in the spirit of giving thanks: Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022

Thanksgiving dinner, get togethers and turkey trots.
Black Friday.
Small business Saturday.
Cyber Monday.
Giving Tuesday.
All of this year's Thanksgiving festivities are over but the spirit of giving is still in the crisp Autumn air and I'm still in the spirit iof giving thanks. 
 There have been a lot of great concerts this year, a lot! Too many to name and so many to be thankful for.

I was fortune to be a part of some really awesome shows either as an attendee or as a cog in the production to bring the live show to life or to review it. I am thankful for each and every one of them, big and small.

Today in particular I give thanks to Harry Styles' Love On Tour. 

I worked Coachella this year and Harry Styles was one of the headliners. My shift started early on show days which means I was cut early on show days, two and a half hours before the headliners go on to be exact but "When will I ever get the chance to see Harry Styles again? And for free?" I thought to myself. So, weekend two, I took a nap in my car afterwork and dragged my sleepy self back to the Empire Polo Feilds to see some Harry. With a theatrical decent down a "Gone with the Wind" styled staircase,  he opened with "As It Was" the first single off of his third album, Harry's House which would drop shortly after the festival.  I wasn't fimiliar with the song at the time but never the less it eleated me. It's catchy, sparkly hooks have that feel good power. Plus, there's something about being in the thick of thousands of screaming adoring fans that really gets those juices flowing. And of course, there's Harry himself. 

I only stayed for two and a half songs cause a working gal has got to get her beauty rest sometime but this was the moment I knew I was in trouble because I knew then that I was a Harry Styles fangirl. 

Fast forward to November 2022.
After residencies in New York, Austin, Toronto and Chicago, Harry's last North American Love on Tour stop was at The Forum from October 31st - November 15th and I still can't believe that I was lucky enough to be at the last show of his residency. 

I made it to Harry's House!

The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The perimeter of The Forum was laced with specs of rainbow colored boa feathers wiggling in the breeze left over from past Harry's House guests. Lyrics like "In a LA mood" from songs off of Harry's House dressed up the columns outside the building in case anyone needed to increase their excitement before entering. Inside, the oblong stage was in the center of the floor and over it was a jumbo tron flashing numbers to text for different things like ending gun violence and volunteer opportunities. 

The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

As I made my way on to the floor, or the pit as it was being called, The Forum was a buzz with chatter and the occasional oburst of bloodcurtling screams in the wake of possible celebrity sightings (still haven't gotten use to that aspect about seeing shows in LA).  
I was beside myself with excitement as I stood  shoulder to shoulder with young Harry Styles fangirls waiting for the show to start in utter disbelief that this was my life.I didn't care at all if I was the oldest person in the pit.  

Finally, Harry Styles graced the stage, opening with "Daydreaming" but all that could be heard was screaming fans singing along, word for word. One minute he was out of sight, doing his thing across the stage to the other side of the room and the next minute there he was, right there in front me and then he was gone again. It took my breath away being that close. 

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

His band was situated on either side of the stage, creating a makeshift cat walk for Harry to perform to either side of the room. When he performed the slower, sad love song "Satellite" he walked an actual cat walk that extended out into the crowd just to the right of where I stood.
He was lively and charsmatic, smiling as he made his rounds accompanied by enthusastic kicks, fist pumps, hip swivels and flailing arms encouraging fans to cheer louder.

 Harry Styles is a great showman.
Pauses between songs were filled with chants from the crowd that sounded like barking dogs. Still not sure if that's a Harry Styles fangirl thing or a One Direction fangirl thing but I did not partake. 

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Introspective songs like "Keep Driving" and "Little Freak" built up the first half of the night with it's fearless leader galavanting around like it was the first night of tour. After introducing his amazing band and bringing out the horn section they all turned things up for the second half of the set with "Sushi For a Sushi Resturant", one of my favorites off of Harry's House. I danced. I Sang. I closed my eyes letting it sink in though I still couldn't believe it when I re-opened my eyes. New songs filled the night but there were some off his first and second albums, including of course the incognito risque "Watermelon Sugar" and even a One Direction song. 

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

A little more than half way through the set Harry stopped and had fans hold up signs. Like magic the place was full of homemade signs on posterboard with handwritten messages in magic marker instantly.
Another fangirl thing I had no clue about.
He picked three lucky signs out of the crowd and read them, each one garnering roars from the crowd. From a far he engaged playfully with each fan who's sign he read and the crowd roared. One sign asked for his helpcoming out to someone's mom which was very heartwarming. 

Sensing that the end of the set was approaching, as much as I didn't want to leave I also really really really didn't want to get stuck in egress madness and traffic so I started heading out.

In an appropriate way to wrap up seeing Harry Styles live in LA, as I slowly made my way out, looking around at all of the happy faces in the pit and all of the people up in the seats, I spotted Olivia Wilde, Harry's now ex-girlfriend enjoying the show.

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

When he left the stage in prepperation for the encore I knew it was time to go otherwise I wouldn't be able to leave if I saw him on stage again.

Right before exiting the building I heard the faint sounds of my favorite track off of his first album, "Sign of the Times". Turns out that was the most appropriate way to end my night seeing Harry Styles. If I was still in the crowd I for sure would have cried like the girl behind me did when he played "Matilda". Leaving early ended on a high, as I walked to my car with a smile on my face that wouldn't go away.  

Love on Tour went on to spread the love in South America and will pick up again next year in Australia. Not before returning to The Forum in LA for three nights in January 2023 to make up for the shows he had to skip because he was sick, though!

Thank you for a great night Harry!

The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

11/15/2022 set-list

1. Day Dreaming 

2. Golden 

3. Adore You

4. Daylight 

5. Keep Driving 

6. Matilda

7. Little Freak 

8. Satellite 

9. Cinema

10. Music For a Sushi Restaurant

11.Treat People With Kindness

12. What Makes You Beautiful 

13. Late Night Talking 

14. Watermelon Sugar 

15. Love of My Life 

encore

16. Sign of the times

17. Medicine 

18. Boyfriends 

19. As It Was