Postponing a tour is never ideal, especially if the tour is for an artist’s debut solo album. After almost two years, Louis Tomlinson was finally able to kickstart his very long-awaited “Louis Tomlinson World Tour,” and performed to a sold out crowd of 2,800 on Mar. 10 at Fox Theater in Oakland, CA as his third to last showing in the United States.
Tomlinson is a world renowned British popstar, who first started when he joined four other teenagers in creating the internationally loved band, One Direction. After the band’s indefinite hiatus in 2016, Louis has been creating his own music as a solo artist. It’s safe to say that while the chapter of One Direction might have closed, the fans never left.
On the day of the show, fans started lining up outside the venue at 4 a.m. for the prime spots, leaving the line twisted around buildings and nearby restaurants. Never underestimate the dedication of Tomlinson’s fanbase. They became a big part of the show in so many ways, passing out their homemade posters with Tomlinson’s lyrics for a fan project and giving out pride flags to hold up throughout the show. There was this joyous, wildly inclusive and non-judgmental atmosphere created by Tomlinson and his fans where everyone simply felt safe and free.
Before Tomlinson took the stage, Sunroom, a band originally from San Diego, took the position as the opening act. Their music embodied all the feelings of carefree, sunny Southern California beach days. The group consists of four, 20ish-year-old guys who looked like they were just playing music for their friends out of their garage (in the best way). Their influence of ‘60s rock music served as the perfect start to an electric night.
After hours of anticipation, Tomlinson finally made his way to the stage with a backing band, a giant lit up smiley face behind him, and his microphone. “Louis Tomlinson World Tour” was everything.
He started his 90-minute set with “We Made It,” from his 2020 debut album, “Walls,” which seemed to encapsulate every feeling from the buildup of the delayed tour. The audience was clearly VERY excited with Tomlinson’s presence; it seemed there wasn’t a second where the crowd wasn’t screaming as loud as they possibly could.
“You guys are f***ing mental. You have to be the loudest show yet,” Tomlinson said.
Tomlinson ran through his debut album with songs such as “Two of Us,” “Always You,” “Habit,” “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart,” “Defenceless,” and “Only the Brave.” Not only did Tomlinson’s performance and vocals prove his hard work has more than paid off, but he also proved to be an outstanding songwriter. His writing game is truly something else.
With just one album, he included steller covers of Kings of Leon’s “Beautiful War” and Catfish and the Bottlemen’s “7,” as well as his recently unreleased song “A Copy of a Copy of a Copy.” Tomlinson also gave his fans the One Direction content they desperately needed. He wasn’t shy to embrace where he got his start, and looked equally as thrilled as the audience when “Drag Me Down,” “Little Black Dress” and “Through the Dark,”’ made an appearance in the setlist. The nostalgia and love that flowed through the venue was especially apparent as the crowd very loudly sang the backup vocals to their forever favorite 1D songs.
What was most surprising was the way Tomlinson was able to make his large audience feel small. It was so personal. This concert was a rare blend of entertainment that did not once feel choreographed or rehearsed. Between Tomlinson’s unmistakable Doncaster accent and flipping off fans (a true act of endearment for Louis fans), he would also take time to individually acknowledge and interact with certain people in the audience. He even giggled and shook his head when reading a sign that said “please hit me with your tour bus.”
The concert came to its end and Tomlinson delivered an insane final performance of “Kill My Mind” with his band completely rocking out in unison with the flashing red lights. As he ran off the stage leaving the crowd in tears and shock, there was no doubt that he accomplished an exceptional debut solo tour.
