I knew that attending The Eras Tour was going to be an experience. Long before Taylor Swift arrived in Nashville, I’d seen enough TikToks and Instagram reels to know that her show was something special. Her performance, set designs, and song choices were as extraordinary as anticipated, but I didn’t anticipate being so moved by the audience. Here are 5 beautiful things I noticed on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
5 Beautiful Things About Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
1. The Costumes
Come for the music but enjoy the costumes. A Taylor Swift concert is an immersive experience in her song lyrics. Some interpretations were literal or based on an outfit she wore in a music video. Other interpretations took metaphors and ran with them.
I saw crowned men escorting homecoming queens in a nod to Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince. A bikini-clad concertgoer attended wearing the full outfit inspired by the You Need to Calm Down music video. At least half the concert attendees were in their Midnights era and representing Bejeweled. There were crumpled pieces of paper, rain clouds, and cats standing next to ringmasters, mirrorballs, and ghosts. Every era of her music was represented somewhere in the room.
I showed up representing her latest album with a bejeweled top, sequined jacket and shorts, Anti-Hero earrings, 13 temporary tattoos, and friendship bracelets. I even drew “cat eyes sharp enough to kill a man” in a nod to one of her songs from the album. The costumes were creative and beautiful, and the compliments were flowing freely as we all admired each other’s outfits.
2. Concertgoers Exchanging Friendship Bracelets
One of the most beautiful things I noticed during her stop in Nashville on the second night was the exchange of friendship bracelets. I was washing my hands in the restroom when I noticed a young girl giving several homemade friendship bracelets to women in the bathroom. Everywhere I went, people were exchanging bracelets and sharing with perfect strangers. It was heartwarming to see. Even Reese Witherspoon posted a photo later of the friendship bracelets concertgoers gave her while she was in attendance.
This, of course, is a nod to the song You’re on Your Own Kid when she reminds us to make those friendship bracelets and cherish the moments of our lives. To see so many people take that literally was one of the most beautiful moments of the concert experience.
3. Lights and Photos Honoring Marjorie, Her Grandmother
You might not be aware that Taylor Swift’s grandmother Marjorie was a singer, too. There’s a song named after her and one of the most special experiences of the night was when she sang this song. The stadium lit up with cell phone lights, and on some stops along the tour, fans held up pictures of her grandmother that Taylor Swift caught sight of from the stage.
The song is about love and loss, and she seemed genuinely moved by the audience’s reaction. It was a moment of deep love and respect. For me, it was also a moment to remember the Marjories of my own life and to honor their memory. I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt that way.
4. Her Commitment to Making Every Single Concert Special
To attend a Taylor Swift concert is to prepare for a spectacle. It’s more than the music, lights, and backup dancers. She’s clearly committed to making every single concert special by playing extra surprise songs that aren’t on the original setlist. With a catalog of hundreds of songs to choose from, fans might guess what she could play, but she manages to surprise us with her choices and special guest appearances.
For the concert I attended, I strongly suspected she would sing Nothing New, her duet with concert-opener Phoebe Bridgers. She also included the song Fifteen as a nod to the friend it was written about who was in attendance that night. While she’s known for doing two new songs each night, she threw in a third for her hometown performance and played Out of the Woods.
Her commitment doesn’t just extend to song choices. The concert night after mine, she sang until 2 am in the pouring rain at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville. She didn’t cut out a single song despite weather delays. While many artists would have canceled, Swift showed up and put on the performance of her life.
5. The Mutual Appreciation Shared Between Swift and Her Fans
Being a Taylor Swift fan is more than a casual appreciation of her music. For Swifties, we know it’s a mutual admiration society. Swift’s appreciation of her fans is legendary. She doesn’t just thank us for supporting her music. In the past, she’s even held private concerts in her home for select fans.
She’s one of the singers who has never forgotten her roots or the fans who supported her even at her lowest. And the feeling is mutual as her songs have often shown up for us when we most needed them. At the concert tour, there was a clear sense of appreciation coming from both the fans and the artist we all adore, and it was beautiful.
Even those who aren’t fans of the music or the artist can appreciate these concert moments. This fully immersive concert experience is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I feel fortunate to have experienced. It’s so much more than a collection of her musical career. It’s all of us reflected in the eras of our lives.
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