On September 1st, 2022, my friends and I attended the Harry Styles Love on Tour Concert at Madison Square Garden in New York. As someone who is just short of obsessed with the pop singer-songwriter, I was familiar with the atmosphere of his concerts via social media before I even walked through the doors: boas, heart sunglasses, and bright ostentatious outfits were all part of the deal. But despite the fangirl social media explosion, I had my doubts as to whether or not his concert would live up to all that I’d seen.

In preparation for the big day, I bought a purple outfit that matched the vibes of others I saw on social media, complete with a purple headband, purple heart sunglasses, a purple skirt, purple shoes from my Bat Mitzvah, and a purple boa. I was ready.

The first thing I noticed upon arriving at the Garden was the wrap-around line and the closed-off streets surrounding the venue. I’d already known that this concert would be a big event, as I had initially struggled to find reasonably priced tickets, but I had no idea that the power of the Harry Styles fan base could successfully put Manhattan on hold. As I waited to enter the concert hall, many groups were taking pictures in front of the Love on Tour sign. But, as this was New York City and advertisement space was limited, the Love on Tour ad was periodically cycled out for five other ads. Fans had to be quick in order to get the best shot. The 0.5 photo my friend took of me in front of the sign, mere seconds before it switched, is what I often cite as my greatest accomplishment.

When we got to our seats and I was in the middle of capturing a photo of my friend, a fellow concert-goer kindly offered to take our photo. Five minutes later, as my friend was shooting a shot of me, another girl offered to do the same. Throughout the night, there were countless other fans just like them who wanted to share in the joy of seeing Harry Styles live.

While the intro act, Blood Orange, was playing, my friends and I took this as an opportunity to purchase some merchandise. We all bought matching Harry Styles tote bags and I bought a sweatshirt. Although way overpriced ($85!), my birthday money was well spent as I wear this sweatshirt almost every week. 

When Harry finally came out, the energy of the crowd was palpable and surreal. As my senior year was about to begin, I was acutely aware of the responsibilities that would be required of me in just a few short days. Standing in the concert hall, I was allowed to just feel like a teenager. I felt like a carefree girl watching her life play out in a slow-motion scene in a movie. “Hello, New York!” Styles screamed at the beginning of the show. Although surrounded by thousands of fans, I felt like the only one in the audience, as if I was New York and Harry Styles was performing just for me. The simultaneous intimacy of the concert as I jammed out with the entire crowd was simply perfect. As I drove away from the Garden, I concluded that social media did not over- nor under-promote the atmosphere of the concert––no superficial description or photo could perfectly capture the power of this day.