For popstar Demi Lovato, her world tour's stop at Hershey's Giant Center on Oct. 24 was a blast from the past.
Seven years ago, Lovato performed her first ever concert at Hersheypark. "My audience was much smaller," Lovato told nearly two-thirds full Giant Center. She estimated that first concert's crowd was about 100. "This was before 'Camp Rock' and my parents were out there begging people to come and see me."
"But you know what? Some of you I know are here tonight," she said to a round of applause. "You guys are really the best fans in the world."
The crowd was definitely loving everything that came out of Lovato's mouth, with almost every break being filled with screams of "We love you!"
It was the perfect audience for Lovato, whose world tour has been all about conquering her own fears. That meant playing the piano and showing her arms, a body part she doesn't like. "This tour is about growing for me," Lovato said. "I want you guys to be inspired to grow from it as well."
I walked away from Lovato's show more a fan of her than of her music. It's not a knock on her songs (I had an addiction to "Heart Attack" last year), but a testament towards her. It's virtually impossible to dislike Lovato, whose charm lies in her down-to-earth manner and open demeanor. When she wasn't bringing her fans' attention towards the plight of women in east Africa, she was busy breaking traditional concert rules -- like announcing she was going to do an encore before she even left the stage.
"This is when the encore is going to happen," she told fans as she descended one of the stage's trap doors. "I'm going to change clothes, then I'm going to sing 'Neon Lights,' okay?"
Earlier, when she messed up on a piano solo she just laughed. "I kept hitting the wrong notes, but I don't care," she said. "Sometimes you just have to say [expletive] it."
That being said, there were five songs that really stood out.
1. "My Love is Like a Star." Lovato brought her A-game to this track, but the best part was her interaction with the crowd. Lovato took multiple selfies and even face timed a friend. The crowd loved it.
2. "La La Land." This old school Lovato track (it's from 2008) was requested by one of the crowd members at the show. It was an instant hit and spawned a sing-a-long.
3. "Let it Go." Lovato may not be Idina Menzel, but she brought her own spin to the "Frozen" theme song. The crowd went wild as soon as the opening chords were struck and they stayed in a "Frozen" frenzy the entire time, singing every word.
4. "Two Pieces." Her voice may have been on the hoarse side, but Lovato kept plugging along during her show. Towards the end, though, she implored the crowd to sing-a-long with her. When she busted out "Two Pieces," the audience immediately set to honoring her request. From then on, the crowd sang along nonstop, which was glorious.
5. "Thriller." Lovato had told the crowd earlier that she loved Halloween, so it was fitting that she did a cover of the Michael Jackson hit. She even got in on the dancing action, every now and then flashing a wide grin. It was clear she was enjoying herself, and the crowd was thrilled too.
This story has been updated, as the song in which Lovato took selfies during was "My Love is Like a Star," not "Trainwreck."