British songstress Adele returned to the City of Brotherly Love for back-to-back
concerts at the Wells Fargo Center Sept. 9–10. Now, if you were like the other estimated 10 million fans, you spent a good portion of your morning yelling at your computer screen in anticipation of snagging one of the 750,000 seats available across the five-month tour. My mom and I luckily did not have to endure the stressful process, as my dad purchased the tickets off StubHub — best Christmas present ever. The powerful-voiced songwriter rose from beneath the floor of a stage at the center of the arena at the sold-out Wells Fargo Center around 8:15 p.m. Saturday evening. Fans cheered in anticipation as the legendary Adele was about to grace our presence. The sound of the chords was played by Philadelphia pianist Eric Wortham, and Adele appeared on the platform opening with none other than “Hello,” and the crowd roared. Her concert was unlike anything else; we were all blown away watching a true legend perform right in front of our eyes. She played a tribute to us locals with a montage of Philly scenes on the video screen during “Hometown Glory.” She chatted in between songs, warning the audience, especially the men, that her songs are miserable, and they were in for two hours of songs about her and her ex-boyfriends. Adele captivated the audience with her voice and allowed us to relate to her and see her as a real person. She’s extremely likable, funny and down to earth, as she told stories about her time spent Philadelphia the past couple of days and interacted with the audience. It was hands down one of the best concerts I have ever seen — and I’ve been to my fair share.
— Jenna Payesko, advertising and editorial coordinator