Ed Sheeran has been the talk of the town ever since he started the Mathematics Tour. Occasionally, because of how intriguing and mind-blowing the Mathematics Tour is, but mostly because of specific moments that differentiate the Mathematics Tour from other tours that have been organized this year – 2023.
During Ed’s last visit to California, Inglewood, the population in SoFy stadium was so great that Ed confessed – he only dreamt of performing to a small crowd in England, not the 81k+ people he was standing in front of in the US.
What Ed did next is what blew the mind of everyone present in the concert that night – making California love him even more. Ed took control of the overwhelming crowd in SoFy stadium on the 23rd of September 2023 and led them through 4 incredible moments they will never forget.
The Mathematics tour has been described to be an intimate one, a perfect display of professional musical artistry, orchestrated by one man, Ed Sheeran. And so, fans have been spoiled to always expect something out of the ordinary whenever they attend Ed’s concert, and Ed has never disappointed nor come short of that expectation.
As you may already know, the “Shape of You” singer is currently on a break from the 2023 leg of his Mathematics Tour, with plans already on the ground for the 2024 leg to begin on the 15th of January. Optionally, you can choose to get Ed Sheeran tickets from a marketplace, while we check out the 4 moments that made Los Angeles love Ed Sheeran more.
Ed Sheeran’s Intro
We can all agree that a great performance can be decoded from the intro – just like a good article, and also a good essay. Ed seems to have taken his English classes seriously because he began wowing Californians from the moment he climbed onto the stage on the 23rd of September and made his intro.
Before performing his breakout hit, “A Team,” to Californians, Ed gave them a brief intro just so they could grasp the importance and significance of the song to him. He explained to them that the idea of the song came to him when he was 18. Ed said, “I thought, ‘This is the song that’s gonna change it all.’” Ed explained that when “A Team” was released, he was disappointed initially because no one cared.
In his words, “No one cared.” He said, “I performing the song in small England venues to empty rooms or a bunch of people with their backs to the stage.” Surely, we’ve all put effort towards something hoping it would work, but it didn’t. That feeling can be demoralizing.
That’s one thing that resonated with the crowd in SoFy stadium that night because at a point in time, they’ve all tried and failed but it’s their determination and relentlessness – not willing to stay down against all odds that made them they/we are and “Eventually, people started caring,” Ed said.
Just before he went on to perform his hit single; Ed reminded them that “A-Team” became the first of his musical craft to win him a Grammy nomination for song of the year category, that year.
Breaking Limits with “Don’t” Performance
For a one-man team, Ed has successfully challenged the modern ways of organizing concerts. The way he does it remains a mystery. How does one person mix through different songs and still not miss a beat? That is a case worth studying.
We are sure the crowd in SoFy stadium was fascinated by the outcome of Ed Sheeran’s “Don’t” performance. First, he allowed the circular treill to continue rocking on stage, and then went on to perform “Don’t,” but with an interesting twist.
While looping the song’s traditional sonic backbone, Ed went on to mix different songs on the beat and everything just went as intended.
For those who are regular attendees of Ed’s concerts, you’ll all attest to the fact that Ed does every bit of his performances live – right there and then. So it is hard to believe that he was able to pull that off without rehearsal, even though that seemed to be the case.
Ed looped in “California Love,” “No Diggity,” and “The Next Episode,” all on the beat of “Don’t,” so we believe it doesn’t take a psychic to tell that this will forever remain in the hearts of Californians.
A Live Debut in a Live Show
What about presenting a live debut while in a live show wouldn’t intrigue you? Ed sure knows his way to the hearts of everyone in his concerts. One of the moments that made Los Angeles love Ed Sheeran more, was when he added a new song to the set-list of the mathematics tour during his visit.
Ed said, “We’re adding in a song on the setlist. I’m putting out an album next Friday, and I’m putting it out on my record label… no music videos, no singles.”
Shortly after the announcement, Ed went on to perform “American Town,” a song he described to be about falling in love with an American Town. He explained to the crowd that the song was coming from “Autumn Variations,” his 7th studio album – it has 14 songs, representing 14 friends and their stories in Autumn.
Ed also performed a 2nd song from the same album, titled, “Plastic Bag,” which he described as a song that talks about the ineffective way people try to numb pain after being hurt. The performance saw an emotional crowd, and no one could sing along yet, since it was a new song. But the welcome it received made it clear that the album, “Autumn Variations,” was going to be a great one.
Oldies Vibe
Aside from the dazzling experience during the show, Ed also has a way of ending his performances in a way that will remain in the hearts of everyone present on that night.
Having just a few minutes left to round up his show on the 23rd of September in SoFy Stadium, Los Angeles, Ed decided to take his fans back a bit and share some of his songs from the early 2010s with them. He said, “From this point forward, these are the songs your grandparents know. If you don’t know these, you’re at the wrong show.”
In the set list that hour was Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself” which was released in 2015 – with Ed being a part of the song’s composers. Ed also presented “Afterglow” to the Californians – a moment which saw thousands of phone flashlights lit up in the stadium, making the view starry.
The event later turned into a Q&A session as Ed kept asking his fans if they wanted another song, a question they replied yes to. During the Q&A session, Ed performed “Shape of You,” one of the most celebrated singles of all time. It has been called the lover’s anthem for some time, and we believe that is befitting.
Ed also performed “Bad Habits,” which marked the end of his performance in SoFy stadium that night. Before he began his show that night, Ed informed the Californians that he was going to create something they had never seen before. He did.
