The 1975 concert at PPG Paints Arena was surely a night to remember. A naked wax figure of Matty Healy lying on the grass in the fetal position, a giant house on stage where the band performed and many fan favorite songs on the setlist all made the experience standout.
Healy has grown in popularity ever since he allegedly dated Taylor Swift in the spring. However, most of the commentary surrounding his name has been controversial. Healy made an appearance on “The Adam Friedland Show,” where several inappropriate comments were made about Ice Spice’s ethnicity and her body by the podcast hosts and Healy himself.
This is just one instance where Healy has been called out for disparaging behavior. There was an alleged Nazi salute at one of his shows and the huge controversy surrounding him kissing a gay fan in Dubai, where homosexuality is still illegal.
Healy did attempt to apologize for his behavior. At Fiserv Stadium in Milwaukee, Healy said, “You need to take inventory of yourself and your actions and your intentions don’t align. My actions hurt some people. I apologized to those people and I said I would do better moving forward.” Ice Spice confirmed that she received an apology from Healy in a Variety interview.
Despite the controversy surrounding Healy’s name, many still choose to support him by attending his concerts – judging by the nearly full house at PPG Paints Arena last night. The show was not sold out, but there were lines wrapping around the arena and a sea of people inside.
The 1975 played some of their very best songs including “Oh Caroline,” “Robbers,” “About You,” “Somebody Else” and “Love It If We Made It.” The crowd was very vocal and engaged in the show and even jumped on command when Healy sang “The Sound.” There were some additions to the setlist at the Pittsburgh show such as “Me & You Together Song,” “Girls,” “Undo” and several others.
One thing that stuck out to me, which I was not expecting, was the nude wax figure of Healy that appeared on the B stage halfway through the show. It appeared when Healy visited the back of the crowd, and he made sure to make the moment as creepy and funny as possible. He did lay down next to it and sing “People” though.
Seeing the 1975 in Pittsburgh proved that they are Still… At Their Very Best.