On July 17, Shawn Mendes took the Pepsi Center stage following opener Charlie Puth for an energetic and soulful performance. Mendes’ second studio album “Illuminate” was the focus of his 2017 Illuminate World Tour.
The Canadian singer and songwriter started out on YouTube around 2013, covering Ed Sheeran and then branched out to social media where he gained a variety of followers. Mendes finished two years of high school before heading out on the road to begin his musical career. He has been called the next John Mayer, and has been compared to singers such as Justin Bieber for their overnight success. But Mendes’ goal has always been to be just like his childhood idol, Ed Sheeran.
“Ed Sheeran wrote his songs, so I wanted to write my own songs,” Mendes told the Rolling Stone Magazine. “He’s just like an average guy and a very approachable person. I’ve actually gotten the chance to meet him, and he’s just like a very sweet guy. He is just so normal, and that’s the best part about him.”
During his Denver concert, Mendes covered one of Ed Sheeran’s hit singles, “Castle on the Hill” from his newest album “Divide.”
Mendes started off the concert with his own hit single, “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” and continued on with a few slower songs of his. He also did not forget to sing his most famous song, “Stitches,” halfway through the show, which had previously charted no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Throughout the concert Mendes interacted with the audience, and even transitioned onto a smaller stage in the center for a few of his more intimate songs such as “Roses,” Three Empty Words” and “Understand.” He also commented how the altitude was an adjustment for him, and how how it was harder for him to catch his breath. Closing out the night, Mendes ended with his well known songs “Mercy” and “Treat You Better.”
Mendes’ concert never lost its momentum, and had the crowd engaged continuously throughout the night. The best song Mendes preformed was “Patience” because it was just him on stage with his guitar, singing to the audience, with all of us singing along. “Bad Reputation”, “Life of the Party”, and “Roses” really captivated the audience, making the songs some of the most enjoyable ones performed. Mendes had a great stage presence, and got the audience involved by asking them to sing along, clap their hands and set the mood. Continuously throughout the night he maintained his goal of giving everyone a night to remember. Mendes interacted with the crowd, invited them to sing along with him and filled up the giant concert venue.
The concert, even with thousands of people in the stadium, felt like an intimate concert setting because he was so engaging and moved to a more central stage for part of his performance. Mendes’ song “Three Empty Words” was the most intimate song he played during the concert, because he asked everyone to just listen. He said the song had a deep meaning to him, and it was important that everyone just take a minute to listen to it. I thought this was a nice change from the usual crazy concert environment and showed that Mendes wanted to be personal with his fans. The concert overall was an amazing experience that never had a dull moment and despite the huge concert venue, was a connecting experience. I would recommend that everyone attend a Shawn Mendes concert because it was an amazingly different concert experience that was well put together and preformed.
