On May 6, hundreds of people flooded the Frank Erwin Center. Countless students were among this crowd, waiting eagerly in the packed auditorium for the arrival of sensational singer Ed Sheeran. Austin was Sheeran’s first stop on his North American Tour.

Cheers and screams echoed as Sheeran came on stage and opened with his song I’m a Mess from his latest album Multiply. Neeharika Bandlapalli ‘18 has been an avid fan of Ed Sheeran since the aforementioned album came out.

“I really liked the opening song because he just went right into it, and it set the tone for the whole concert,” Neeharika Bandlapalli ‘18 said.

Many other students share her love for this talented artist.

“I like him because he’s a really natural singer,” Isabelle Galko ‘18 said. “He connects with the audience when he performs, making everyone feel involved in the moment.”

The concert lasted two hours, with Sheeran coming back for an encore. He played various songs from his newest album Multiply, including I see fire, the ever-popular Thinking Out Loud, Photograph, Take it Back, and much more.

“My favorite song he played was Photograph, because it was a slow but sweet song and he sang it really well,” Kavyaa Choudhary ‘18 said. “Everyone turned on their phone flashlights and swayed to the beat, so the entire auditorium lit up and it looked really cool.”

Sheeran’s concerts are rumored to be fantastic, but this particular one was made even more special by a surprise proposal. Apparently, a man in the front row was holding a poster that asking Sheeran if he could go on stage and propose to his girlfriend. And sure enough, halfway through Sheeran’s rendition of All of the Stars, the singer-songwriter called the couple to the stage for a tearful moment.

“It was so sweet and touching,” Shreya Nakkala ‘18 said. “The whole crowd, including me, was screaming and clapping. It was a total surprise to everyone.”
Just thinking out loud here, but hopefully Sheeran will return to Austin once again and put on yet another great show for his fans.