As predicted, going to see Harry Styles as a part of his “Love on Tour” was everything I could have wanted and more.
I’ve been watching videos of his previous tour since it was happening in real time in 2017. Throughout the height of the pandemic when everyone was in quarantine, they were a source of joy and a preview of his next tour after things got back to normal. Finally seeing him live at my first concert since the start of the pandemic was one of the best feelings ever and is a significant reason why “Love on Tour” has been revolutionary.
With almost all, if not every one, of his shows being sold out pre-pandemic, ticket holders have been waiting to see Styles live since 2019. In addition, five of his 40 shows were scheduled at Madison Square Garden, two of which are part of ‘Harryween’ and are on October 30 and 31. All five shows are sold out, with 100,000 tickets sold in total. As a result, Styles has received the Golden Ticket Award from Madison Square Garden, making him the first artist of the 21st century to do so — something only Fleetwood Mac, Elton John and Bon Jovi have previously accomplished. Not to mention, all of the tickets were sold out in a month.
Styles’ motto (of which there is a song of the same name) is ‘Treat People with Kindness’ and he makes clear that’s something he actually lives by while on stage. He took the time to talk to the crowd, gave multiple thank you speeches expressing gratitude for his fans’ support, read people’s signs and even had the whole arena sing “Happy Birthday” to a fan. Both Elton John-style sunglasses and a rainbow boa were among things tossed onto the stage and he put both on. There are plenty of artists who kick those types of things off the stage for their own personal reasons, but seeing this type of trust and joy in interacting with his fans sets Styles apart.
One of the highlights of the show was during his song, “Treat People with Kindness”. At this point, fans have caught onto what is becoming a tradition during this song at each show. They toss their pride flags onto the stage as Styles picks them up to dance around the stage with, waving them proudly. Fans have also started bringing Black Lives Matter flags, of which he has also started to include in this mid-show event. Looking around and seeing the pure joy this brought to an arena of 20,000 people was incredibly special. It’s a moment of unity, validation and support from Styles, as well as every cheering, emotional fan.
One thing I’ve found to be particularly refreshing about Harry Styles through videos on social media and from attending one of his shows is that he has a knack for getting dads (and guys in general) to let go of any toxic masculinity that might prevent them from joining his female-majority fanbase. Whether it’s because they overheard his music at home or they were dragged to a concert for whatever reason, the influence of Styles’ favorite artists in his music (Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, Freddie Mercury, etc) and excitingly dynamic performances can get just about anyone onto the Harry Styles bandwagon. This was actually a topic of the first ever Tunes with Tate, in which I mentioned that both my dad and brother became fans of his music over quarantine (my mom was won over, too). Fast forward to approximately a year later, and my whole family attended the show with me on their own accord.
Styles’ performance for the 90 minutes he was on stage was absolutely amazing. His charisma in combination with large amounts of dancing made it clear he was having a great time and in turn, his electric energy lit up the whole arena. His band, which includes returning members from his last tour as well as some newbies, is incredible and they all work together to create an incredibly fun set. Not a single note sung or played was wrong and Styles even took some creative liberties with his own songs by altering the way certain parts were performed. You would never guess that this was his twenty-third show playing the same songs off of Fine Line in addition to the repetition of songs he already toured around the world from his debut self-titled album.
Anyone given the opportunity to see Styles live should take it. He is not going anywhere and puts on one of the best shows of today’s top artists.
Tate Raub is a sophomore studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Tate know by tweeting her @tatertot1310.
Opinion Editor
