On July 19th, Louis Tomlinson played a sold-out show at the Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre in Charlotte, North Carolina. The sun was bright and shining, and fans showed up early to get their numbered wristbands. Between 3pm and 4pm, they arrived back at the venue after getting ready, dressing mostly in black and red attire to match the theme of his latest album, Faith In The Future.
After being let into the venue at around 5:30pm, 23 year-old Andrew Cushin from Newcastle was first up on the stage. Opening with the title track of his 2022 EP You Don’t Belong, he set the tone for the rest of his set. The set featured seven songs from his discography, featuring his latest single "It’s Coming Round Again," released just last month off his forthcoming debut album out this fall. His strong vocals and heartfelt lyrics made for a captivating performance, one that I would definitely recommend going to see if you get the chance!
Giant Rooks took the stage next, with their fun, bubbly energy radiating through the amphitheatre. You may know them from their cover of ”Tom’s Diner” that blew up on TikTok in March of 2022. Overall their performance never lacked enthusiasm and they have definitely gained a new fan.
At around 8:20pm, the intro began and Louis made his way onto the stage pulling everyone’s attention to him. Starting off with a bang, he played "The Greatest" and "Kill My Mind," which had exploding pyrotechnics go off for the chorus.
After a couple songs, he did a small speech on his album Faith In The Future, thanking his fans for being there, and even having a bit of banter with one saying ”it’s football, and not soccer.”
He went on to play "Night Changes" and "High In California," a song from the bonus edition of Faith In The Future. One of my favorite parts of his shows from this tour is when he sits down on a speaker in front of the fans during the intro of "All This Time." It is such an intimate and special moment shared between the fans and the artist, and I love that it is a regular thing he does at his shows.
The last half of his set is always incredibly fun, featuring covers of "505" by Arctic Monkeys, a punk-rock-ish version of his song "Back To You," the band taking a group photo with the crowd after "Angels Fly," and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go."
The show finishes out with "Silver Tongues," where Louis jumps on the barricade step and fans welcome him with open arms, and a burst of red streamers for a big finale.
If you ever get the chance to see Louis Tomlinson live, I strongly urge you to do so. The feeling his shows leave you with is unmatched. You can see his tour dates here! He just finished up his US tour, but he will kicking off his UK and Europe tour very soon.
All Photos of Louis Tomlinson, Andrew Cushin, & Giant Rooks by Bella Wagner
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