SHOW REVIEW: Elle King at The Majestic Theatre in Detroit

Singer/Songwriter Elle King finally made it to Detroit this past Wednesday night and MCB was there to catch the show. Elle had to postpone a scheduled performance back in November which seemed to have built the anticipation for many within the walls of the sold out Majestic Theatre.

 

Elle opened her set with the song 'Jackson' off her critically acclaimed debut full length album 'Love Stuff'. By the end of her second song she was proclaiming her love for Detroit and offered her apologies for the postponed show. She promised a special treat near the end of her set for those who stick around. She also stated the fact that she was "drunk already". A beer strategically located in a cup holder on her mic stand would help keep her in that condition throughout the set.

 

She would proclaime "I only go dumped once in my life and it won't happen again" before her third song of the set entitled 'Good To Be A Man' which ended up being the song that got her signed back in 2012. Elle put down the guitar and picked up a banjo for this song. Her alcohol consumption was most likely a factor in Elle forgetting some of the lyrics to the song, but she was quick to draw attention to the fact that she did and had fun with it. She stated that she "didn't feel bad about getting drunk in Detroit because Detroit is wild." The statement was proven true as the crowd kept their own beers flowing.   

 

 

 

Elle King would ask the crowd "Who knows the words to my album? Who's going to help me fuckin' sing this shit?" before breaking into the 'Where the Devil Don’t Go' . This was to be the first song into her set where she didn't have a guitar or banjo in her hands. With this freedom she proceeded strut around the stage and got right at the edge of the stage and on her knees as she sang to the crowd. At one point she laid down at the front of the stage and belted out the song that sounded much like her albums recorded version. Elle was truly having a good time performing and made a connection with the audience with her humor and openness. She asked the crowd "who saw up my skirt?" after the song.

 

At one point in the set Elle told her band to skip the "slow ass song" choosing to play a more upbeat song to continue the party as she told the crowd. She choose to perform a mashup of Nick Jonas’s 'Jealous' and 'Can’t Feel My Face' by The Weeknd. This would not be her only cover of the evening. Elle also belted out a version of The Beatles classic 'Oh! Darling' which she proclaimed as one of her favorite songs. She held her own with the song and did not disappoint.

 

Elle lived up to her tattooed statement to "have a good time all the time" as she continued to interact with the crowd between songs. She laughed with the crowd and asked them to raise their glasses because "She doesn't like to drink alone". Her genuine personality shined during the show and a good time was being had by all. She kept telling the how appreciative she was of everyone in attendance and the fact that she was having a great time. Her statement that she's from Ohio did get a fair amount of "boo's" from the audience which I assume is a result of Michigan and Ohio being big rivals in sports.   

 

Elle's band held their own during the set and were tight. They were there to provide musical accompaniment to the shining star that is Elle King. They adapted quickly to on the spot changes to the set list and lyrics that were dropped during the songs.

 

 

Elle stated “Detroit! Y’all know how to party.” as she continued a set filled with more tracks off 'Love Stuff' including 'Song of Sorrow', 'Under the Influence', and 'Kocaine Karolina'.

 

Elle King is not only the vocalist, but is also the songwriter for songs that reflect her experiences with love and heartbreak. Tracks such as 'I Told You I Was Mean' may display love gone wrong, but Elle isn't apologizing on her end. She stated during the set that when she get's pissed off at someone it's better that she writes a song about them instead of stabbing them. Make's sense.

 

Before the song 'Last Damn Night' Elle shared with the audience that "I wrote a song about sleeping with a bunch of fucking dudes and I got nominated for two fucking Grammys." She recommended that the audience "Find ways to stand out" and for her it was being a "Big Slut". King is not above laughing about her wild ways and stated that she is glad she is a musician and doesn't have a "real" job.    

 

As Elle performed her chart hit 'Ex’s and Oh’s' (which happens to be nominated for two Grammy's this year) the crowd was infused with a wave of energy as they sang every lyric to the best of their ability and waved their drinks and cell phones in the air. It's a well deserved hit song and the performance of it was stellar.

 

Elle and band left the stage after 13 songs and would return shortly after to perform a few encores. The band returned to perform the special treat Elle promised to the Detroit crowd for the previously postponed show. The band started the music and was instantly recognized by most in the crowd as 'The Real Slim Shady'  by Eminem. Elle would soon join the band to deliver the lyrics to the song. It's not a easy song to rap to and is often like aerobics of the alphabet, but Elle nailed it and sang every verse with ease and used her body language to reflect the lyrics in the song.

 

Her second encore of the evening was another cover song. This time it was 'My Neck, My Back'  which was first presented as a live track on 'The Elle King EP'. Elle modifies Khia's rap version into a smooth rock sing along and stayed true to the sexually explicit lyrics.

 

Elle King concluded her show with 'America’s Sweetheart' which has a great chorus that could easily rival that of 'Ex's and Oh's'.  

 

 

At one point during her set Elle proclaimed "Tonights a shit show. Don't hold it against me. I just like to party" and the audience was just fine with it. If you were a Elle King fan based on her albums then the live show is not to be missed. She was able to pull off a vocal delivery of the songs that proved that she is indeed a fantastic singer in as well as out of the studio. The live show was a unique experience and it felt like we here in Detroit were being treated to something special. The lengthy, alcohol-induced tales between songs were highly entertaining and gave a glimpse into Elle's personality even so at times it was filled with many expletives.  Performances that are as raw as the one Elle was bestowing upon the crowd that evening are usually the one's you tend to remember long after the night ends. 

 

  

Setlist:
Jackson
Can’t Be Loved
Good to Be a Man
I Told You I Was Mean
Good For Nothin’ Woman
Where the Devil Don’t Go
Song Of Sorrow
Kocaine Karolina
Oh! Darling (The Beatles cover)
Under the Influence
Jealous/Can’t Feel My Face (Nick Jonas/The Weeknd mashup)
Ex’s & Oh’s
Last Damn Night

 

Encores:
The Real Slim Shady (Eminem cover)
My Neck, My Back (Khia cover)
America’s Sweetheart