British Invade Frisco

With the rush of major new British artists on the music scene such as Ellie Goulding, Jessie J, Sam Smith, and three-fourths of One Direction, (Niall is Irish) it is no surprise that Ed Sheeran has completely taken over the music industry. What is surprising, however, is that he came all the way to our very own Frisco, Texas to perform for a crowd of over 30,000 people—Ed’s biggest North American show yet. I had the great honor of witnessing his amazing talent live on Sept. 5, and can honestly say it was one of the most incredible and memorable nights of my young life. And I’ve been to four One Direction concerts. That’s right, one ginger man with a guitar and red sneakers made me forget the biggest British/Irish boy-band on the planet even existed, well, at least for a night.

As my friends and I entered Toyota Stadium, the first thing I noticed was the surprisingly diverse group of people that were present. Ages varied from elementary school aged children to forty, maybe even fifty-something-year-olds. The vast majority were, as I expected, young people in their teens and early twenties, dressed in a Coachella-worthy fashion with flower crowns, heeled ankle boots, fringe, and lots and lots of fedoras. Everyone exuded an ora of peace, creativity, and a raw love for good music. I instantly knew I’d come to the right place.

After we’d bought some concessions, t-shirts, and had miraculously made our way through the swarm of people to get to our seats, my friends and I settled into the overpowering emotion that seemed to be entrapping everyone: excitement. And I believe it’s safe to say that not one of us was disappointed. The crowd was hyped up with anticipation before Mr. Sheeran even stepped onstage as a video displayed on the large screens above and beside the stage showed childhood videos of Ed performing. Within a few minutes, we watched him grow from a gawky young boy in glasses to a powerful, soulful lyricist with serious guitar skills and the voice of an angel. And then he appeared. There in the flesh, Ed Sheeran nonchalantly walked onstage, seemingly out of nowhere, wearing a cowboy hat and a huge grin. I admit I screamed like a little girl.

He opened up with one of my all-time favorite tunes, “I’m a Mess,” and my friends and I instantly lost ourselves in the music, singing along with every note and strum of his guitar. I was surprised that we were the only ones within our immediate vicinity who were standing, clapping, jumping, singing, screaming, or showing any kind of intense emotions. I admit I was especially boisterous, and I could practically feel the slightly annoyed, slightly amused stares of those around us. But I didn’t have a care in the world.

Throughout the show, Ed would take small breaks to talk with the audience and give us a glimpse of how humble and kind he is. The music throughout was unbelievably powerful and soulful and full of the emotion that you just can’t get by listening to his album. The most incredible part of it all was that he was just one man with a guitar. He did have the help of a pedal on the floor that would repeat a recording of whatever Ed had just sang into the mic, enabling him to add layers to his songs and harmonize with himself, which was especially angelic and powerful during “I See Fire.” Besides doing many songs from his first album, “+” and his second album “X,” (will his third be “-“?) Ed also did covers of “Superstition,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Loyal,” “No Diggity,” “Feeling Good,” and even brought his opening act, Christina Perri, up on stage to perform “Be My Forever” together, and it was absolutely beautiful.

Some of the most special moments of the performance were when Ed sang “Kiss Me,” one of his most romantic songs, and “Don’t” which he extended with an extra verse that is not featured on his second album. His performance of “I See Fire” was also extremely soulful and moving. However, the most incredible moment was when he sang his big hit, “A Team,” and everyone in the crowd took out there phones and lit up the crowd like a sea of lights. It truly was an enchanting experience.

Finally, Ed gave us all the privilege of performing an encore, which consisted of “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You,” mashed up with “In Da Club” and “Know Yourself” and finally ended with “Sing.” I confess I got so into the music at the end that I was rocking out, head bobbing as if I were at a heavy metal concert. I suppose I really am an Ed Head, as some super-fans call themselves. Overall, it was a night of pure magic, and reminded me what really good music should be like. I’d like to thank Ed for an absolutely enchanting performance. I hope one day to be able to meet him face to face and be able to thank him in person and tell him how Sheeranious he is. That’s a new word my friends and I just had to come up with after witnessing a performance that was so beyond perfect, it was Sheeranious. It may look hard to pronounce, but it will catch on.