BY TER STAFF
Irish singer/songwriter Niall Horan brought his Flicker Sessions Tour with Gavin James to Chicago’s Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, IL tonight. Performing for a packed sold-out crowd, tonight marked Niall’s first solo performance in the city that lasted more than just a couple songs, as the former One Direction standout is just a few weeks removed the release of his debut LP, Flicker. Horan delivered a full set and a memorable night for his Windy City fans.
Up first for the night was another emerging Irish singer/songwriter, Gavin James, who released his debut studio album, Bitter Pill, a little over a year ago. Performing for around a half-hour, with a set that included a number of songs from his debut LP, including ‘Nervous’ )which is his most successful single to date) and his new track ‘Hearts On Fire’, Gavin James set the mood for the rest of the night while picking up a plethora of new fans along the way. And with co-signs from Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and now Niall Horan, James is in great position to bring his success abroad to the states and throughout the world.
But after a brief intermission it was time for the man of the night to greet the sold-out crowd. Opening with his album’s closing track, ‘The Tide’, Horan was met with waves of screams and applause as he emerged. Horan then quickly transitioned into his Maren Morris-collaboration, ‘Seeing Blind’, a track that the two recently performed live for the Country Music Awards. But even without the assistance of country music star, Niall did his track justice on his own.
Then before performing his debut single, ‘This Town’, Niall took time to greet his Chicago fans. While it wasn’t planned, Niall dubbed this first leg of the tour his “Thank You Tour”, thanking fans for making his debut album Flicker the number one album. He also took time to note that the Rosemont Theatre was the first Chicago venue that Niall performed at from his time with One Direction. It was only right that Horan returned to the beautiful theater for his first solo tour.
Throughout the night Horan dazzled the crowd with cuts from his debut LP. With performances of tracks like ‘Too Much To Ask’ and of course his memorable performance of ‘Slow Hands’, Horan closed out his 13-song set with his record, ‘On My Own’. While the song speaks to his love life more than it does his time with One Direction, the track’s title reminds of us of just how quickly Niall has amassed so much success in his young and growing career as a solo artist. Horan continues impress fans and the music world alike.
And if you liked what you saw tonight, or missed out on tickets this time around, Horan is returning to Chicago next year, as he brings the new leg of his headlining tour to the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on July 26th with Maren Morris.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and peep the remaining tour dates here.
The Early Registration 