It feels like Hilary Duff has always been part of my life, one way or another.
I was like many kids in the early 2000s. I’d watch “Lizzie McGuire” religiously and dance in my room to “Wake Up” and “Why Not.” I had posters of her in my room, and her Christmas album was one of my first CDs.
She was my childhood celebrity crush.
I remained a fan as I grew up, watching Duff’s non-Disney Channel acting roles. “How I Met Your Father” was canceled too soon, in my opinion. And I remember binging “Younger” with my wife during COVID-19, after finding out my wife had a miscarriage.
Watching and supporting Duff in any capacity gave me a nostalgic comfort, and it still does. It takes me back to elementary school and not having a care in the world.
I knew I had to see her when I saw Duff’s Lucky Me Tour was coming to Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati.
Here are my takeaways from Duff’s Queen City show.
Hilary Duff ate Skyline Chili live on stage
The biggest moment of the night, at least in the eyes of Cincinnatians, came toward to the end of the show, when Duff ate our hometown food. Our delicacy. Skyline Chili.
“That’s good. You should be famous for that,” she said after downing several bites in front of thousands of fans.
She said she liked it, but I wasn’t convinced. Only true Cincinnati chili freaks eat it in the form she did: a straight bowl of chili with melted cheese and soggy oyster crackers. Poor Hilary. She did not know what she was in for.
It looked delicious to me, but I’m a weirdo.
I wish the person who got the food for her would’ve at least put it on a coney. But if Duff comes to town again, maybe we can have her try it the authentic way: atop noodles with onions and cheese (and maybe beans).
I still appreciate her embracing her Cincinnati fans. Duff also correctly called out the cinnamon and warm spices after taking her first bite.
Hilary knows ball.
She doesn’t take herself too seriously
In the same vein of eating Skyline Chili during her concert and proceeding to jump on a couch (brave move), Duff also isn’t afraid to have fun at her own expense.
From inviting fans on stage to re-make her viral, low-energy dance from the “Today” show in 2007, to admitting she didn’t know the name of our river, Duff is OK with looking silly. That makes her relatable.
(Note: She did correctly say the name of the Ohio River, but she whispered it in case she was wrong. I get it. I’m not good with geography or names, either.)
Hilary Duff is a born entertainer
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Duff’s show. I have loved her in everything she has done, but she hasn’t toured in nearly two decades.
Did the industry pass her by? Absolutely not.
She commanded the stage all night through her dancing and set designs.
Pyrotechnics. Projections. A gigantic disco ball. Massive beach balls filled with glitter. Every piece of the show was well thought out.
Many fans were there to sing along to the classics, and, like at every other concert in the world, the energy in the crowd may have dropped incrementally when a newer song played. They’re not the jams those millennials have danced to for 20-some years.
But Duff’s excitement made sure everyone still had a good time. Even if it wasn’t a song they weren’t too familiar with yet.
Duff also used her sets to tell stories. She sang atop a living room rug while singing “Roomates.” A projection of a saloon called “Lizzie’s” showed on the screen behind her as she sang “In my imagination, I’m another victim of the holiday party,” from her song “Holiday Party.” A nice nod to the cartoon in “Lizzie McGuire,” who expressed the inner thoughts of Duff’s character.
And despite all the flash, everything felt intimate. It was just her and her band on stage. No background dancers. Just Duff giving her fans a show.
A celebration of the old and the new
Duff expressed how much she appreciated her fans celebrating the old and the new. Her old hits and new bops.
But it felt deeper than that, at least for me.
Singing “What Dreams Are Made Of” or “So Yesterday” made me feel like I was dancing next to my race car bed in London, Ohio. My boombox on my dresser.
Seeing Duff, as I stood next to my wife in the stands, reminded me of us watching her on “Younger.” Stuffing our face with comfort food while trying to escape during one of our darkest moments.
Then, singing the new hits, like “Growing Up,” brought me back to my current stage of life. A 30-year-old dad of three beautiful children and husband to a gorgeous wife who gets to go to fun concerts and events as part of his job. I can’t complain one bit.
Duff’s fans are no longer kids. We’re adults trying our best to make our mark on the world. But for one summer night, we were all children again, watching one of our favorite entertainers tear up the stage.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hilary Duff tries Skyline Chili on stage. 4 takeaways from Cincy show
Reporting by David Wysong, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By David Wysong, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
