The special NYC show was highlighted by a fan making the most of his surprise stage appearance.
On Thursday night (Dec. 9), Ed Sheeran delighted New York City diehard fans by performing a sold-out show at the 1,200-capacity Irving Plaza — one of whom got to join the pop superstar onstage for a surprise duet of “Thinking Out Loud.”
During the special underplay show that Sheeran described as his first proper solo concert in two-and-a-half years — which precedes his Z100 Jingle Ball performance at Madison Square Garden on Friday night — the singer-songwriter performed new hits like “Bad Habits” and “Shivers” from recent No. 1 album =, as well as enduring favorites like “Shape of You,” “Perfect” and “Give Me Love.”
“I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed this,” Sheeran told the crowd after leading a sing-along of “Castle on the Hill.” The performance also included a sleigh bell-laden rendition of “Merry Christmas,” Sheeran’s just released holiday single with Elton John.
The show’s highlight came when Sheeran brought a fan named Michael onstage after the first chorus of “Thinking Out Loud,” noticing his high “ooo’s” coming from the crowd. In a spot where most fans would be slightly nervous to snatch the mic from Sheeran, Michael instead crooned the rest of the song with aplomb, as Sheeran smiled and leaned in to sing alongside the fan.
At the end of the song, Sheeran gave Michael a hug, and the crowd chanted his name. If Sheeran pulls another fan onstage at Jingle Ball on Friday night, they’ve got their work cut out for them.
