On Oct. 14, pop singer Shawn Mendes performed at Stanford’s Frost Amphitheater for the second-to-last stop of his “On the Road Again tour” across North America and Europe. His setlist featured fan favorites like “Señorita” and “If I Can’t Have You” — his 2019 single that debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Thousands of attendees, many of them Stanford students, shared feelings of excitement and anticipation prior to the concert.

“I’m so excited to see him, it’s going to feel like a little escapade from our hectic schedules,” Lykamae Cortez Alacar ’29 wrote to The Daily before the concert. Cortez Alacar bought her ticket in August, and has been anticipating the concert for two months. 

The Frost Amphitheater has become a sought-after concert space in the Bay Area, hosting a growing list of artists including Men I Trust, Disclosure and Doechii in the past year alone.

“I’ve been a Shawn Mendes fan for like a really, really long time,” Bruklyn Williams ’27 said. “He’s probably the first artist I really liked, he was actually my very first concert I attended back in 2018.” 

It has been six years since Mendes last hit the road in 2019, marking a long-awaited return for fans who have grown up with his music. Fans online have speculated that this tour signifies his comeback to the stage and a return to the spotlight, reviving the spark that first made him a global sensation.

“It highlights how rare of an opportunity it is to see an artist that a lot of us listened a lot to in our childhood to come on campus,” Kira Liang ’29 said. 

Despite the approach of midterm season, hundreds of students made time to attend. Some said they viewed the concert as a rare opportunity to unwind. 

“Honestly, it feels like a bit of a risk, but also a necessary break,” Andy Serrato ’29 wrote to The Daily. “Midterms can get overwhelming, and the idea of spending a night surrounded by music, energy, and people who love the same artist feels like a reset button.” 

Throughout the night, the audience sang along, swaying to the tunes.

“I feel so lucky to have such an amazing venue and artist right on campus.” Zoe Greene ’29 said. She was most excited for him to perform “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back.”

The concert spanned three hours in total, with Mendes performing songs across his discography.

“I feel like I wasn’t the biggest [Shawn Mendes] fan since I didn’t know all his songs,” Rebecca Susan ’27 said. “I felt like I wasn’t going to feel as connected to him as I do to my favorite artists, but he changed that. His vibe, his music, and it’s like wow, I think he’s actually one of my top artists now.”

The setlist was full of previous hits like “Mercy” and “Lost in Japan.”

“The song that definitely stood out to me was ‘Treat You Better,’” Canon Phan ’27 said, adding that she hadn’t listened to Mendes’ new album “Shawn” yet, but found it exciting to experience it live and connect with the more emotional side of his music.

After 17 songs, Mendes closed the night with a performance of his song “In My Blood.” 

“The crowd went wild, the music was amazing, and the energy itself brought out the best in people.” Serrato said as he reflected on the night. He added that it was his very first concert — and he couldn’t have been happier that it was.