The lights go down, high-pitched screams reverberate throughout the walls of the Wells Fargo Center, and one man walks on stage. One guitar, four amps, two microphones, and the short, casually dressed, scruffy red-haired Ed Sheeran emerges into the spotlight, beginning with the guitar heavy “I’m a Mess.”

This past Monday, September 8th, Ed Sheeran took to one of Philly’s most prominent stages to present his sold out “Multiply” tour, drawing crowds of over 10,000 people, teenage girls, guys, and their mothers alike. Sheeran put on a show suitable to those of all ages as I heard one of the older women in the crowd exclaim, “I LOVE Ed Sheeran, and I’m old!” a sentiment that seemed to be shared by everyone in the audience.

“My job for the next two hours is to entertain you, and your job is to be entertained,” Ed Sheeran declared as the show began, the excitement in the room almost tangible, and he did not disappoint.

Sheeran played an absolutely packed set list, singing almost without stop for the solid hour and a half set, performing songs from both his “Plus” and “Multiply” albums, the crowd knowing every word. The show was a mix of moving, up-tempo songs as well as slower ones, including a chilling performance of “Afire Love” dedicated to Sheeran’s grandfather in which he asked the entire crowd to be silent while he sang, an impressive feat for 10,000 people that made for an unforgettably special moment of the show.

Sheeran’s performance was unique in more ways than one as he encouraged crowd participation throughout, taking time to have opposite sides of the audience harmonize with each other through his percussive rendition of the hit “Give Me Love.” His truly solo performance only added to the experience as he utilized multiple loop pedals to record one verse of guitar and hand-created beats, only to layer over another until the song played out into the best  kind of organized chaos, Sheeran strumming his guitar so intensely that the wear and tear were evident around the sound hole of his guitar. The intimate environment, created by the blend of both Sheeran and the crowd’s energy, played to an artistic background of nine rectangular screens, showing stop-motion sketching during the romantic “One,” and images of bloodshot eyes in the raw “Bloodstream.” Deviating from the typical routine of covering full songs by other artists at some point in the show, Sheeran chose to blend bits and pieces of 90s pop-classics into his own songs, featuring the likes of Justin Timberlake and The Backstreet Boys, bringing on nostalgia for my fellow high schoolers in the audience.

Overall, what made Sheeran’s performance the most remarkable of any I’ve seen, was the detail and value Sheeran put into his craft. Truly a talented musician, Sheeran did not need pyrotechnics or flashy background dancers, rather choosing to show off his organic vocals and masterful guitar playing. From the constant smile on his face, it was obvious that Sheeran genuinely loved performing just as much as the crowd loved watching him do it, making for a rare showcase of raw talent in a musical world filled with showy lights and bubble-gum pop. In short, if you have a chance to attend an Ed Sheeran show, take it.