One Direction Concert Conversion: One Mother's Epiphany At a 1D Show

Posted on Dec 6th 2012 2:45PM by AOL Music Staff

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Ask any "Directioner" to review a One Direction concert and you can be pretty sure what the response will be. (Hint: It involves a lot of screaming.) But what about all the dedicated parents who trek to the shows with their children ... what's their take on the boy band's traveling stage show?

We sent AOL Jobs editor Pam Kruger and her daughter Annie to one recent 1D concert at Madison Square Garden, and to be brutally honest, Pam wasn't really looking forward to it. But in the story below, this New Jersey mom explains what exactly went down at the MSG show, and why she left with an experience she didn't expect.

Everywhere I looked there were girls, and they were screaming, crying or just squealing something unintelligible. Including my normally stolid 11-year-old daughter, Annie.

We were at Madison Square Garden for the sold-out One Direction concert. For 90 minutes, Harry, Liam ("the cutest" according to Annie), and the other band members danced around singing mostly innocent, syrupy songs about girls and love. It seemed like a lovesick 14-year-old girl was the set designer too, with the screen behind the band literally, at one point, showing floating red hearts.

At least that's how I saw it. To be fair, I viewed this as akin to taking the kids to Disneyland -- something I'd tolerate to make my kids insanely happy. Annie is a diehard fan, ("No 1D Haters Allowed," a sign on her bedroom door reads), and seeing One Direction perform live was the only item on her holiday wish list.

When we got to the concert, my daughter was dressed in a white tee shirt she'd decorated in homage to the band. I, on the other hand, had a pair of ear plugs stuffed in my bag, just in case it got unbearable.

The good news: It didn't. You see I was watching a pretty awesome spectacle -- an 11 year old in pure heaven singing her favorite songs,""Live While You're Young," and "Up All Night," at her first-ever pop concert. There was something incredibly sweet about seeing all these young girls, including my daughter, so utterly besotted, dropping their self-consciousness, just singing, dancing and yes, screaming with abandon and pure delight. So what if the lyrics they were singing in unison -- "You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh, that's what makes you beautiful" -- are kind of silly.

But, let me give my daughter, Annie, the last word:

"I was so psyched, I was speechless before they came on stage. I'm not the screaming type when it comes to girl things, but when Liam (he's my favorite, he's the cutest) got on stage and asked, 'Are you having a good time?' I couldn't believe it! And I was screaming so hard! People of all ages, from 3 to 40, were screaming and jumping and enjoying themselves! Even the woman next to my mom, who was 35 or something! And I'm positive One Direction didn't use auto tune. They don't need it! They're awesome!"

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Ashleigh

One direction is AWESOME!!!!!!! It would be so cool if I could go to one of their concerts or even meet them in person.

January 03 2013 at 5:26 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1D Mom Fan

I have a very similar story. I first heard of 1D when my daughter could not wait each week until the next video diary was released on youtube. Each week after the band had made it through to another around of X Factor UK they would tape a short session of them thanking the fans for voting and answer of few questions from their "fans". My daughter would play and replay the video over and over, laughing and smiling for hours. She had asked to go to their concert when they were opening for BTR (Big Time Rush), another band I was not familiar with, but we could not make it. The second time they came to the United States she said she just HAD to go, it would be the only thing she would want and to please get the tickets. This past July I found myself, my daughter and her best friend in the local sold out venue with 1000s of of young girls. I too, had ear plugs in my pocket just in case. The concert started and the screaming began. Our seats were almost at the top of the venue and so actually seeing the boys was a little difficult. There were two big screens which helped. After the opening song and the reaction from the screaming girls I realized I was witnessing something that would never happen again. 5 young boys who are in their own unbelievable dream come true world made it possible for my 15 year old daughter, who is normally very reserved and non emotional, have a modern day fairy tale dream come true experience. Maybe I got caught in the emotion of seeing my daughter and her friend so happy and giddy about seeing the boys, or maybe it was the cinderella story behind the boys and how they came to be, but after just a few songs into the concert I found myself being very much entertained by these 5 young lads. There was not a lot of production around their performance. They engaged with the audience by answering twitter questions on stage. They joked around and very often throughout the concert would thank the girls for being such dedicated fans. I had never seen a live performance where the act thanked their fans as much as these guys did. After the concert I spent a lot of time with my daughter watching all of the past videos and interviews they had done. It has been such a special time for me to have this time with my daughter, who in a few short years will be leaving for college and starting her on young adult life. There are so many positive things that she will be able to look back on and hopefully it will give her the strength, confidence and courage to go after whatever it is she wants to do in life. What started out to be a youtube fan following of 5 boys, to being able to see them in concert to witnessing that dreams really do come true, it has been an experience that will never happen again for us. I am glad I was a part of it and helped make it happen for my daughter. Thank you 1D.

December 07 2012 at 4:51 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Sandy Renton Winters

I'm mom to an 11 y/o Directioner also and I am so happy to read your article. I think these boys are awesome and seeing my daughter so happy, and so many others, I have gotten a taste of teen (or pre-teen) fandom that I never experienced. I took my daughter to her first-ever concert, seeing One Direction this past May (we are also from NJ) and I enjoyed watching my daughter enjoy the concert more than anything. And because she is always talking about them and playing their music, I was singing along too (much to her chagrin)! I even camped out overnight in NYC with her and a friend to see (or try to) 1D at the Today Show concert last month. If this is what my daughter loves, I will totally keep supporting her and her passion. -Fellow 1D Fan Mom

December 06 2012 at 8:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

erin

Can she please be my mom???

December 06 2012 at 7:19 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

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