Ed Sheeran’s Phoenix concert captivated the fans. The fireworks were just a bonus

For days leading up to Ed Sheeran’s June 13 concert at State Farm Stadium, I wondered: How is he going to fill the space?

I didn’t mean the crowd; the venue wasn’t sold out, but it was pretty close. I meant stage presence, presentation. It’s Ed Sheeran — there wouldn’t be any fireworks or dancers or pyrotechnics. How was one man with a guitar going to captivate a whole stadium?

Well, there were pyrotechnics. And fireworks. And bold, creative visuals on the massive screen behind the stage. No dancers, sure.

But Sheeran had no problem enthalling the audience for nearly three hours.

The first stop on the North American leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour (so named because he uses a loop pedal in lieu of backup vocals or musicians) got off to a momentarily rocky start. After opening sets by Alex Rowe, Amble and Mark Ambor, Sheeran appeared on the small, circular B stage and opened with “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You.” But the fast-paced lyrics and the echoes from the sound made it almost unintelligible.

Fortunately, the troubles were short-lived, and Sheeran set off on an emotional, intimate glide through his catalog. Along the way, he hit his most popular songs — “Shivers,” “Perfect,” “Shape of You,” “Bad Habits” — along with a trio of audience picks chosen by vote (“Lego House,” “Tenerife Sea,” “Supermarket Flowers”). Irish folk band Beoga joined Sheeran in the middle of the show for six songs. And a medley near the end of the concert showcased songs Sheeran wrote for other artists,

Throughout the show, Sheeran talked; in fact, he was one of the chattiest artists I’ve experienced in a while. He talked about the mechanics behind the looping; about his early days of writing songs and performing, when he wasn’t sure if he’d ever make it; about how Arizona summer was not a hospitable environment for redheads; about how playing in stadiums for huge crowds is still, after more than a decade at the top of the charts, a cause for excitement and gratitude.

The pyrotechnics and fireworks that ended the show after “Bad Habits” lit up State Farm Stadium, but the real glow came from what we’d just experienced: an unforgettable evening with Sheeran.

Here’s the full setlist for the Ed Sheeran concert on June 13 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale:

• “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You”
• “Sapphire”
• “The A Team”
• “Shivers”
• “Don’t”
• “Eyes Closed”
• “Lego House”
• “Tenerife Sea”
• Supermarket Flowers”
• “Give Me Love”
• “Galway Girl” (with Beoga)
• “Nancy Mulligan” (with Beoga)
• “I Don’t Care” (with Beoga)
• “Old Phone” (with Beoga)
• “Camera” (with Beoga)
• “Celestial” (with Beoga)
• “Photograph”
• “Eastside” / “2002” / “Cold Water” / “Little Things” / “Love Yourself”
• “Thinking Out Loud”
• “Perfect”
• “I See Fire”
• “I’m a Mess”
• “Bloodstream”
• “Afterglow”
• “Shape of You”
• “Azizam”
• “Bad Habits”