Photo Gallery: One Direction @ Soldier Field

ilentertainer | August 25, 2015

Hearing protection was essential at Sunday nights One Direction concert. Now you may be tempted to insert your own boy band joke here, but there was simply no denying the intensity of the devotion the four members of the band inspire in their fans. A quick check of the internet puts a jet engine at about 140 decibels and I never saw The Beatles at Shea Stadium, but the shear power of the sound from the audience left me reaching for earplugs. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster of a year for both fans and band. Co-founding member Zayn Malik left the fold in March of this year, Louis Tomlinson announced that he would become a father and additional tension was recently added in the form of rumors that the band will be taking a lengthy hiatus next spring. But all that seemed to fall away at a near capacity Soldier Field on a picture perfect August 23rd night. Was it a victory lap or a swan song? For 26 songs, none of that mattered and those in attendence put an exclamation point on the evening. Dance-pop duo Icona Pop helped get the party started.

Words and pictures by Curt Baran. Additional photos by Gene Ambo