Niall Horan’s The Show dazzles packed Starlight audience with mega-hits, doll burning

Photo by Emma Hilboldt

Niall Horan made his stunning return to Kansas City, bringing The Show Live On Tour to Starlight this past Tuesday.

On his sixth time touring North America—four times with his former bandmates in One Direction, once as a solo act—Niall Horan is no stranger to what it takes to put on a good show and on this tour he has exceeded expectations that only he has set in the past.

Aside from his obvious talent in guitar, piano, vocals, harmonica, and whistling, Horan commands the stage and audience like someone who was made for it. Showcasing his discography with hits from his former boyband days, to his third and most recent solo album The Show, and even throwing in a Stevie Nicks cover, Horan has something for everyone.

Photo by Emma Hilboldt

While sitting at a piano before a ballad, Horan revealed that he had been excited to return to Kansas City after not being here since 2018 when he performed at Starlight on tour for his first solo album Flicker. Horan was slated to tour on his second album, Heartbreak Weather, although Kansas City wasn’t one of his stops.

Unfortunately, that tour was one of the casualties of the pandemic and never came to fruition Fortunately, Horan was able to take the time to focus on this third album and create a tour that would bring him to more cities, Kansas City being one of them.

Horan had been in town for two days before his performance at Starlight on Tuesday, July 16, telling the crowd, “What a town you live in,” and “You guys sure know how to party.”

The Irish musician is supported on this leg of the tour by Del Water Gap, an indie pop solo act from Brooklyn, NY. After they set the stage, the energy was high for the rest of the night, never faltering. Even during the ballads and acoustic songs, the crowd was alive and at Horan’s will. Despite the heat–Horan stated he was “sweating out of his ears”–the energy was infectious, so much so that Horan lingered on stage long after the last song to absorb all the love he could from his fans–those who had been there since his days on the British X-Factor, and those who had just seen him as a judge on The Voice six months ago. Whenever you discover Niall Horan, even if it’s just from reading this article, it is clear that his hard work and dedication to his art are something worth admiring.

From an incredible musical performance to an Irish dancing dance-off, one thing was certain–for those who had been waiting six years for his return, Horan made sure that The Show was worth it.

Photo by Emma Hilboldt