Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ Tour: What It Was Like Inside

CNN
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Almost nine months have passed since November 15th – the day I made it Believe Three tickets at face value amid the infamous collapse of Taylor Swift’s Ticketmaster “ERAS” tour Prom in Los Angeles – when I finally got to catch the show this week.

The concert, which was the singer’s penultimate show on the first US leg of her tour, was the most impressive three hours and fifteen minutes of live music she’d ever seen, based on her epic delivery of a fully loaded 44-track setlist. . And it happened in an atmosphere that celebrated positivity, respect for others, and openness to communicate with new friends.

It must be said that I knew exactly what to expect at this party. I was Writing about the “ERAS” tour Fairly regular as an outlet for my price and just to bide my time until my show, so avoiding party spoilers was impossible.

but it does not matter. Watching clips of the opening sequence of the “Eras” tour on social media – as I have done on and off for months – can never compare to the feeling of being in the audience when the two-minute countdown clock began ticking as the crowd roared in anticipation of our “anti-hero” appearance.

I’d been planning the logistics of my “Eras” show for months now as it became an “Alli’s Version” bachelorette party, which two of my best friends and my soon-to-be bridesmaids attended with me.

dressed in my “reputation” The look of the era, and surrounded by my friends in “Lover” and “Midnights” era fashion, we were on our way to the venue about four hours before Swift was set to allow plenty of time to get the goods and catch her editors, Gracie Abrams and Haim.

The scene outside SoFi Stadium was vivid and tangible. Moms and daughters were spotted dressed in matching outfits for a photo shoot and we weaved through groups of flamboyant concert-goers representing every era of Swift’s musical career until we finally found our entrance.

This was in the commodities queue when our group was first approached by another fellow Swiftie to trade Friendship braceletsAnd the moment is an essential memory that will stay with me. My friend, who so altruistically volunteered to stay in line during the show’s start, later managed to catch one of those concert-exclusive virals. Blue crew necks.

In our seats, in the 200-center section, we rejoiced at our perfect vision, and as the two-minute countdown clock began, the audience’s cheers chimed through my head getting louder and louder with each passing second until the lights went out and Swift finally appeared on the stage.

Standing in that stadium along with over 70,000 Swifties collectively shout and sing on the bridge “cruel summer” With Swift dressed on stage, her famous bejeweled “Lover” corset was truly a must-see.

The entire show is a complete spectacle. total stimulation. Bright lights highlight her huge stage, her elaborate sets and flashy costumes complement her perfect vocals as she sings all of her greatest hits of the past 17 years, era after era.

The epic journey took us through “brave” And “red” eras, with bands like “Love Story (Taylor Version)” and “I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor Version)” creating a nostalgic feel and audience members singing audibly to each lyric.

The energy of the “Reputation” era — a personal favorite of mine, with songs like “Are You Ready For It,” “Delicate,” “Don’t Blame Me” and “Look What You Made Me Do” — was electric as Swift rushed around her stage. And she packs her iconic tracks.

Its uber-appreciative audience gave it a long minute standing ovation After “Champagne Problems” in the era of “Forever”, it is one of the longest-receiving hits to date. The cheering was so loud that even earplugs wouldn’t mask the screams.

Other points of view, in particular “folklore” Era, it felt super personal as a listener and as a witness as a bystander witnessing Swift’s deepest feelings, something she’s spoken of many times before in relation to her relationship with the 2020 album.

Swift has released no fewer than four new albums, including “Folklore,” since her last tour in 2018. And finally, seeing her perform these songs in concert after connecting with this album so deeply during the darkest days of the pandemic was almost too much. The feeling was really captured during “My Tears Ricochet,” which is arguably one of her saddest songs and, for me, one of her sweetest. That’s exactly when I let out a sigh, and my friends laughed at me — all in good fun, of course.

Of course we guessed for months about what surprise songs we’d get, and when she sang “King of My Heart” from her 2017 album Reputation as her surprise second single, the crowd went crazy, myself included. “I Know Places” from her 2014 album Megahit “1989” The first song was a surprise.

At the end of the night, we were in complete awe. I could barely walk by this point, however, and Swift was executing her choreography perfectly while hitting those high notes on “Karma” at the end of her three-hour set. during its fifth show in six days. Endurance masterclass.

Sad that it ended, but grateful for the experience, we left feeling like a big part of a community of (mostly) women who value respect, friendship, and empowerment for one another. “Eras” was more than just a concert—it was a dazzling display of femininity for all ages, a celebration of individuality with one common denominator: the joy of music.

On our way to find my gorgeous fiancee who we had enlisted as our driver for the night, we walked out of the stadium and saw the beaming faces of the Swifties with what appeared to be permanent smiles on their faces. Mine is still there.