The Editors live in Vancouver, BC at The Commodore Ballroom February 6th, 2010 Review

The Editors live in Vancouver, BC at The Commodore Ballroom February 6th, 2010 Review

written by Caley Dimmock

Middle aged blue collared couples, groups of students, pudgy tattooed twenty-something’s, and attractive bartenders and security guards – what a mix of people there were who attended Editors’ show at the Commodore Ballroom show. I’m not sure which category I fell under, but with drink in hand I fit right in. The somewhat mainstream crowd was definitely a surprise considering UK’s Editors aren’t overly well known on this side of the pond.

Princeton, an upbeat yet somehow mellow group from California started the night. Not sure if they started off right, but they started it. Their sound was simplistic and pretty chipper. I was puzzled by the lead’s somewhat British accent considering the band is from America, but after some research I found out that they had lived in London for a year. I guess that makes it okay. Their live performance was a little bit lackluster for my taste, however, I might consider listening to their tracks on a summer road trip.

At about 10:40pm, Editors hit the stage. Judging by the scores of people who immediately ran towards the stage, they had some die hard fans in attendance. The energy level of the performance itself was a roller coaster, although it was one that had neither extreme heights, nor extreme lows. I had been watching the show from afar, making some notes. My last note happened to read “Great! I’m going in!”. While I was close to the action, I noticed that it really wasn’t all that great. The only part to really watch was the lead singer – Tom Smith. I was sort of disappointed that although the sound itself was impressive, it had turned out to be a one man show.

Nearing the end of the set, I noticed something odd, a feeling I was having. Editors roller coaster of a show had managed to put me in a funk. I couldn’t figure out if it was because I wasn’t totally into what was going on, or if the intimacy of some of their songs like “Smokers Outside the Hospital Door” had put me in that I feel emotional, but I like it state of mind. You know – sort of what The Shins “New Slang” does to one.

Overall, I would describe the night as ‘good’… in a typical way. I’m sure all of the real Editors fans there had a blast, otherwise, I think it’s safe to say it was a pretty mediocre affair. I am sad to say that I expected a little more from a group “renowned for their explosive live performances”.