Jessie Ware + Mikky Ekko

There is no better way to know what season it is then by counting the number of horse drawn carriages you see roaming the streets of Old City Philadelphia on a 15 minute walk. In case you are wondering, I counted four so it is officially the holiday season. On a brisk friday night, I headed over to TLA to see Jessie Ware and Mikky Ekko. Blending singer songwriter and british pop music, the combination couldn’t have been any better and the crowd any more diverse.

Having watched Mikky’s iTunes Festival performance numerous times, I had an idea of what to expect when it came to a 30 minute set from him. However, there is a huge difference in seeing a live feed on your computer and actually witnessing live music. Best known for his writing and his collaboration with Rihanna on “Stay,” the crowd knew the name more than the voice. It didn’t take long to turn the entire TLA into fans of his music though, and by the second song, each and every music lover was fully invested in Mikky’s unique sound. From electronic beats to smooth vocals, Mikky mixed and mashed various genres of music but still let his voice shine through.

Having found out about Jessie when her single was the free single on iTunes, I didn’t know much of what to expect other than a great voice. The sheer joy she had for performing showed instantly as she took to the stage, and through her entire set, the crowd was singing and dancing along. Being fairly new to the US music scene, she was shocked at just how many lyrics fans knew and had fun joking with the crowd on various occasions. The set consisted mostly of songs off her debut album, Devotion, including fan favorites like “Wildest Moments” and “Running,” and left the crowd content yet ready for her next show.

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