Louis Tomlinson Part 2: The Concert

If you’ve read my essay, How I Survived the Pandemic and Fell in Love with One Direction, you know why their music was vital to my recovery from a slipped disc and a complete hip replacement. I’ve followed all their solo careers, but I’ve felt a stronger connection with Louis Tomlinson’s music. He writes whole novels in three verses, a chorus, and a memorable hook. It’s prose on a rock and roll beat. Damn, he’s brilliant.

This is not a review of Louis’ concert. I had an awesome experience and I want to share it. I had always planned to include an essay about it on here, I just didn’t realize how long it would take for me to be able to write about it. I had “brain fog” for weeks while I was still re-living the images and memories of the line and the show. At the same time, my body was exhausted, my legs were swollen, and I had to be off my feet for days afterwards. I played Louis’ Away from Home Festival documentary on YouTube daily. I’m playing it now as I write this.

Part 2: The Concert

I’d finally made my way through the checkpoint in the lobby, and stepped into the Fox theater. It’s beautiful, ornate, with two huge golden Buddhas on either wall (they have very creepy red eyes). An usher at the top of the staircase advised the people running to slow down and be careful because the stairs were steep. I was swept into a “running with the bulls” rush of people, but I took hold of the ramp and held on as I moved slowly down the stairs to reach the mezzanine level. The lounge bar was aligned along the back wall.

The next stairs led to the Pit area. I spotted Saya, Roslyn and Cloe right away. They were at the back of a large crowd in front of the stage, so I joined them. They told me Sophie and Lindsay had gone to the right side to get closer to the stage. The Pit was filling up fast. I began to wonder just how many people would fit in the Pit.

Immediately, people were behind us, moving forward so we moved closer to the people in front of us. At 5’ 3” I’m short. There’s no way I could see the stage, all I could see was the back of the heads of the girls in front of me. I can walk but I still can’t jump. ♥ #3: Yes, my daughter and son were right when they warned me about the Pit.

In my head, I thought I’d have some personal space to dance, but being in the Pit is accepting you will have zero space and intimacy with strangers. As more and more people joined the Pit, the less space I had; it felt like I was being crushed. My claustrophobia started kicking in. My stomach was a rollercoaster, I felt nauseous, and it seemed like the air was getting thinner. I had trouble taking a deep breath. I didn’t want to faint; please God, not another hip operation!

I turned to Roslyn and Cloe and told them I had to leave the Pit. They understood. We said a quick good-bye. I apologized as I pushed through the thick crowd. I was so grateful when I finally broke free and could catch my breath. I HAD to sit. I went to the closest stairs and sat down. An usher approached me, and I told her my predicament. She was very sympathetic and showed me to a seat in the section next to the rail on the mezzanine. My seat was perfect. I could see over the crowd in the Pit, and see the stage completely.

There were two women on my right side, a mother and daughter. The daughter had a pair of crutches next to their seats. The woman on my left side was a dead ringer for Marilyn Monroe. You know, a Marilyn who’s brought her teenagers to a rock concert, drives an SUV, and sometimes goes to church. We soon discovered we had an affinity for Mysteries and True Crime. We decided the Pit was the perfect location for a perfect murder. Everyone is crashed into each other, but if the killer used a knife or a 3D silencer, a murderer could get away before anyone noticed. They would have to use the exit on our floor, but they couldn’t run or draw attention from anyone. I’m a writer. I see stories everywhere.

The opening act was Sun Roof; by this time the Pit had grown to over a thousand bodies. I couldn’t tell you if Sun Roof is a terrible band or a great one because to me it sounded like one long screech of reverb over and over again. They were incredibly LOUD, as in jet engines LOUD. When the bassist hit the first note I literally felt a tsunami with a deep voice send pulsating waves into my chest and out my back, like the Nazi soldiers in Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark. My ears screamed in pain, and I lost all the liquid in my eyes. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until there was a break in the noise. I finally exhaled and turned to MM and asked, “Will I be able to hear tomorrow?” She leaned into my ear and shouted, “No.”

