In my next life, I want to come back as a teen heartthrob in a boy band! Take UK pop band One Direction who is now what The Beatles, The Jackson 5, and New Kids on the Block were in years past, for instance. It was an experience, to say the least, to watch tens of thousands of teen girls (and a few boys) screaming at the top of their lungs – faces painted, t-shirts customized, and signs handmade with markers, glitter, and even one I saw had working lights – lined up literally around Chicago’s Allstate Arena anxiously awaiting the best night of their life. It’s no surprise that last Saturday’s One Direction concert was sold out and paramedics were close at hand (I even witnessed them wheel away one girl who likely fainted from sheer excitement).
Opening acts kicked off with LA based pop singer Manika (website, Facebook, Twitter) who released her second single “Good Girls” on May 22 from her debut EP “The Middle of Hollywood.” She’s an artist whose career I’ve been following closely and the means to which I was able to do press at this highly coveted event. Then, UK pop singer Olly Murs (website, Facebook, Twitter) who like One Direction gained fame from competing on “The X Factor,” took the stage with a sex appeal he owns in a way that kind of reminds me of Bruno Mars– even though their music styles are very different. Olly is joining One Direction on a few of their tour dates, and Chicago was one of them. Lucky me because we spoke briefly as he signed an autograph out in the parking lot (see my photo slideshow and photo above), and I hope I’m able to interview him for my blog.
PHOTOS
Here are photos from the concert. I realize that it’s almost impossible to say the name One Direction right now and then try to bring your attention to another artist touring with them as well, but I did interview Manika while she was in town. I’ll be posting that online real soon. Her journey has been incredible and now she’s sharing the same stage as One Direction. For those that can’t read past the words “One Direction,” I did get her to share some stories about hanging out and touring with them as well!
(not able to view slideshow? click here to view on Picasa)
SIGNS WERE CONFISCATED…BOO!
*throws tomatoes at security*
My heart melted to see soooo many girls who brought their handmade signs to the One Direction concert only to have them taken away by security at the door. Maybe it was to prevent people’s views from being obstructed, but it just seemed like something they should’ve told fans well in advance. I’m not sure it’s that way at every venue on the tour, though.
BEACH BALLS WERE OK, THOUGH
As soon as One Direction took the stage, the beach balls started floating all around Allstate Arena. I had to dodge quite a few in the press pit in front of the stage, but it added to the overall enthusiasm that came with One Direction’s performance.
MANY THANKS
While I know I’ve had to start small, I work very hard to continuously bring you bigger and better interviews, exclusives, features, and event coverage. I literally had to pinch myself when I realized I was standing right alongside the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, and TimeOut Chicago in the press pit at the One Direction concert no less! Not too shabby, eh? 😉 Nevertheless, it would not have come to fruition without Manika‘s team, ‘Stache Media, Live Nation, and my hubby who grudgingly agreed to be my assistant at my last minute time of need. A million thanks to all of you! xoxo
Related Links
One Direction
- Chicago Tribune– One Direction fever hits Allstate Arena
- Chicago Tribune– Boy band One Direction his Chicago-area mall for book signing
- Chicago Sun-Times– The One Direction machine: striking while the boy band is hot
- Chicago B96.3 FM– One Direction fan interview Niall Horan
- Chicago B96.3 FM– One Direction book signing exclusive backstage footage
- Chicago B96.3 FM– One Direction backstage meet and greet and dressing room at the Chicago show
- Chicago B96.3 FM– The man behind the One Direction cartoon: ‘I was instantly smitten’
- Idolator– One Direction’s Harry Styles rendered shirtless in Chicago… by his bandmates
- The X Factor Examiner– One Direction in Chicago: mobbed at book signing, ‘Good Morning’ Q&A
Manika
- Latina– Exclusive Interview: Manika talks One Direction & her new book!
- POPSTAR– Manika takes a break from her tour with One Direction!
- Taking Over the Universe– Album Review: Manika ‘The Middle of Hollywood’
- WWMX FM– Who’s opening for One Direction? Meet Manika and Olly Murs
Olly Murs
- Teen.com– Nice to meet you: One Direction’s new tour mate, Olly Murs
- Entertainmentwise– PHOTOS: Olly Murs shows off his ‘ball skills’ on Canadian TV
- Elle Magazine– Hot Topic: Olly Murs
- Mirror Online– iTunes Festival 2012: Olly Murs to perform with nine-piece band at the free music bonanza
- Idolator– One Direction’s Niall Horan duets with Olly Murs on ‘Heart Skips A Beat’
- Chicago Live Music Examiner– Olly Murs opens for One Direction
Yeah my poster was the one that lit up. After all that hard work my friend and I did to make it, we couldn’t even keep them. We were so devastated! :/
Oh wow! My friends and I are the girls with the Queens Have Arrived posters! Thank you to the author of this article, and for taking our picture!
It was awful that they took our posters, in fact two of ours that made up our phrase were taken and two more that had personal messages for the boys. What’s worse is that a lot of posters were let through that were bigger than ours. The picture of the signs being carted away almost makes up for the upset of the unfair confiscation, though. I’m pretty sure my pink “The Queens” poster is on top!
Again, thank you for letting us be apart of your article – we were SO EXCITED – and good luck with your website! Us 1D girls hope to see you again!
-Mallory
Mallory- i’m so glad you found your way to my blog! i didn’t have any cards on me at the time i took your photo. that whole taking away signs stinks, and it does look like your bright pink one being hauled to the garbage can on that cart. did they give a reason when you got to the door? anyway, thanks for commenting! 🙂
Yes they did in fact give a reason (though the two security guards near us disagreed about the reason and had a little bit of an argument). The woman who wanted to let us through believed our signs to be small enough, while the man told us that they could be no bigger than a sheet of paper. I do believe it is so that no views are obstructed, though obviously the rules are not very well enforced as so many posters did get through, and clearly no one was warned about it!
Mallory- oh, so they did give a reason. i bet it was just a matter of the entrance and the security guard you saw at the time. from what you were saying, it wasn’t enforced well. still, just a really bad decision by Allstate Arena or whoever came to the conclusion about the signs.