Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons, but Saturday night in Atlanta flipped the script. The singer brought out Isaac Slade, former frontman of The Fray, as a surprise guest, and the crowd got“How to Save a Life”and“You Found Me”in one unforgettable set. It was Slade’s biggest stage moment since he left The Fray in 2022 to focus on his mental health after onstage panic attacks.
The timing matters. Macklemore was removed from the tour after an anti-Israel rant and a“Free Palestine”performance, and openers Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham, and Beoga all quit in solidarity. Sheeran has been performing without a traditional opener and apologized on September 19 for how he handled the fallout, calling it a moment that put him in the middle of a passionate argument about free speech.
Slade didn’t shy away from the moment either. He told the Atlanta crowd that what’s happening in Gaza is wrong, but that getting through it requires people to step into“that middle place, that common ground.”Whether that message lands, or whether a surprise guest can truly fill the opener void, is now the question hanging over the rest of the tour. What do you think: was Slade the perfect choice, or should Sheeran have addressed the controversy head-on?
About the Author
Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.