Ed Sheeran blew St. Louis away last night as he brought his “➗ Tour” to Busch Stadium. Not only did Sheeran bring his A game for his third, and largest, world concert tour, but so did special guests, Anne Marie and Snow Patrol.
The night started on a bright note from the moment Anne Marie took the stage. Between her expression of self love, 90s style outfit, and sheer talent, she could be considered a new generation Spice Girl. Anne Marie sang hits like “Rockabye,” “2002,” and “FRIENDS” as well as a few lesser known songs, such as “Perfect” which she describes as an anthem about “not being perfect and loving your flaws despite that.” Anne Marie has recently been rising into the spotlight, and last night she proved that she won’t be going anywhere.
Next up was Snow Patrol. Between giving the Cardinals a shoutout and making jokes with the audience, the band came to set the mood. With simple black and white video amplified on the screens and bright lights illuminating the stadium, Snow Patrol sang hits from the early 2000s as well as songs off of their newest album- their first in 7 years. The band played “Open Your Eyes” which was made popular on the show, The Office, and “Chasing Cars” made famous on Grey’s Anatomy, and they were the obvious crowd pleasers of their set. By the time they said goodnight, the audience was encapsulated and ready for the rest of the evening.
The moment the lights went down, the crowd went wild. Video footage of Ed Sheeran walking into the stadium and onto the stage lit up the screens, and as he picked up his guitar and began to strum he immediately captured the attention of the audience. Sheeran kicked off his set with “Castle on the Hill” and then took a second to thank everyone for coming. He explained that everything in his show is completely live- just his guitar, his voice, and a pedal that he uses to help him create his signature “live looping.” Sheeran then went on to prove his skills as a true entertainer. Between hits like “Galway Girl” and “Photograph” he took the time to joke with the audience and create a show that he described as “not for himself, but for US.” The audience sang and danced along through the upbeat parts of the set, and even shifted the atmosphere as Sheeran played songs like “Tenerife Sea” and “The A Team,” which he led into by sharing an anecdote about initially being told that America didn’t need him because they already had Jason Mraz. Ed Sheeran let the audience in to see a variety of true emotions, and in turn, received those emotions back. The night was full of true musical talent, enjoyment, and pure fun. Until next time, St. Louis will have to simply keep last night’s love in a photograph.
