As I’m sure everyone knows, Harry Styles was playing at the United Center this weekend. For this event, masks were required as well as vaccination cards or a negative COVID test within the last 48 hours. I initially did not buy tickets when they went on sale but was feeling like I needed to once the tour started and my TikTok feed was filled with Love On Tour content. So, I bought tickets the morning of through a legitimate ticket platform. They guaranteed that my tickets would arrive before the show. As 8pm was approaching, I still had no ticket. I tried to call their customer service line, which took a whole hour with absolutely no resolution. It was pure torture standing outside the arena and not being able to go in. Luckily, I had met someone who was in the same position as me and therefore made a new friend! We didn’t know what to do and were eventually out of options, so we went back home. I called the ticket platform’s customer service line the next morning and got a 120% refund processed, but with the emotional turmoil, disappointment, waste of a night, I felt like I deserved more. I didn’t know what to do on Saturday, but knew I needed to find myself at that concert. I ended up buying a ticket for way too much through a different ticket platform with no problem. All that to say, I would never buy tickets through the first platform I tried.
Against all odds, I made it to the concert, and it was one of the best shows I have ever seen! This was my first concert since December of 2019, so it felt weird, but incredibly energizing to be in an arena listening to live music again. I may have teared up a few times, specifically during “Falling” and “Sign of the Times.” Saturday night was also the first time Harry performed “To Be So Lonely” on this tour and second time live in front of an audience. This was the first time I’ve seen Harry Styles as a solo performer. It was emotional to see him performing as himself under his own artistic choices and truest self. He also sang “What Makes You Beautiful” as an homage to his start in One Direction. If you ever get the chance to see Harry Styles live, take it! That is, if the tickets are sold somewhere other than Meat Creek.