By Alaina Valdespino, Staff Writer and Photographer
“After everything we as individuals... and as a collective have experienced this past year and a half, the least we can do is Treat People with Kindness.” -Harry Styles Love on Tour SA 2021
Harry Styles took the stage at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX on the eve of September 9, 2021, marking his third performance on his highly anticipated Love on Tour. For a vast majority of concert goers, me included, this tour was the first live and in-person musical experience in nearly 2 years, making it a highly anticipated event and performance. The eagerness to see an in-person concert added to the existing hype surrounding Harry Styles’ tour contributed to make this performance a night to remember.
After nearly 2 years of patience and anticipation for the Love on Tour, Harry Styles was given the chance to perform for an audience full of people, again me included, some of whom had purchased tickets as far back as 2019. And with that, this COVID-era performance was exactly the kind of energy that people need as we dive back into a world where live music is making a comeback.
I had the privilege of going to Harry’s San Antonio performance at the AT&T Center, and I can wholeheartedly say it was an experience of a lifetime. Not only was it surreal to be flying to Texas for the sole reason of seeing this concert (after more than 2 years of anticipation), but the energy that radiated through the stadium before, during, and after the concert was completely unmatched. Never in my life have I been a part of such a collective sense of positivity.
Harry Styles completely sold out the 20,000 seats and despite the fear of COVID in the air with the rise in Delta cases, Harry made sure to remind audience members to Treat People With Kindness and to wear their masks. In saying, “You can tell more about a person with their eyes, anyway,” Harry received a standing ovation from his masked audience, which remained for the duration of the performance.
Diving into the concert itself, as a music minor, I feel as though I know slightly more than the average soul about things such as stage presence, performance, and overall talent; and let me just say that Harry Styles did not disappoint in any of these sectors. In fact, not only was he incredible, falsetto and all, but the talent that surrounded him on the stage matched his energy and his musical talent. Every instrumentalist and vocalist looked as though they were having the time of their life, and their positivity radiated throughout the entirety of the AT&T Center.
Alternating between singing, guitar playing, and the occasional conversations with the audience; Harry Styles gave the audience more than just another concert, but an escape from the crazy world we live in and a glance at what life could be like if we were “to just be who we want to be and accept everyone for who they are as individuals.”
Harry Styles’ set list included a variety of songs from both his newer album “Fine Line” and his debut self-titled album “Harry Styles.” Songs such as Golden, Sign of the Times, and Grammy Award winning Watermelon Sugar were performed and accompanied by a variety of lighting and stage effects that really helped to bring the energy of each of these songs to life. Harry even included a One Direction throwback that I’m sure every Directioner in the audience was overjoyed to hear.
Later into the concert, Harry got deep with his audience when talking about the past year and his inspiration for his tour, and went on to inspire the audience and move many to tears. Spreading the messages of love and acceptance is something that Harry Styles has been able to do in his music and his performances for years, but these messages hit close to home with this San Antonio audience. All in all, Harry performed as anyone would expect him to; full of energy, positivity, and radiating inclusivity and kindness and his audience was not only receptive of his energy, but reflected it back to him.
Personally, I was overjoyed to have finally gotten to see Harry Styles live in concert, and the entire experience surrounding it will be something I carry with me for a long time to come. In a matter of 52 hours; I was in class in Loyola Hall, on an airplane flying to Texas, in the AT&T Center, seeing Harry Styles live, on another airplane, and finally back to my apartment feeling in complete shock and awe. So, to say that I am still on a Watermelon Sugar high is a severe understatement, and I can assure you the feelings about the experience I had won’t be Falling anytime soon.