Ed Harcourt, Rumer, and The Burt Bacharach Songbook

Regarded as something of an institution by his considerable, dedicated fanbase (people of refined taste, one and all), the once Mercury Prize-nominated Ed Harcourt is a man of many talents. Of course, the most obvious of these are displayed across his burgeoning back catalogue of records; that soulful yet deeply weary voice, his Waitsian way around the keys of a piano, his mastery of melancholic and life-affirming melody. But that only tells half the story when it comes to his equally impressive live sets. Harcourt, far from the being the character of the downtrodden troubadour that’s so often centre stage in his songs, is both a wild partier and formidable comedian on stage, often taking breaks to indulge in a brief tipple or conversation with individual audience members that can soon have an entire room in stitches. It can be a little unnerving even to one witnessing his shtick for the first time, but it soon becomes part of what makes Harcourt brilliant – he gives you his heart and soul in his music, but to truly witness his whole, rounded personality, you need the wit and danger that comes with watching him run through those songs while in the very same room.

Rumer is a British songwriter and singer. She is a bit diverse in her music, excelling in both pop and soul. She has a very, almost bohemian sense of style and wore a beautiful outfit at her show. She had a very down to earth and lovely air about her. Her music was beautiful and almost haunting in it's loveliness. Her stage was set up in a simple, if standard sort of way.
The main focus was on her gorgeous, pure voice. She sang many of her songs, such as "Am I Forgiven", "I Believe In You", "I Wanna Roo You", and "Take Me As I Am". "I Believe in You" was probably my favorite out of all of them, as I found it to be a very sweet and pretty song. The crowd appeared to highly enjoy Rumer's performances in each and every song. The atmosphere was a little quieter than in some shows, but in a good way. People were quietly and gently swaying back and forth while listening to her lovely music.
Seeing her live was a great experience. I think she sounded even better live, in my opinion. The venue was open and outside in the evening, which lent itself nicely to the atmosphere.