The Eras Tour is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Over 3 and a half hours of choreographed numbers that come across so heartfelt, spanning 17 years of a music career is a feat in any sense – but incorporating the pyrotechnics, the light design across the crowd’s wristbands, the outfit changes… even the designs on the stage itself all made for a performance that has had me at a loss for words for a few days now.
Seeing this tour all the way through – from the first day that we heard about its announcement, to planning how we can best get as many fans as possible to see The Eras Tour live – these last nine months have been consumed with Taylor Swift, anticipating the Eras Tour arriving in Seattle. Watching the dancers come out with their parachutes, hearing the intro music begin during golden hour, and seeing Taylor unveiled from the sunset-hued panels to open with, “It’s been a long time coming but, it’s you and me, that’s my whole world” did nothing short of bring me to tears in my seat. You can feel how genuinely she means those words, and hearing the crowd that’s been waiting so long to scream those lyrics back to her is unforgettable.
From here, Taylor takes us through every. Single. Era. She mentions how, after tonight, she hopes that when we take our journey through the songs that she’s devoted her life to writing, that we remember all those albums as the memories we made right here. This really sat with me, I keep replaying that moment in my head. There’s something so breathtaking about watching an artist that has worked her whole life writing songs, engaging with her fans, and has just recently been able to take back her discography one album at a time – to be able to celebrate all that she’s accomplished, together, is a remarkable feeling. Especially as we come to the latest installment of Taylor’s Versions, the Speak Now set made me particularly emotional for a good handful of reasons. In the beginning of the Eras Tour, it was not yet released and was the shortest “era”, with just one song. Since the album is hers again, she’s added “Long Live”, and it’s the most moving performance I’ve seen in a long time, if ever. Watching her point back at the crowd, them screaming “I had the time of my life, with you” right alongside her tugs at every heartstring there is.
The notable addition of No Body No Crime (Featuring Haim LIVE, one of her phenomenal opening acts) was such a fun surprise and a highlight of the night. The bond between the four of them is so fantastic to watch, having chemistry as both musicians and dear friends. As of right now, that was the first and second time that song has ever been able to be performed live since Evermore was released at a point in the pandemic when no one was touring – so a very cool thing to have witnessed the only live performances of this song (so far) right here in our hometown.
I don’t know if I’ll ever have quite the right words to express how it feels to grow up at the same time as Taylor Swift. There’s something about her attention to detail that’s so impressive, and feels so personal to everyone in attendance. The Seattle crowd had such a feeling of community and celebration – from compliments on outfits being exchanged with strangers, to bracelet trading/gifting, to dancing in the aisles together – this was a momentous bond over love of music that we’re so, so thankful to have experienced. We’ve had the privilege of meeting thousands of you over the last 9 months – be it through social media, contesting, or in person before the shows. Whether you tuned in to Smack the Track or commented on Free Ticket Friday, if you tay-gated or if you were dancing right along with us: we had the time of our lives with you over the last few seasons, Swifties. So grateful to have been a part of it all and to be celebrating all of the monumental eras Taylor has shared with us.
