On My Own.” Odell’s music consists of indie-pop and slow ballads so I had assumed that his concert would have been more calm. However, the singer did not fall short in bringing excitement to each song, even ones that were meant to be sung as ballads. He would start off most songs slow, only playing on his piano, but as the song progressed the rest of his band would join in. Guitar and drum solos were added, along with stage effects, and heavier bass music. Odell gave a good balance between soft, indie-folk ballads where the audience could connect more with his lyrics, and music that the audience could dance to.
Songs such as “Wrong Crowd,” “Here I Am,” and “Magnetised” had gotten the crowd on their feet and dancing. However, songs such as “Somehow” and “Heal” were performed in a more intimate way, focusing mostly on Odell and his piano. The singer even dedicated his song “Heal” to the homeless population he had seen in Vancouver.
Performances in small venues, such as The Imperial, are exceedingly different in comparison to concerts that are situated in Rogers Arena and BC Place. Smaller venues and general admission settings can be unfortunate in certain circumstances if the area becomes crowded or you can’t see above other people; however, what small venues lack in space, they make up for in intimate settings where the audience can truly see and hear the artist and connect with them on a more personal level than they would have been able to at venues such as Rogers Arena.
Overall, Odell’s performance was an entertaining experience and I would definitely attend another one of his concerts in the future. Odell had connected with the crowd through his music and lyrics and there was not a moment throughout the night that lacked excitement. Although his stage had been simple, with only a poster that hung behind him, his music, band, and stage lights made up for it, creating a memorable night for his audience.
