On Saturday night, Harry Styles made one simple request to his audience on Aug, 20. Looking out to the masses of shouting fans in Madison Square Garden, he remarked, “I ask only one very very simple thing – I want you to have as much fun as you could possibly have.” Let’s see if you have as much fun as I plan to have. Here you will read how Harry Styles brings good vibes to the first of 15 MSG shows?
Nearly 20,000 fans didn’t need this reminder, they were already in a positive frame of mind before Styles entered the stage for the first of 15 gigs at the legendary New York City arena. Blood Orange, an alternative R&B musician, set the tone with a calm performance that included fan favorites like “You’re Not Good Enough” and “Time Will Tell.” Still waiting for Styles to take the stage, the crowd sang along to songs by One Direction, Queen, and even Frank Sinatra.
Love On Tour. New York City II. August, 2022. pic.twitter.com/AmlPb3R4mS
— Harry Styles. (@Harry_Styles) August 22, 2022
Meanwhile, the venue remained sparse for such a massive tour, with just a couple of drum and piano sets on either side of the stage and catwalks extending to either side so that Styles could dash out and sing to the crowd.
Styles made care to bring up the setup early in his blazing performance. Warning: “We’re in the round,” he said quickly. At other times, however, we won’t be able to avoid coming face to face, eye to eye, window to the soul. That means there will be times when I turn my back on you and we are face to face. Let me know if you develop a preference, and I’ll make sure to treat your face and ass with equal fairness.
This kind of witty banter with an overly enthusiastic crowd was prevalent all through Saturday night’s event. At one point during the evening’s festivities, the actress observed a fan called Ingrid holding a sign that indicated she and her boyfriend had broken up after seven years together. As soon as Styles found out that Josh was the name of her long-lost lover, she began mocking him. It’s always someone named Josh, right?
In a brilliant moment of crowd work, Styles ended up convincing the fan to send her phone onto the stage so he could call the young man to give him a load of his mind — yet as soon as he responded, Josh, hung up. To which she said, “I hope you all the joy, but not with Josh,” he smiled gently. Someone who accepts you for who you are and treats you with kindness is never Josh.
Love On Tour. New York City III. August, 2022. pic.twitter.com/rZ695kQGiL
— Harry Styles. (@Harry_Styles) August 24, 2022
Channeling the crowd’s energy, he used it for a non-stop sequence of transitions to “Music for a Sushi Restaurant,” followed by Fine Line’s “Treat People With Kindness,” and concluded with One Direction’s hallmark song, “What Makes You Beautiful.”
Whether he was sprinting around the stage to concert closer “Kiwi” or pumping his legs up into the air as the hook of “As It Was” blared up, it was evident that Styles was having a wonderful time on stage Saturday. “I’ve had the honor of playing this building several times in my career, and it’s been great every time,” he told his audience towards the end of his set, an ever-present roar going up as he concluded the idea. Without you, there is no audience, just me performing alone.
With a smile, he added, “Make some noise for Josh, wherever he is.”
Keep following journalistpr.com for more updates.