It seems to go against a myriad of unwritten rules that a simple singer-songwriter with just a guitar would never be able to fill a stadium for a concert, let alone make said concert exciting. But when it comes to Ed Sheeran at Gillette Stadium, an unlikely pair manages to work together beautifully. Three years after making his headlining North American stadium debut in Foxborough, Sheeran returned to Gillette Stadium for a two-night run that kicked off Friday, September 14 with understated delight.
The Grammy-winner kicked off Night 1 with an energetic performance of “Castle on the Hill.” Here he employed the formula that has carried him every show throughout his ongoing Divide World Tour and set the tone for the remainder of the gig. Vigorous guitar strums, percussive tapping and bass notes, all with the help of sample looping pedals, created an entire orchestration despite the stage being occupied by Sheeran and his guitar alone. He kept the energy high after “Castle” by jumping into the rap-fueled “Eraser” before going back to 2011 with early hit “The A Team.”
He relied only on simple six-string strumming for a batch of songs that came mid-way through the set, including “Dive,” “Happier,” and “Tenerife Sea.” The latter proved Sheeran’s strengths as performer to give an intimate performance in such a large-scale venue, as he quietly sang the lines of what he called his “favorite” song to perform while a respectful hush fell over the crowd. He seemingly escaped the atmosphere as he put every effort into the song, an honest and refreshing sight for even the most seasoned performers, regardless of their venue.
Sheeran quickly bounced back into the stadium setting for a rousing take on “Galway Girl,” signaling the start of a non-stop sing along as the night wore down. He let the crowd take over bits of “I See Fire,” which was brilliantly mashed up with a surprising cover of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good,” before playing fan-favorite love songs “Thinking Out Loud” and “Perfect” to a sea of glowing cell phones swaying through the stands. Quick-paced Divide deep cut “Nancy Mulligan” and “Sing” followed to bring up the energy level before Sheeran departed the stage.
Only a brief moment of thunderous applause separated Sheeran and the crowd from more music, as he hopped back on stage clad in the #87 jersey of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (which elicited even more cheers) for a two-song encore. Smash hit “Shape of You” kept the crowd on their feet before wrapping up the night with “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You.”
All throughout the 17-song set, Sheeran wasn’t afraid to let his personality shine through. In between a handful of songs, he spoke candidly to the near sold-out crowd about his experiences touring stadiums and how his unusual performance methods require crowd participation in order to go off without a hitch. He also indulged in self-deprecating humor for some light laughs, poking fun at his dance moves and appearance on Game of Thrones. For a laid-back performer as dedicated to their craft as Sheeran is, it doesn’t matter if he’s playing a coffee house or NFL stadium: the result is always pleasantly authentic.
Anne-Marie and Snow Patrol performed opening sets.
Ed Sheeran at Gillette Stadium Setlist – Friday, September 14
“Castle on the Hill”
“Eraser”
“The A Team”
“Don’t/New Man”
“Dive”
“Bloodstream”
“Happier”
“Tenerife Sea”
“Galway Girl”
“Feeling Good/I See Fire”
“Thinking Out Loud”
“Photograph”
“Perfect”
“Nancy Mulligan”
“Sing”
Encore:
“Shape of You”
“You Need Me, I Don’t Need You”