I got complimentary tickets to see One Direction on the first night of the Where We Are Tour at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. I couldn't pick them up until I got to the venue. That's when my friend and I realized: Our seats were on the main floor. They were in fifth row of section A4, but we didn't really know the seating chart, so figured that could be anywhere. As we made our way to our seats, security guards kept letting us walk closer and closer to the stage. We hit the final check point and they didn't stop us. We weren't in the fifth row of some random section at the back of the floor. We were sitting in THE fifth row. We were five rows from the stage. OMG.5 Seconds of Summer were first up. They lit up the stage with their electric energy and the crowd went crazy for them. After recently blowing up and performing on TV shows like the MTV Video Music Awards, teen girls were just as excited to see the opening act as the main attraction.
However, as soon as 5SOS stepped onstage, that's when the tears started flowing. Two girls sitting directly behind were bawling the entire show. I'm serious: they were absolutely hysterically crying. These girls had braces and looked about 13, and they never stopped crying and screaming at the top of their lungs until after the final fireworks. (The show featured a lot of crazy pyrotechnics, including Fourth of July-worthy fireworks!)
Now, I've been to a lot of boy band concerts and I did my fair share of fangirling over the Jonas Brothers in high school, but never have I ever reacted to a show like these girls. They were literally losing their minds. Their screams were kind of deafening, but honestly, they were awesome. They were so over the top that it was utterly fabulous. They were so excited and in disbelief that they couldn't even control their emotions. I bet they had the best night of their 13-year-old lives so far.
However, there was some drama. One of the crying girls' friends behind us passed out during the show. Seriously, she was up and then all of a sudden she was down. Event security had to clear out the row to come to her rescue. I don't know if she got overheated or Harry just smiled at her, but luckily, she was okay.
The coolest part about sitting in the fifth row is that the band can actually see you. I know it sounds silly to say, "He was totally looking me," but if you're in the first seven to eight rows, he honestly probably was. The guys look at you, point at you, wave at you and even make fun of the crazy dance moves you're doing. Harry Styles made eye contact with me and that's a moment I get to remember forever.
Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Harry were the best at interacting with the front row fans. Liam pointed at girls and winked at them. Harry was a big fan of giving ladies the thumbs up and even playfully mocked some girls who were dancing silly. Zayn kept his cool, but was great at making fans feel special by smiling and waving at them. Sitting so close, you really feel like you connect with the band and get to see their personalities. Plus, not only do they interact with you, but you get to see the funny interactions they have with each other.
The show was spectacular. The guys had amazing energy on stage, but it seemed like Harry might not have been feeling well. He kept running backstage to take sips of what looked like tea and pop throat lozenges. (He also ate a banana mid-show.) However, he didn't let that affect his performance! Harry's onstage charisma is effortless. It's like he was born to be on stage and entertain a crowd.
One Direction put on an amazing show where their talent and personalities both shine through. They are true professionals who know to entertain their fans, parents (the moms in 1D gear cracked me up!) and industry professionals alike. I haven't had that much fun at a concert in a really long time. Even if you can't sit in the first five rows, I highly recommend it!