In the distance, a stout red-headed man wearing humble flannel and khaki jeans with an acoustic guitar entered the stage, into a single spotlight. Thousands of teenagers screamed as Ed Sheeran, British sensation, began to strum two simple notes to the song “I’m a Mess.”

One of the thousands of teenagers included me, possibly one of Ed Sheeran’s biggest fan.

I began listening to Ed Sheeran during my middle school years, prior to his rise to popularity. So naturally, I knew all the lyrics to every single song.

His concert was held at the SAP Center in Downtown San Jose on Aug 26.

Additionally, this was the first concert that I had attended without my parents, only with a friend, so I had the freedom to scream liberally.

Entering the concert, I knew Sheeran’s “x” tour would be spectacular, like his music. Truthfully, though, the concert turned out even better than I expected. It was pretty much perfect.

It consisted of the perfect combination of upbeat songs along with his smooth serenades — Ed Sheeran classics — such as “Lego House” along with his newest tracks.

His entire concert consisted of just him and an acoustic guitar, without a huge production behind him. With only two essential elements, he really took the time to open up to his fans.

In one performance, “Afire Love,”  he explained to the audience that this particular song was close to him, and  he hoped that his audience would be quiet just for a moment to appreciate the beauty of the lyrics and melody.

Further enhancing his performance, he would often ask the audience to sing along with him; it almost felt like you were right next to him on stage.

Sheeran proved to be genuine and witty with his frequent stories and bad jokes, showing that it  isn’t always about the aesthetics or the ferocity of the performance. His music can frequently be found on the Billboard’s top 40 charts, but he is much more than the typical self-obsessed pop artist.  

My favorite performance of the evening was his calming serenade of “One.” He used the simplicity and beauty of the song to surround his entire performance. He embraced the lyrics and used simple watercolor graphics in the background to embody the song’s meaning. In the end, he asked for the audience to turn on the flashlights on their phones, making the stadium twinkle with lights.

In his final performance of his popular song “Sing,” he told his fans to “never stop singing.”

My first unchaperoned concert experience was one of the best in my entire life. Not only did I get to see my favorite artist live, but I learned to love him even more, if that was even possible.