Though some fans might envision H.E.R. as a bashful artist from her reserved image, the 24-year-old did not shy away from exposing the dynamic genius behind her iconic frames on Wednesday, Oct. 27, in Chicago.
“Chicago, you’re going to make me cry,” the Grammy-winning artist proclaimed to a multitude of people during her performance. “I feel so loved.”
The R&B singer gifted the city’s Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom with her presence as a part of her 8-city “Back of My Mind,” tour, named after her debut album Back of My Mind, released on June 8, 2021.
H.E.R. displayed an exhilarating performance, fueled with over dozens of songs including notable tracks like “Slide,” “We Could’ve Been,” “Focus,” and “Come Through.”
“I’m a fan now,” said Joshua, who accompanied his best friend to the concert. “She actually sounds as good as she does on her records. That’s rare to find an artist that sounds as good live as they do on their records.”
Fans were also stunned by her stamina and the huge turnout of the event. Some were waiting in a block-long line as early as 4 p.m. although the concert began at 6:45 p.m. People were still queued in line as late as 8:30 p.m., huddled in the dark, eagerly waiting to enter the doors of the ballroom.
“Is the Aragon even big enough to hold all of these people?” a concertgoer asked out loud while waiting in line. “Apparently so,” a security guard answered.
H.E.R. appeared on stage around 8 p.m. in a lengthy loosely fitted, orange shirt dress with black shorts, and off-white sneakers. Although she spent the majority of her set dancing and swaying to the melodies of her songs, the Vallejo, Ca. native sat down for a brief moment and allowed the crowd to immerse itself into the tunes of her piano while she sang ditties like, “Closer To Me.”
“I’m enjoying [the show] so far,” said Latanna, who traveled from Ohio to attend with her sister. “I’m surprised by how much men in here know her songs.”
H.E.R. didn’t fail to notice how much her fans were familiar with her lyrics either, “I’ll just let y’all sing it,” she jokingly said in the middle of the show, as the crowd sang in unison.
“Chicago, I need you to know that no matter where you’re from and where you’re at, anything is possible” she said.
