One Direction Bid Goodbye To North America At Gillette Stadium

Keely Chisholm ‘17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

One Direction for The Sun. Photo by Calvin Aurand.
One Direction for The Sun. Photo by Calvin Aurand.

British-Irish boy band One Direction capped off the North American leg of its most recent world tour at Gillette Stadium on September 12th. After touring Oceania, Asia, and Europe, the band ended a summer touring North America in Foxborough, Massachusetts, playing to a crowd of over 60,000.

Augustana, a San Diego-based rock artist, was the first opener, playing a set that initially seemed too mellow for a crowd that had been buzzing with energy since the gates opened. Though Augustana is only Dan Layus on vocals as well as alternating between piano and guitar, he commanded the stage with soft rock and evocative lyrics. His performance of “Boston” in particular brought the most enthusiasm, probably due to the Boston crowd. The result was a more mature tone for what was to come.

Icona Pop was next to take the stage, bringing the pop beats and energy that got everyone on their feet and dancing. Their music is the kind that, even if unfamiliar, is easy to let go and dance to; the combination of powerful vocals from the duo and infectious beats made the crowd go wild. By the time they wrapped up their set with their hit, “I Don’t Care,” the audience was hyped up and ready for the main act.

The instant the stadium lights went out and the video screens lit up, the stadium burst into screams that would fluctuate in volume throughout the night, but never really go away.

Niall Horan and Liam Payne perform at Gillette Stadium. Photo by Keely Chisholm.
Niall Horan and Liam Payne perform at Gillette Stadium. Photo by Keely Chisholm.

Everything about a One Direction concert is big. Big crowds, bright lights, a massive stage with a catwalk that extends almost halfway down the center of the floor, large video screens on either side so those in the upper sections can see–and now, a big sound. They’ve nailed down their sound, a powerful mix of folk-pop and classic rock-influenced arena pop that has the ability to fill any space, no matter the size.

Fans, critics, and the general public all wondered how the band would fare after the departure of Zayn Malik. But throughout the tour, the remaining four—Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson—have really come together and continued to give incredible performances. The boys have taken solos that used to be Malik’s, giving each member more individual moments. They have each stepped up brilliantly: Tomlinson now gets the entire bridge of “Don’t Forget Where You Belong” to himself, a bridge that he shines through. Styles takes over the high vocal runs and gets to showcase his range and control, while Horan and Payne anchor with verse and bridge melodies.

One Direction’s fourth album, Four, dominated the set list, which featured new fan favorites like “No Control,” “18,” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” as well as the recently released “Drag Me Down.” Of course, old favorites still had their place: “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Little Things,” hits from earlier in their career, felt almost nostalgic to hear. It feels odd to call “What Makes You Beautiful” an “old” hit, but compared to the sexual undertones and rock styling of something like “No Control,” it’s light-years away.

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Compared to last year’s Where We Are shows, the boys were noticeably more relaxed onstage. Their banter and interactions with each other came more naturally and they interacted more with the crowd. Payne sets aside a few minutes to read fan signs aloud, while Styles likes to pick out individual audience members to talk to and tease. Tomlinson, on the other hand, prefers to tease his fellow bandmates, spraying them with silly string and generally upsetting any order they might have tried to establish onstage.

Those who have experienced One Direction concerts know that no two shows are the same—each date has something to mark it as special, whether it’s Styles speaking out against SeaWorld in San Diego or Tomlinson ripping Payne’s shirt open in Minneapolis. Boston’s spotlight moment came with a day-early celebration of Horan’s 22nd birthday. Not only did the band and the crowd sing “Happy Birthday;” fans had been organizing for months in advance to mass-produce and distribute signs reading “Happy Birthday Niall, Boston Loves You,” which were held up during “Don’t Forget Where You Belong”.

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One Direction won’t be touring North America again for a while—they have a planned one-year hiatus set to begin next March—but they capped off this leg of touring on a high note. They will be touring the U.K. and Ireland through October and releasing their fifth studio album on November 13th.

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