REVAMP Riffs: Ed Sheeran (Opening by Passenger)

All photographs by Deanna Saracino for REVAMP.com.

U STREET CORRIDOR -- Hoards of screaming teenage girls patiently waited with their homemade signs for British ginger chart-topping sensation Ed Sheeran to take the stage, inside the 9:30 Club on Saturday night.

As they all bid their time in anticipation of the headlining act, Passenger, comprised of British singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg took the stage.

And it only required one song to feel the buzz around the room wondering who this scruffy, charming young man with a distinguishable voice reminiscent of Paul Simon or a more upbeat Ben Howard was.

Passenger’s new album All The Little Lights was just released last month, and it quickly became obvious that everyone was pleased with what they heard. His songs encompassed all the elements folk-rock artists have been churning out lately, with catchy melodies and relatable lyrics.

The crowd went silent when Rosenberg played his first single, “Let Her Go” -- an unassuming, sweet, yet sensitive, track that draws on past emotions. His musical abilities are evident and his song writing delivers a wide spectrum of quirky, yet catchy, tunes.

When headliner Ed Sheeran finally took control of the main stage, it quickly revealed a similarly talented, but still slightly different musical approach.

Accompanying himself with only an acoustic guitar, he rotated between love ballads and complex rhymes. Throughout the night, he wavered on both sides of folk and hip-hop. He is a master in combining both and handily controlled the audience’s thunderous screams and unavoidable marriage proposals.

At the end of the night, Sheeran brought Passenger back out for a joint rendition of “Hearts on Fire” that left everyone in awe. Both lads had their D.C. fans firmly wrapped around their pinkies. Even the moms and dads that plastered the back walls waiting on their kids were enthralled.

Ed Sheeran and Passenger are a lovely listen on any given day.