As an unashamed 19-year-old One Direction fan, I have no hesitation admitting that I love One Direction and have for the past 3 years (a bit extreme, I know). With that in mind, I woke up on the morning of September 28th knowing it was going to be a good day. Why? Because I was seeing One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer in Charlotte as part of their Where We Are Tour, an event that my friends and I had purchased tickets for almost a year ago. I had huge expectations for the performances and although I may be a bit biased, I was not disappointed.
The show was set to start at 7 and by that time the stadium was packed to the brim with screaming girls, some apathetic mothers, and the occasional very unhappy but dedicated boyfriend. Around 7:15 (fashionably late, of course) 5 Seconds of Summer, composed of Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, and Calum Hood, took to the stage. Although their music is a bit different from One Direction’s very pop sound, 5SOS shares a lot of the same fanbase as One Direction due to the band opening for them on their past tour as well. 5SOS started off strong with mix of upbeat songs, both from their new album and a few older songs mixed in for the long-term fans (“18,” “Out Of My Limit,” “Heartbreak Girl,” “Kiss Me Kiss Me,” and “Heartache On The Big Screen”). They then slowed it down a bit with their hit “Amnesia”, which was met with screams and a sea of cell phone lights waving in the crowd. They continued the slower tempo with “Beside You” and “Long Way Home”, both songs were met with girls swooning and screaming out the lyrics (myself included). They finished their set off with one of their more well-known songs and next single, “Good Girls”, their cover of The Romantics’ hit “What I Like About You,” and finally their summer smash “She Looks So Perfect.” Overall it was a great set and got the crowd excited for what we all really came to see, One Direction.
With 5 Seconds of Summer leaving the stage around 8pm, the wait for One Direction to take the stage (which didn’t end up happening until 9) was absolutely excruciating. The audience was kept entertained with music videos and songs played over the speaker system, but the crowd buzzed with anticipation. Finally, just after 9, the lights dimmed and an opening video of the members of One Direction, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne, was projected onto the massive TV screens to prepare the audience for the band’s entrance. At the end of the quick video, One Direction appeared on stage to screams louder than I previously thought possible. As always, the boys put on a fantastic show, interacting both with one another and with the crowd and goofing off with silly dance moves and pranks coupled with their fantastic set.
As this tour was for their most recent album, Midnight Memories, most of the songs played were from this album including “Midnight Memories,” “Little Black Dress,” “Don’t Forget Where You Belong,” “Better Than Words,” and many more. However, the band also threw in a couple of old favorites from previous albums such as “Kiss You,” “Rock Me,” “Live While We’re Young,” “Little Things,” and “One Thing”.
The upbeat songs got the whole crowd jumping up and down, met only in enthusiasm by the band members themselves, while the slow songs had everyone swaying together and belting out lyrics. They “closed” the show with their first hit and what propelled them to massive success, “What Makes You Beautiful.” However, after a few minutes of the audience chanting their names and a quick outfit change, they were back on stage for four more songs, “You & I,” “Story of My Life,” “Little White Lies,” and of course, “Best Song Ever.” Overall, the concert was a wonderful experience that I would love to do again and again.