About a year ago, my daughter Ava, 10 going on intense, taped a crinkled Tiger Beat picture of One Direction's Harry Styles on her bedroom wall. He was her newest crush, adoring Taylor Swift's ex-BF with giggly bursts of OMG.
Today, well, she likes him fine, I guess, you know, kind of. She'll nonchalantly join the big-haired Brit for a sing-along when Story of My Life or One Thing comes on the radio. Harry's pic still hangs on her wall not out of steadfast loyalty anymore, but because my daughter is simply used to it being there. Or maybe she's just too lazy to take it down.
Somewhere in there is a metaphor for 1D's Raymond James Stadium show in Tampa on Friday, tickets for which went on sale the same time Ava fell in puppy-love. Back then, 1D was the biggest boy band on the planet. Now there's argument to made that this show's opener, the Aussie cuties in 5 Seconds of Summer, are the buzzier hunks.
There's a power shift going on for sure, and yet this bill has turned out to be fortuitous: Sure, one band is coming, one is cooling off a little — but all those girls (maybe even Ava Daly, if she's good) caught in the middle are going to scream their lungs out for one or the other or both. It'll be loud for someone, I can guarantee that. The shelf life of boy band and childhood are equally short; might as well enjoy both with as much volume as you can muster.
One Direction, with 5 Seconds of Summer, performs 7 p.m. Friday at Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. An indoor-outdoor parents lounge area (your kids rock out, you chill out) will be available on the northeast side of the venue, entrance located near Gate B; complimentary coffee and TVs will be available, as will food and beverages for purchase. The show's estimated end time is 10:30 p.m. $19.50-$99.50. Parking is $25. (813) 350-6500.