As an avid concert goer and Harry Styles admirer, I try to see Harry Styles every time he announces a tour. Being a fan of his since middle school and his One Direction days, once he announced his third studio album, I knew I had to see him again.
Months ago, my best friend and I waited patiently on Ticketmaster to attempt to buy Harry Styles tickets. As many fans can agree, Ticketmaster is the spawn of all things bad in the world. Whether that be the anxiety of being the ten-thousandth person in line or its “verified fan” resale prices, the rush of obtaining concert tickets from the music giant is an indescribable feeling of accomplishment. From obtaining codes for the presale to anxiously waiting for the ticket release time, we luckily secured tickets to both his Los Angeles “Harryween” and November 15th show. This was an achievement that my friend and I both cherish, as they were incredibly important shows. Who doesn’t love a special dress Halloween concert and the last North American concert stop?
Mind you, I have never camped for a concert ever, and I never plan to. This is also simply my opinion. I understand that camping has been a concept born years ago, but I think after quarantine, it has become the standard for standing room ticket holders. However, camping out for concerts has become a more popular concept since the rise of social media platforms like TikTok. Although Harry’s team has graciously designed a 360 stage, there is an added pressure to wait not just hours, but days to see him up close. I respect the dedication to being close enough to see him, but I personally cannot justify waiting on the streets of Inglewood for days. Believe me, I understand the hustle, and the desire to be at the stage barricade, but comfort is something I cherish. I wish we could all collectively agree as fans to show up the day of the concert. Personally, I can justify showing up at five in the morning on the day of the concert to wait, maybe even 3 a.m., but not days before, especially since the stage is set up to give everyone in the standing area the best view possible.
Harryween was an experience unlike any other. We decided to wait in line for a wristband at 5 a.m. with the lucky number 669 in line. Waiting on the streets of Inglewood was interesting. We met fans who had been waiting days, who came the same day as us, or fans who had been to multiple shows. I can cross off seeing the sunrise and sunset at The Forum within the same day off my unsaid bucket list. Luckily, The Forum started distributing official wristbands at 9 a.m., and once we got to the front, they had just set up the official limited edition Harryween merchandise! It seemed like a kudos from the universe for waiting. With our bright orange tote bags and tour shirts in our hands, we set off to get ready for the concert.
I have never gone all out for Halloween, but Harryween is an exception that changed my mind for upcoming Halloweens. My friend and I dressed up as Beetlejuice and Lydia, which was planned months before people thought he was going to dress up as a character. I bought a clip-in bang, a veil, and a full red outfit. My friend bought the entire black and white striped suit. In short, our outfits slayed. When we saw the post from Harry’s team saying, “Dare you say it? Harryween, Harryween, Harryween”, we flipped out. Although we hoped he would show up matching us, we were just as pleasantly surprised to see him in a full on wig and custom leather outfit dressed as Danny Zuko from Grease. The concert itself was incredible. We obtained a spot four people away from the barricade, standing beside fans who had camped for days. We saw a lot of costumes such as The Shining twins, Lydias from Beetlejuice, past Harry Styles inspired outfits, and much, much more. There were so many boas, fun accessories, handmade costumes, and color! It was awe-inspiring to see so many people coming together as a community to dress up and celebrate Harryween. I can say that I was in the room when Harry Styles graced us with his rendition of “Hopelessly Devoted to You”. He fully interacted with two people in front of me, and we swooned. Although I had seen Harry before, the man never fails to put on a good show. His allure is magnetizing in every single way. He pulls jokes, interacts with the crowd, and you can feel that he enjoys his job as a musician. His voice is incredible live, and it is always surreal to see that Harry Styles is an actual human being. The band was equally as fascinating, as they were playing their instruments with ease and energy. I would even say his lead guitarist, Mitch Rowland, even puts on an honest show. I laughed, I swooned, I cried. It was an experience I will never forget, and I left excited to see him all over again, a feeling many Harry fans get after their concert. Although I am biased, seeing Harry Styles is an experience that everyone should be a part of at least once in their lives, and I am so grateful to be able to be one of those lucky humans.
