For around 20,000 fans, the wait was finally over to witness the closing tour for Europe’s hottest boy band One Direction, Aug. 9. Widely known around the world, singers Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson ended their tour in Los Angeles (LA) with four showings.
While holding major events like major league basketball games, the X-games and a multitude of concerts, the STAPLES Center in LA seemed a proper fit for this particular occasion for holding thousands of screaming Directioners.
The tickets for the concert were first placed for purchasing in August of 2012, but because the tickets for the two LA showings rapidly sold out two extra shows, on the ninth and tenth of August 2013, were added. Opening these two dates for extra shows proved to be beneficial since both also sold out quickly.
Upon arriving to the Staples Center, lines for the concert had already stretched around the building, crowding the sidewalk and entrance doors. Finally entering the building, booths of merchandise were set everywhere selling shirts and tank tops for both One Direction and opening Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer.
While anxiously waiting in the reserved seats, large television screens on either of the stage prepared the audience by advertising commercials for One Direction’s supplies at Office Depot and for their new perfume, Our Moment. With these constantly showing, the crowd would scream and yell just being able to catch a glimpse of their faces.
5 Seconds of Summer opened the show with their pop, upbeat songs, including hit single “Heartbreak Girl”, instantly raising the audience to their feet. With the four member band, they each wowed the crowd with their instrumental skills and talent.
With each singing, Luke Hemmings and Michael Clifford on guitar, Calum Hood on bass, and Aston Irwin on drums, they easily grabbed the crowds attention with their rock songs and Australian accents.
Waiting 40 minutes to an hour, songs like “Single Ladies” by Beyonce, “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz and the “Macarena” excited and pumped up the crowd with dancing. Right before One Direction came on stage, the producers played their newest single “The Best Song Ever” music video which had everyone up and singing along.
Before the show began, the screens showed a video with the band having a house party, beginning with Payne opening the door and ending with all of them smiling for the camera after falling in the pool before the lights went out and “Up all Night,” a song off their 2012 album Up all Night, started up.
Following the opening number came songs off both of their albums, including Up all Night and Take Me Home, like “Heart Attack,” “More Than This” and “One Thing.” During the show, in a way, they swept everyone off their feet with their charming accents and hilarious personalities.
As the beginning of the song “Change My Mind,” the band stepped on a floating platform that took them across the audience, to a small stage in the middle of the stadium. From there, they sang a remake on “One Way or Another” (Teenage Kicks) that, when first coming out on Red Nose Day, all the money off purchasing the song went to support Comic Relief.
After the song ended, one of the activities that One Direction typically do is answer Twitter questions that are asked by certain people who are sitting in the audience. As they finish answering, the screen will tell them where they are seated in the audience and will wave to that particular section.
Riding the floating platform back to the stage, One Direction ended the concert with more of their songs, including top hits “Kiss You,” “The Best Song Ever” and “What Makes You Beautiful.”
One of the aspects of the concert that surprised me was the fact that despite having any choreography, they still seemed to make the crowd aflutter with their own crazy dance moves. They are known to not know how to dance so to see them acting goofy and seeing their true personalities was a highlight of the night.
When the concert finally ended, my ears felt like they were muffled because of all the screaming girls and loud music that it was difficult to hear anything around me. Eventually, the muted sound in my ears faded, but the excitement of the concert did not. I was more than happy to have attended the concert because it fulfilled and surpassed all of my expectations.
This author can be reached via Twitter: @kaitlynking. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.
