I was fortunate enough to be able to see Ed Sheeran at the Allstate Arena this past Friday. And let me tell you, it was an EXPERIENCE. Ed is by far, one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing live. He has the most soothing voice and he’s a top-notch lyricist. And he does it all too, he doesn’t have a band behind him; he creates all the sound he needs with his trusty loop pedal.

I’ve been trying to go to an Ed Sheeran concert for probably the better part of four years and it all came together a few nights ago. He opened the show with “Castle on the Hill” and I was already in tears. The song talks about his childhood, the people he grew up with, and how they might have gone in different directions and drifted a bit, but they still helped raise and shape him into the person he has become. I went to the concert with four of my very best friends so this song meant a lot to me. Having music and concerts that I can connect with while being with my friends is the best feeling in the world, to be honest.

Ed’s setlist was mostly comprised of songs from his new album “Divide,” but he also included a few songs from his older albums. His mashup of “Don’t” and “New Man” has honestly changed my life and I don’t think I’ve ever jammed out to a song harder. So if he wants to record a studio version and release it for the world to hear, I would not complain. He played his classic “The A Team,” as well as “Bloodstream,” and “I See Fire” and he got so into each song. The way he layered the guitar, percussion sounds, and vocals with his loop pedal gave the entire concert such an intense, cool vibe. With every song, I could just see how comfortable and happy he was with performing in front of everyone.

I particularly enjoyed when he played “Nancy Mulligan,” a song about his grandparents and a take on their love story. When Ed recorded that song he worked with the Irish folk band, Beoga, so the tune has a different ring to it. The song has a special place in my heart since it sounds similar to the Scottish cèilidh music my grandma used to play for me when I was younger. Ed played a couple more songs and then left the stage for a few minutes. Then he came back out in a Bears jersey for his encore and played “Shape of You” and “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” and the crowd erupted into a deafening roar. Those songs are probably two of my favorite songs and I sang every single word as I soaked up the remaining minutes of the show.

Ed Sheeran can put on a show like no other, obviously, his lyrics and musical abilities are extraordinary, but his graphics and lights throughout the show were mind-blowing too. Everything just came together to form the perfect concert. He encouraged everyone to dance like crazy and sing and scream until they lost their voices. It was such a positive space and I felt so at home listening to the lyrics roll off his tongue. He’s touring until October 7^th in the US and then he’ll move onto the rest of the world until August 2018 for this album. If you can find a way to see him, do it. The amount of passion and emotion he puts into his shows makes everything even better and it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. I can’t wait for him to make his way back to Chicago because I’ll be snatching up tickets as soon as I can.