Ellie Goulding at The Fox Theatre, 3/20

Photos & Review by Molly Free

It was the first day of spring and a beautiful evening for my first experience at the Fox Theatre. I could not think of anyone more fitting for the bill than the incredibly talented Ellie Goulding.

Preparing the crowd for Goulding was fellow girl power artists, Conway. Self proclaimed, “sayer of things that are on my mind and stuck in my side,” Conway took the stage with incredible power and energy. With a full band supporting her, she bounced around the stage in a slick silver bodysuit with green feather collar. I couldn’t think of anyone more fitting to open for Goulding. My favorite song of Conway’s set was their current single, Hustler. She did a great job of keeping everyone on their toes as fans anxiously awaited Goulding to hit the stage. It was nice to see the line of young teen girls wrapping the isles of the Fox to get a photo with Conway after the show. She already is developing a captive female audience to the likes of Goulding’s. Conway will join Ellie on tour through the end of the month, promoting her new Big Talk EP! It truly is the perfect name for her EP because Conway surely has a lot to say.

The lights dimmed and lightening bolts flashed across the stage as Goulding’s band took the stage. An audience full of young women began chanting “Ellie! Ellie! Ellie!” and at that you knew you were in for a treat. Goulding took the stage in her usual sporty attire of a hoodie, leather shorts, and her trademark Birkenstock boots. She opened her mouth for her first song, Figure 8, and it was as if angels were coming out of her lungs. It’s as her voice has a hymn like sound with a heart thumping electronic beat behind it. Her unique sound is unlike any other sound out there today, and to hear it live is unlike any experience.

Goulding is known for her dancing which there was no shortage of during the show, when she sang her hit Anything Can Happen she enticed the crowd with a dance off. Even when she is interacting with the crowd her energy was light and fairy like. Slowing things down a bit, Goulding commanded everyone put their phones away and simply listen, as she sang her new single, Beating Heart which is the theme for upcoming blockbuster, Divergent. She truly appreciates her fans, so much that she even protested when the Fox security kicked out a young male fan for performing gymnastics during one of her songs.

Hosting an incredible range of musical talent, Goulding played multiple guitars and drums during her set. She added some variety with covers including Sir Elton John’s Your Song, and spiced things up with a drum solo to M.I.A.’s Bad Girls that definitely resonated with her audience that night. Ellie ended the night with a few of her hit singles, Need Your Love and Burn.

I have been to over 200 shows, and this one hands down will go down in the books as my favorite. I may be biased as I am probably the biggest almost 30 something Ellie Goulding fan on the planet, and I have had the opportunity to see her twice already. That being said, no one can escape the positive energy and light Goulding projects with her performance. She is a true well-rounded talent, with humility and grace that is infectious.