It was a cool, breezy night in the east flank of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains on October 28. I didn’t mind the chill as I was seeing THE Shawn Mendes at Red Rocks Amphitheater. That’s right, after seven years of obsessing, layered in my official concert gear purchased in advance from the fan site, I was seeing Shawn Peter Raul Mendes live.
The show was billed as an intimate debut for friends and family of his upcoming album Shawn —and it did not disappoint. Our seats were just about perfect, 13th row, center. We took in our surroundings as we waited for the team to do final instrument tunings and a sound check. To say Red Rocks is stunning, doesn’t capture it. The outdoor amphitheater is flanked by two massive, 300 ft red rocks and provides a fantastic acoustical experience with gorgeous panoramic views of Denver in daylight which transitions to a magnificent, star-filled night sky. If you haven’t seen a show at Red Rocks, put it on your bucket list.
Suddenly the stage went dark and the pre-show soundtrack stopped. The band entered and began to play. “OMG It’s him. It’s really him”, I screamed! He entered smiling in a black knit sweater and brown leather bomber jacket — layers he would lose as the night progressed and the intensity of the stage lights left him singing in a black tank top. He welcomed everyone and expressed his love for all of us and the amazing venue before singing “Who I am”, one of his new singles off his unreleased self-titled album. It moved me to tears, the beauty of the song itself and the fact I was really there. His set was powerful. Under the big, starry sky, the experience was still intimate.
There’s been a lot of coverage about what he may or may not have shared at the concert. Here’s the thing: he has been through it the last few years. He had a tough and very public breakup, and for his mental health, he ended up having to cancel his last tour. Happily he has found his way back to songwriting. And what he did share is that he is still figuring it all out. He grew up on the road and under the spotlight, not experiencing the life of a typical teen. He is now taking the time to explore and learn who he truly is. Shawn was a master storyteller that night, sharing details of what inspired each song. He took us on his journey, making himself completely vulnerable, trusting his fans, who never heard the songs so couldn’t sing along, to take it all in with an open heart and mind.
He mixed in a couple of oldies that the crowd would know: “Stitches” and “In my Blood”. These radio hits are not even the ones I connect with most or would consider my favorite, but it was overwhelmingly emotional to sing with him and the fans, and laugh when he messed up the lyrics to “In My Blood”. In that imperfection, was perfection.
He finished with one of the newly released singles, “Why Why Why”, after which he left the stage, but not before hugging each of his band members and blowing kisses to his fans. We cried and cheered, but I knew it wasn’t over yet. He ran back, nearly tripping in his familiar clumsy & lovable way, just him and his guitar, for a final encore of “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back”. After he left the stage, we exited the venue, walking past a purple Tella-tubby and a group of people in Crocodile onesies— if you know, you know.
We ubered back to the hotel, and I found myself unable to sleep. I mean how could I fall asleep? I had just experienced the best concert I ever attended. Thank you Shawn (okay, and my mom too, who was my date) for a night I will never forget.
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