Last night, British sensation Tom Odell performed at The Troubadour in West Hollywood. He made his LA debut in January at School Night at The Bardot (recap of that show), but this was his first headlining gig in LA.
Tom really knows how to get the crowd going; he opened with Randy Newman‘s, “I Love LA”, and seamlessly went into “Hold Me”, the current single in the UK. It’s the brilliant song to keep the energy up and showcase the diversity in his musicality. I never realized how hard he’s hitting the keys… he’s got some power!
Another highlight from Tom’s set was “Sense”, a slow ballad that shifted the attention from Tom’s piano to his incredible voice. He is able to convey immense vulnerability and emotion in his voice – it’s compelling, captivating and mesmerizing. After “Sense”, Tom broke into another cover, a brilliant rendition of The Beatles‘ “Oh! Darling”, which was a definite crowd favorite. He really had the crowd from the start, but if anyone was undecided, Tom won them over after “Sense” and “Oh! Darling“.
“Can’t Pretend” came next, which is one of my favorites. He really got into it, and it’s got a great build-up. And it really showcases his voice, piano playing, and invited the audience to get involved with the beat, especially in the bridge.
For “Stay Tonight”, Tom traded the piano for an acoustic guitar. He unnecessarily apologized for not being able to play well as he did a great job of managing the new-er instrument and singing the ballad.
As expected, the crowd sang along and cameras popped out for “Another Love”, which closed his set. “Another Love” is such a well written/crafted song and I’m captivated by it every time I hear it, as was the entire sold-out crowd at The Troubadour. Tom came back for an encore, performing “Grow Old With Me” and an additional song. I would have liked hearing “Another Love” one more time during the encore… I simply can’t get enough of that song!
Since seeing Tom at The Bardot four months ago, it’s clear that he’s extremely talented and it’s coming across to the US audience Not only did he sell out The Troubadour, but the crowd was entertained and singing along to the songs on his recently released EP, Songs From Another Love.
As I was walking into the venue, a bouncer asked me to describe Tom’s music, and I stumbled for a moment. I couldn’t find the right genre… yes, he plays the piano, but not like you’d expect. Yes, he’s a singer-songwriter, but the he’s more than that. He’s fairly young, but wise and extremely talented. I don’t think I can really categorize him, and after the show, I realized that that’s what makes him great – he’s Tom Odell. I can really only describe his music with positive descriptors. I’m sure everyone at the Troubadour last night would agree that Tom’s a fantastic musician and brilliant performer, and that they were thoroughly entertained.
Tom’s debut album, Long Way Down, will be released on June 24th.