However, the people in the Pit were loving Sun Roof! I had read they were a surf band from Southern California, which says to me: Beach Boys, Sugar Ray, not the Sex Pistols on steroids. I swear I didn’t hear a melody, a beat, or even a piano riff. And that’s okay. I’m not supposed to get their music. I’m not their audience.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to do video on my iPhone, and it just won’t cooperate. I was feeling frustrated and anxious, I really wanted to record the show. After a brief break while the stage was reset for Louis’ band, it was showtime. The room gushed with enthusiasm and anticipation, and a steady high-pitched roar filled the magnificent theater. When the band started playing I made the decision to put my phone away and be fully in the moment and concentrate on the show.

I grew up on rock and roll so I like guitar-driven music with a strong beat. Louis’ band didn’t disappoint. Louis strolled on stage and sang with clarity and distinction. I heard every word of his inspiring lyrics perfectly. (The band even has its own website: https://www.lthqofficial.com)

At 31, Louis is already a seasoned professional, and he knows how to orchestrate a live performance. He also understands how important a concert can be for people because he’s a fan of other artists. He loves live music. Some singers don’t want their audience to sing along; not Louis. He doesn’t just like his fans to sing, he encourages them to sing. For the fans, it’s a badge of honor to know his lyrics word for word.

There are instants in life when you realize the flood of images surrounding you will be locked into your brain forever. It is a monumental lift, a synergy, when everyone is on the same level at the same time, as if we’d all risen off the ground and were levitating to the sounds. Although I was completely sober, I felt like I was floating and drifting in slow motion, but the guitar riffs and steady drumming kept me firmly in the present in my chair.

As I’ve said before, Louis is a brilliant, widely acclaimed lyricist who wrote many of the One Direction hit songs. I fell in love with his solo album, Walls, and played the many videos of his songs daily. Louis writes multiple, memorable phrases in each of his songs, so it’s difficult to include just one line that really speaks to me. In his song, Defenseless, it's "We're sleepin' on our problems, like we'll solve them in our dreams" is perfect irony. His song, “Don’t let it break your heart,” uplifted me, especially after I received the diagnosis of Stage IV Kidney Disease. The line, “Don’t you let it kill you, even when it hurts like hell, oh whatever tears you apart, don’t let it break your heart,” gave me strength in my surreal situation. His incredible tribute to his late mother, Two of Us, strikes a cord in everyone who hears it.

It's not just his music and lyrics I appreciate and admire. It’s his love for his fans. Louis came from a working-class background; he played football and spent his paycheck every weekend at the local pubs, like most lads in Doncaster, England. He’s never tried to be posh or flamboyant. He’s a front man with a rock band and all he needs is a microphone to entertain. During the show, he frequently told us “I fooking love you!” When he flips his fans off, they go wild because they know he’s being playful.

Louis’ set list, which included three outstanding covers, was released on Twitter a few days before our concert, so we knew what to expect and when. After a show most performers leave the stage, and wait for the audience to demand an encore, but not Louis. He tells his fans he’s going to take a quick break and that he’ll come back to sing three more songs.

I was amazed and delighted by the joy and love in the room. My face hurt from smiling, my voice was barely audio from screaming/singing, and my soul was on the wing. When the last song was ending, Louis shouted out his thanks and love to us, and walked off the stage. No milking the audience for additional applause. He’s given his all to the performance, and that’s that. You’d never hear his fans demand more from him.

When the lights came on, the crowd quickly dispersed to all the exits. I waited a few minutes; I needed to feel my body again and make sure I could walk. Just as I hit the sidewalk next to the theater, my son, Jesse, called searching for me. I made my way to the front of the building and eventually we found each other. I’m sure I talked Jesse’s ear off on the ride home; I was still high with the bolt of energy from the experience.

Would I spend 18 hours on anther event like this one? Well, I never say never because the world is filled with so many positive, wonderful opportunities. Of course, as a writer, I love talking with other writers, so my make-a-wish dream would be to have a coffee or beer with Louis Tomlinson and talk about writing. Whether or not that ever happens, this day and night will live in my heart and soul forever.

#LouisTomlinson

#FoxTheaterOakland

#BestConcertEver