James Blake – Commodore Ballroom – Sept 25, 2011
A full house at the Commodore showed there was ‘no limit to their love’ as British newcomer sang his breakthrough track. The cover of Feist’s No Limit To Your Love gained him critical attention around the world last autumn and he’s been on an upswing ever since.
This Vancouver tour stop in support of his debut self-titled album aims to put him on the map this side of the pond and judging by the crowd, he’s made an impression already. A lot of people were singing along and knew his work as he made his way through his small repertoire. Sitting in the corner of the stage with his electronic keyboard, accompanied by two backing musicians across the stage, gave him a feeling of solitude albeit surrounded by fans. Still seeming slightly unsure and humble as he ‘gave his speeches’ (as he called it) between songs. His combination of hauntingly beautiful vocals and an dubstep beat creates a uniquely moody set. However, the audience seemed to all get in the ‘mood’ to happily bouncing on the Commodore’s sprung dance floor as they felt the beats throughout the show. Although Blake’s tracks have a bit of ‘same-ness’ to all of them, the potential for great singing/songwriting is definitely on display and kept us entranced with the prospect for his future endeavours.