Overall, Justin Bieber whipped up a predictable frenzy during his tour stop in Ottawa Friday night – but his outfit when he met up with the Prime Minister was what had people around the world talking.
Bieber’s Believe tour, Carly Rae Jepsen in tow, filled Scotiabank Place with diehard fans of one of the world’s biggest celebrities.
However, it was the snapback hat/white t-shirt/partially unbuttoned overalls that he wore while receiving a Diamond Jubilee medal from Prime Minister Stephen Harper that had many wondering if he could have dressed up a little bit more.
It turns out he hadn’t changed from what he was wearing when he rode a Segway around the venue’s parking lot hours before the show, giving quite the surprise to a few early-arriving fans.
“He scootered up and he gave everyone a high-five and was like ‘Hi, how are you guys doing, are you excited for tonight?’” said Naomi Adam-Johnston.
“We just chatted with him for maybe two minutes and then he had to go back inside, but even that was enough.”
“Everyone was just . . . trying so hard to contain themselves and everyone was just like ‘Oh my God,’” said Anna Millar.
“Then when he walked away, everyone just screamed.”
Twelve other fans got special treatment during the show itself, as Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk donated his suite to children who have been touched by life-threatening illness.
“So many kids, they have dreams – one of these dreams was to meet Justin Bieber and come to his concert tonight,” said Danielle Robinson of the Sens Foundation.
“It was really great that our owner . . . was able to provide so many people with their dream come true this evening.”
Bieber, whose latest album Believe has sold over a million copies in the United States (over 100,000 in Canada) since its June release, recently made headlines for wins at the American Music Awards and his break-up with fellow young star Selena Gomez.
His tour now heads to Toronto and Montreal, along with a halftime performance during Sunday’s Grey Cup.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Katie Griffin