Shawn Mendes brought his self-titled tour to Pechanga Arena on Monday night. It was his third solo show in San Diego. Being a fan of Shawn since the early days, I couldn’t help but wonder how he’d step up his performance this time around!
Two years ago, Mendes brought his Illuminate World Tour to Pechanga Arena. At the time, it felt like he was already on top of the world. “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back” was recently released, and it was almost impossible to turn on the radio without “Mercy” or “Treat You Better” playing. Since then, Mendes’ career has sped up even more in the fast lane.
When I arrived at the venue, I could feel the excitement in the air. Everyone was given a light up bracelet which would be activated during the show.
Once I reached my seat, the arena was filled with a peachy rose-gold color. Talk about aesthetics! There was also a giant light up rose next to the B-stage.
I will admit, this is the first show I’ve been to where I didn’t glance at the setlist even ONCE prior to being at the show. I was aware of the rose and the light up bracelets, but didn’t pay much attention to other production details when I’d see pictures and short video clips online.
Mendes opened the show with “Lost In Japan”, singing it as enthusiastically as the crowd was! Screams could be heard from every corner of the arena. The light up bracelets had been activated, and would flicker and change colors throughout the show.
As with the previous tour, Mendes also performed a medley of songs from throughout his career while on the B-stage. This time, everything just hit differently.
Throughout the night, I realized just how many hits Shawn Mendes has had… which is quite impressive for a singer who released his debut album in 2015.
One of my favorite moments was when he performed “If I Can’t Have You”. The energy definitely went from 10000 to 1000000000 and everyone was jumping!
Another highlight of the night was when Mendes did a cover of “Fix You” by Coldplay, which led into “In My Blood”. I’ve never been to a Coldplay concert, and have always wanted to hear “Fix You” live. I can imagine it being a very special moment at their shows. Whenever I’m at a concert, I turn around and look at the crowd’s cell phone lights and sing “lights will guide you home” in my mind. Hearing it live on Monday night made me feel like I was actually home – comfortable in a place where I’ve always felt like I belonged at.
It may be another year or two before Shawn hits the road again, and his show will have evolved even more. One thing is for sure… you can be sure I’ll be there!
