Concert Review: Ed Sheeran Brings British Charm to Gillette Stadium; Plays Biggest U.S. Show to Date
/Ed Sheeran performed his biggest U.S. show to date on Friday, September 25th, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA (Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up).
Ed Sheeran brought his North American tour to New England this past Friday night, but this was no ordinary show. At his largest venue yet, and his first time playing in an NFL stadium, Sheeran and his openers, British singer Passenger and Atlantic label-mate Christina Perri, gave his fans a special night that none will soon forget.
Sheeran’s shows have a special quality. To fill and entertain an entire stadium full of over 52,000 people, you’d think he’d have to take a page from Taylor Swift’s concert handbook, having a moving stage, dancers, etc. However, that wasn’t the case. Instead, the “Lego House” singer calmly walked onstage adorned in a signature red flannel, acoustic guitar in hand. That obviously didn’t matter to the thousands there to see him, with Sheeran opening by saying “if you’re not [bothering] anyone else, do whatever the f**k you want.” The crowd happily agreed with this statement.
Ed Sheeran performed his biggest U.S. show to date on Friday, September 25th, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA (Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up).
With no backup, Ed was on it own. Using a foot pedal board, he was his own one-man-band. Flawlessly strumming and singing along, Sheeran effortlessly transitioned from sultry hit to sultry hit, with his 52,915 (to be exact) background singers helping him with “Photograph,” “Sing,” & “Lego House,” among the many.
Nearing the end of the show, the British star pulled out all the stops. Christina Perri joined Ed onstage to sing her song “Be My Forever” (which he is featured on), which led the already-hoarse crowd to strain their voices even more, never missing a word. But the fun and surprises didn’t stop there. Chris Martin, lead singer of world-famous band Coldplay, emerged from behind the massive LED panels. Before the fans could even stop screaming, Chris joined Ed in treating the crowd to a once-in-a-lifetime performance: a duet of Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” and Coldplay’s “Yellow.”
Ed Sheeran has done the unthinkable, something only existing in most performers’ dreams, showing it’s possible to be popular with no flashy dancers or sets, just a really good voice and a guitar. Just a few years ago, he was playing small nightclubs for just a few hundred fans. Today he’s selling out major world-class stadiums & arenas like Wembley Stadium in his home country, and now Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Well done, Sheeran - you’re a living, breathing example that dreams do come true.
