Orla Gartland Is The Hero We Needed

The Irish singer-songwriter brought her energy-charged live show to Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom.

Cam Delisle

Photos by Laura Harvey

May 15, 2025

Vancouver, BC

Commodore Ballroom

It’s a Thursday night in Vancouver, and the Commodore Ballroom is already buzzing—anticipating the precise moment when Orla Gartland will take the stage, a glowing beacon of pop sophistication. The audience isn’t just here for a show; they’re here for something more intimate, like a confessional. Lucky for them, Gartland lives in this space—exposing the messy, the honest, and the raw.

From the first chords of “SOUND OF LETTING GO,” it’s clear that this isn’t a typical indie-pop gig. She pulls apart the seams of each song, turning her vulnerability into an experience that needs to be seen to be believed. Her voice, both delicate and fierce, fills the room with the sort of quiet power that could level skyscrapers. It’s not just the music either—it’s the way she invites the crowd to witness her transformation, from self-doubt to self-empowerment, with every song.

 

 

The setlist unfurls like a journey: from the haunted, finger-picked “Mine” to the upbeat catharsis of “Three Words Away,” Gartland holds space for every tender feeling, amplifying them with crystalline precision. The pacing is deliberate, offering moments of stillness before detonating into playful chaos. Her storytelling is a revelation, simultaneously personal and universal, anchoring a narrative of growth and connection.

The encore lands with “Little Chaos,” and it’s the kind of moment that pulls you in from the periphery, making the room feel like a secret shared between Gartland and the crowd. There’s no dramatic flourish, no bells and whistles—just Gartland, the mic, and the song’s aching honesty. It’s a quiet defiance, a release that’s more about surrender than celebration, and as the final chords echo out, the energy lingers. Not in the usual way of an encore, but as something more grounded, leaving you with the sense that this show wasn’t just about the performance, but about the space between the notes, and the silence that lets you breathe.

 

 

 

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