It was an out-of-this-world experience at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani on Monday, as Shawn Mendes' Illuminate World Tour came to Bangkok.
When you're surrounded by thousands of teenage fangirls screaming at the top of their lungs, it can make you feel old. The ladies' room felt like a secondary school's secret society. Young girls were piling on the make-up before going out to see their idol.
But Mendes, the 19-year-old Canadian heartthrob, is the complete package. Big hair, pretty face, gorgeous smile. And best of all, he can really sing. For about 90 minutes, he took his audience through a set list of pop hits and acoustic ballads from his two studio albums, plus some catchy covers. It was a nice ode to his beginnings as an online cover singer.
The show was the singer's first in Thailand. It may not have been a sell-out, but those that were there loved every second.
As we waited for the singer to appear, there was a wonderful energy in the crowd. When Mendes walked onstage, the hall shook with thunderous screams. And neither the singer nor the crowd lost that level of energy throughout, with fans singing along to hit after hit.
The night kicked off with the upbeat "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back," before renditions of such crowd-pleasers as "Stitches," "Bad Reputation," "Life of the Party," "Mercy" and "Treat You Better."
He focused a lot on the musical performance -- singing and playing guitar and piano. He's clearly very talented musically. But perhaps he could have talked with the crowd a little more than he did.
As for the production, the concert certainly lived up to its name. The lighting was impressive. A giant overhead ring light looked like a portal ready to transport Mendes to another world. It felt very sci-fi.
A big sphere hung high above the crowd, turning into a full moon, while a large screen behind the stage showed images of the Northern Lights. When the crowd put their phones up, waving lights all around, it felt as if we were floating in space.
