Concert Review: Ed Sheeran + Pittsburgh = spectacular

PITTSBURGH ― Round and round and round he went, watching Ed Sheeran at Acrisure Stadium was time very well spent.

From an in-the-round stage with a constantly rotating platform that spun him around clockwise, Sheeran delivered a wonderful performance Saturday for the biggest Pittsburgh crowd he's ever entertained.

More than 67,000 fans, according to the stadium's official tally, surrounded the ginger-haired Englishman who for the first time is touring with a full band he utilized for one-third of the set. The electric guitar and drums brought unaccustomed firepower to the set's opening songs "Tides" and "Blow."

Dubbed the Mathematics Tour, after his "+" "-" "x" and "÷" albums, a rounded main video screen and four large secondary video screens shaped like guitar picks offered close-ups, as when revealing Sheeran's black T-shirt understatedly bore the name "Pittsburgh."

His band, spread out at four far corners on tiny stages under the angled towers holding aloft those video screens, left before the set's third selection, which Sheeran prefaced with a brief explanation of how he uses loop stations to sample his own sounds live.

OK, picture this: Two foot-pedal contraptions kept spinning round and round on the rotating platform, and when the time was right, Sheeran would pounce on one of them, pressing down with his sneakers to hit a record button that captured live − then played back at his command − any sound he wanted. For instance, he'd give his acoustic guitar an open-palmed smack he'd record with his foot, providing a raw percussion track he'd then loop back into the song he was singing. For "I'm a Mess" he looped his own vocal harmony, a rhythm guitar riff and percussion; then was somehow mentally agile enough to weave them into the song seamlessly on the fly − and may I remind you − from a stage that kept him revolving in a clockwise motion.

Sheeran did eight solo songs in a row, including a rousing "Castle on The Hill."

With thousands of cellphone lights illuminating the night, his voice sounded lovely on "The A Team," which he recalled singing a dozen years ago in English pubs to sparse and disinterested audiences, until the prettiest song about a drug-addicted prostitute somehow caught fire in America.

Sheeran said he's still learning about American city rivalries, as he relished the booing he sparked when name-dropping New Jersey, Philadelphia and Ohio. Based on the ringing in his ear, he swore Pittsburgh fans had sung along the loudest two months into this tour.

Fans sang along robustly as Sheeran infused his vocally limber "Don't" with a bit of Blackstreet's rap hit "No Diggity."

A left-side-versus right-side crowd competition elicited hearty harmonizing on "Give Me Love," accented with a thick loop of Sheeran smacking his guitar.

The band returned for eight songs including "Beautiful People," a fun duet featuring opening act Khalid.

The synth-driven "Overpass Graffiti" rode a neat neo-New Wave rhythm. The crowd went bonkers for the bouncy "Galway Girl" with a female fiddle player joining Sheeran on that perpetually rotating stage.

"Here comes the songs even your grandmother knows" Sheeran joked before the always beautiful "Thinking Out Loud," as fans' cellphones illustrated the "Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars" line.

The unassuming band left the stage again, as Sheeran continued with "Love Yourself," his song that Justin Bieber turned into an international smash. Sheeran mostly sang the PG-rated "you should go and love yourself," chorus, but ended with the F-bomb version.

Which is a good time to mention, although a youthful Pittsburgh crowd, an impressive number of 40- and 50-somethings were represented, and not as chaperoning parents.

Sheeran got a kick out of the spectator in a Norwich soccer jersey, noting that's the rival of his native Ipswich.

"You came here to troll me," Sheeran said smiling.

Shrieks of delight from two sections of fans during "Perfect" suggested a few successful marriage proposals had just happened, as seen at Sheeran's 2018 PNC Park concert. Sheeran's clear, evocative voice made that song special.

He's an underrated vocalist with a wide range, achieving lofty falsetto heights throughout the chorus of "Sing" and demonstrating limber and swift rapping for the three-song encore launcher, "You Need Me, I Don't Need You," which he followed with an exalted "Shape of You."

For the encore, Sheeran wore a Steelers jersey with the name "Mac" on the back, a likely tribute to the late-Mac Miller, the Pittsburgh rap star whom Sheeran honored in 2018 at his PNC Park show by wearing a Mac Miller shirt.

Fireworks, flame throwers and that revolving stage kept things visually interesting all night, though Sheeran's charm, vocal skills and looping sorcery are what made it a special concert. My only quibble: He spent noticeably more time facing fans in the west side seats compared to those of us in the east.

Overlooked amid all the Taylor Swift mania and debate about Beyonce's canceled Acrisure Stadium tour, Sheeran scooted into town and delivered a magnificent performance. Earlier that afternoon, he even popped into Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Crafton to hand out pizzas and promote his Tingly Ted's hot sauce.

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Ed Sheeran + Pittsburgh = excellence