Harry Styles dazzles in high-energy, sequin-filled Chicago residency opening

British pop star Harry Styles brought his high-energy “Love on Tour” to a sold-out United Center Saturday night, posing, kicking and shimmying to near-constant screams.

Clad in a shimmering, sequined, red and grayish-blue striped tracksuit — unzipped to reveal a tucked-in, scoop-neck undershirt — the 28-year-old delivered a dazzling hit parade — working every inch of the stage to give thousands of screaming fans an unforgettable night.

The performance marked the first of Styles’ six-night residency at the United Center and follows similar extended stays in New York City (15 dates) and Austin, Texas (6 dates), during the last couple of months.

Styles’ opening night was initially scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed until Monday “out of an abundance of caution” due to “band/crew illness,” the UC said. The news came as a shock to the dozens of fans camped outside the venue — some since Wednesday — hoping to score a coveted general admission “pit” wristband.

It all made for a palpable sense of anticipation among the more than 23,000-strong crowd on Saturday, who filled every imaginable space in the United Center and dressed in their best Styles-esque fits. Common accents included fringe shirts, sequined dresses, cowboy hats, pastels, flared pants and of course feathered boas, which were so ubiquitous that trails of loose feathers charted the path from the lengthy general admission and will-call lines and into the UC. It was a spectacular aesthetic one might describe as part drag night at the “Twin Peaks” honkytonk, part Studio 54 day during spirit week at “Euphoria” high — campy, flashy and fun.

Matt Moore/Sun-Times

The throwback themes were further compounded by opener Jessie Ware, whose disco- and house-tinged set warmed up the crowd as people swayed, posed for photos and TikToks and returned from impossibly long lines clutching food and/or Styles merch. Ware also got in on the glitzy motif, wearing a silver shirt that sparkled when she danced and belted out her stunning voice to the rafters.

During the countdown until Styles took the stage, a playlist that included Styles’ former boyband One Direction’s “Best Song Ever,” Beyoncé’s “Love on Top” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” built up the crowd’s excitement even more.

Styles’ band took the stage in matching white jumpsuits to a tranquil cover of Bill Evans’ “Peace Piece,” by ambient artist Green-House, which poured out from the arena speakers and eventually gave way to the voice of philosopher Alan Watts describing loneliness as a hallucination. It worked as a preview of what appeared to be Styles’ intentions to make the night — and tour at large — a celebration of togetherness.

By the time Styles emerged from a hole cut out centerstage, absolute pandemonium broke out, with practically glass-shattering screams consuming the opening bars of “Daydreaming,” a driving, up-tempo bop from his third album, “Harry’s House.” The artist burst across the perimeters of the surprisingly compact stage looking like a sexy candy cane with a thousand-watt smile, holding his arms up and waving to greet the sea of dedicated fans overpowering the music with their wails. The screaming only subsided when what seemed like every single voice in the place joined Styles in singing every single lyric.

Thus began a reliable pattern throughout the night: passionate, full-throated singalongs, punctuated by sound-barrier-breaking screams in response to Styles’ every move. The mood was electric, as the fans stayed on their feet and never took their eyes off their idol. And he seemingly never took his eyes off them.

Styles and his six-piece band jammed through a tight, hour-and-a-half set composed mainly of songs from “Harry’s House,” a record that saw the artist concentrate the 1970s stadium-rock nostalgia of his previous solo efforts into a more intimate, indie and city pop-leaning lane. It’s an album primarily written and recorded amid the initial waves of the pandemic that invites listeners in to share a range of emotions and offers glimpses of his interior life. The album title works as a nod to Haruomi Hosono’s 1973 classic “Hosono House,” a record defined by its distinct, intimate sound largely due to it being recorded in the pioneering artist’s home. Styles has cited the album as an influence.

Matt Moore/Sun-Times

Following “Daydreaming,” Styles grabbed a hollowbody guitar and counted off his band to start “Golden,” from his 2019 sophomore album, “Fine Line.” Styles crooned lines like, “I know that you’re scared because I’m so open,” in the lower end of his range. This meant he was inevitably drowned out by fans screaming/singing at the top of their lungs an octave above him.

Styles then handed off his Gibson and grabbed the mic for “Adore You,” another “Fine Line” standout. He twirled, jumped and skipped across the two catwalks bookending either side of the stage, blowing kisses and giving a thumbs up to the crowd.

“Our job this evening is to entertain you — I promise we’ll do our absolute best,” Styles said with a grin, giving fans permission to feel free to be whoever and “whatever it is you’ve always wanted to be.”

“I challenge you to have as much fun as I’m gonna have.”

As he settled into the first half of his set, Styles’ true talent as a performer was on full display, namely in his knack for commanding the crowd while alternating between playing guitar and frontmanning. It was also impressive to see the ways he would preserve his voice, which initially sounded hoarse in some moments. Styles opted to let the crowd hit some of the big notes, altered the melodies slightly in other instances and performed a string of down-tempo “Harry’s House” songs that still showcased his voice, but kept him from belting.

