Saturday, August 26, 2017, the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth, Georgia was on fire with people from all walks of life that came out to see the English singer-songwriter, Ed Sheeran. Sheeran played a two-night event at the arena with his opening act, James Blunt. Blunt, also a native of England, took the stage at 7:27 pm. He had the crowd in an uproar with his hit song “You’re Beautiful” and created hysteria as he poked fun at the fact that he knew that people bought tickets to see Sheeran, not him. Not true Mr. Blunt, not true! He had the crowd on their feet and had them running out to purchase his album, “The Afterlove.” James Blunt and his band played until 8:30 pm where he then signed autographs and took pictures with fans. What a great opening act and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for this up and coming artist. His album dropped March 24, 2017, and is available now on iTunes.
As the stage was being set, you could feel the adrenaline running deep in the mass of fans who knew it was only a matter of minutes until Sheeran would come out with his guitar and unique talent. At 8:40 pm, Sheeran owned the stage as he opened with the song “Castle on the Hill” which tells the story of his upbringing and brings to life the sights and smells portrayed in his youth.
To say he’s ‘talented’ is an understatement. He does it all and doesn’t need the support of a drummer or bass player. Pure talent! I can’t say it enough! He kept the energy as he played “Eraser” “The A Team” and then the hit song “Don’t”. Sheeran then got the crowd to sing a long as he serenaded us with the jazz influenced song “Dive”. He continued his set with an amazing Irish jig called “Galway Girl” with its catchy lyrics (She played the fiddle in an Irish band, but fell in love with an English man).
With the crowd on a high, he brought it down a few notches with his song “Photograph” and had a mellow, Infinite Energy Centre singing in unison. As fans watched his slideshow in the background of him as a child, you can’t help but think about the young Ed Sheeran and the way he’ll touch so many lives through his music.
“Thinking Out Loud,” a Grammy Award winner for Song of the Year, was the next song played. Talk about a song touching lives, this song holds a special place in my heart because it was the song my husband and I danced to at our wedding in late 2016. As I looked around the area, my eyes weren’t the only ones filled with tears. Sheeran has a way of making the song touch the hearts of so many fans in a way that will bring back sweet memories.
The night was drawing to an end when he announced that he will be playing the last song of the night, which was “Sing”. You could feel the ache in the air when he walked off stage leaving you with a craving to hear more, even if it was the same song he played earlier. All of the sudden, he reappeared on stage wearing a Falcons jersey and the arena came alive again with an encore. He performed “Shape of You” and then with more energy than ever he played, “You need me, I don’t need you” where the fast talking Sheeran ended the night with a bang.
I can’t say enough about the amazing performance by Ed Sheeran. If you haven’t already, go pick up the album “Divide” which was released March 3, 2017, and be prepared to have your mind blown. For info about the rest of his tour, locations, and dates, click HERE
-Heather C.
Photo: X