Swarms of people, from little girls still in pigtails to parents wearing jeans and cowboy hats, rushed into TD Garden for the Shawn Mendes concert. 

I knew I had to go to this concert, which was his first time back in Boston in almost six years after cancelling dates for his Wonder tour due to mental health issues. Number one, I had to go for research purposes (reporting directly back to The Banner, obviously). Number two, I also had his older songs such as “Stitches” on repeat every single day when I was a kid, so this concert, for me and many others, was a chance to relive old memories. 

Shawn Mendes gave us an almost two hour show, performing his older hits like “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back” and “Treat You Better” and new songs from his new self-titled album, such as “Heart of Gold,” which honors a friend who passed away, and “Why Why Why.” 

Gracie Zhou ’26, who bought six tickets during the Boston presale and generously offered to sell one to me, noticed that “he really seemed to enjoy himself and was proud of his songs during the concert.” 

After taking a step out of the spotlight following his highly publicized on-and-off romantic relationship and breakup with ex-Fifth Harmony member Camilla Cabello, Mendes returned to the stage with confidence. He even performed “Señorita”, his duet song with Cabello, on his tour for the first time after their break up. Liana Min ’26, who also went to the concert, also noticed that “he genuinely seemed happy to be there, and that was a big part of the reason why the concert was so good!”

As for the venue, ticket prices were very reasonable for lower bowl seats and a good view. We had a good 30-minute opener of Eddie Benjamin, a singer-songwriter who has written songs for Justin Bieber. Benjamin really engaged his audience, and many of us left the concert with a new artist to follow. After Mendes came on, during “Why Why Why” the fire alarms started going off, presumably because of the smoke machine that was used in one of his songs before. But who’s to say that’s not a memorable moment in itself?

Seeing the musical growth and progression of artists over time, especially one I have followed since I was a kid, combined with a super lively and engaged audience, whether from the front row or the balcony, made this experience super memorable. However, I will tell myself not to make the atrocious mistake of paying $17 for three chicken tenders and fries, even if it’s at a Shawn Mendes concert. Never ever again.