“For those who are not from Chicago, we’ll have a little trivia for you later in the show,” Styles quipped. “Did you know the Twinkie was invented in Chicago? That’s a fact.”

“Harry’s House” ballads like “Little Freak” and “Matilda” were other clear first-half highlights, with the latter evoking teary-eyed, passionate singalongs to lines like, “You don’t have to be sorry for leaving and growing up,” as guitarist Mitch Rowland played harmonics that rang beautifully through the arena. Both songs, although tender, personal points on “Harry’s House,” somehow felt even more intimate performed live before thousands singing along. It’s a credit to Styles’ ability to make fans in both the pit and in the nosebleeds feel like they’re part of a collective, unique experience.

Styles later spouted off some more local trivia about deep dish pizza, the “L” and how Chicago gave the US its first skyscraper. He also attempted to mention that Chicago was home to Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African American to win a Pulitzer, but forgot her name. He eventually remembered moments after leading the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to an audience member.

“That’s why the Windy City is not the second city, it is the first in my eyes!” Styles exclaimed cheekily.

Styles and Co. were soon joined by a horn quartet and gleefully burst into “Cinema” to mark the second half of the show. Although the energy had not waned, the addition of the quartet brought the excitement to an even higher level and rounded out the band to create live interpretations that sounded even better than his recordings. It also appeared that whatever Styles may have been reserving vocally, he was laying it all out for the duration of the set.

Dressed in matching blue jumpsuits, the horn quartet moved into a raucous interlude that interpolated the beginning bars of the Village People’s “YMCA” with the intro to “Harry’s House” single “Music for a Sushi Restaurant.” While the studio version can read as a bit generic — like music for an Old Navy commercial — it was a barn burner of a moment live. Styles moved to the beat with Mick Jagger-like swagger as the horns sailed over bassist Elin Sandberg’s funk-infused lines and drummer Sarah Jones’ driving rhythms, keeping the whole crowd dancing.

Perhaps the best moment of the night was when Styles broke into “Treat People With Kindness,” a joyful song with a Sly and the Family Stone ethos that serves as Styles’ mantra. Fans jumped and sang along to the lines, “Maybe we can find a place to feel good and we can treat people with kindness.” Sandberg, Jones and multi-instrumentalist Ny Oh led the chorus with near-perfect pitch while Styles sprinted across the stage and danced cheerily with auxiliary percussionist Pauli Lovejoy, whose bongos added a tasteful texture throughout the set.

Styles also paid homage to his One Direction roots — and the fans who helped make him the global superstar he is today — by performing the boyband’s 2011 single “What Makes You Beautiful.” Interpreted by his live band, the song had a more rock and power-pop feel to it, and brought the crowd to an even higher level of energy, despite having danced and jumped and screamed for over an hour at this point in the set.

Another high point was “Late Night Talking,” which was preceded by a fantastic, jazz-infused intro led by pianist Yaffra. The track gave way to 2019’s “Watermelon Sugar,” which was also a perfect exhibition of how airtight and solid Styles and his band were together — touting strong harmonies, just about flawless instrumentation and infectious enthusiasm.

For the encore, Styles kicked into his 2017 armageddon anthem “Sign of the Times,” from his self-titled debut, a song that felt made for the high emotions of a sold-out arena and showed off his vocal prowess, as did the bubbly “As It Was” that soon followed.

The night was unfortunately capped with 2017’s “Kiwi,” a bland, hard rock cosplay that is beloved by his devout fans. The ravenous screams from the crowd and the intensity of his band pushing distorted chaos made for a mystifying end to an otherwise great set.

Lloyd Wakefield

For a sold-out arena tour starring one of the world’s most famous people, Styles’ setup was decidedly unremarkable. No elaborate set designs, no costume changes, no choreography, no cameos, no compelling visuals. It was just Styles, his bandmates and thousands of adoring fans, a barebones arrangement that felt like another callback to an earlier era — when artists like Aretha Franklin or Fleetwood Mac would command an audience with just music and magnetic stage presence.

And while he hasn’t reached the level of those greats just yet, it was really refreshing to watch Styles — despite achieving massive success and having a loyal fan base — work so hard to get there. Those efforts have resulted in him putting out his best work and giving his strongest performances to date, and he’s still pushing himself further.

Styles’ sole focus Saturday appeared to be his relationship with his audience. They were there for Styles, and as the lights went up and he stepped onto the catwalk to wave, bow and blow kisses to a crowd dressed like him, fans who gave just as much energy as he did during the performance, it was clear he was there for them.

“Things like this don’t happen to people like me very often,” he said. “Thank you so much for changing my life over and over again.”

Styles was set to hit the United Center again Sunday and Monday, before returning Oct. 13-15 for the remainder of his residency.