By Claire Flores
It’s been a long time coming. Taylor Swift spent six glorious nights at SoFi Stadium on
the Eras Tour. She played songs from nine out of her ten albums as well as two secret songs that changed every show. I had the privilege of attending night two where she sang “Our Song” from her debut album and “You Are In Love” from 1989. I was also able to sit outside on the final night and be there for the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) announcement. The crowd was wild with excitement and every arm covered in friendship bracelets. She puts on such an elaborate show of colors, dance sequences, and beautiful outfits. There was never a dull moment at the Eras Tour.
I asked some college students who went to the concerts and they had so much to say. Fiorella Barreto said that her favorite part was realizing that Taylor was real as well as sharing emotions with her friends. Elias Herrera said, “The Eras concert felt like the event of a lifetime and it brought me a lot of stress leading up to it, but regardless it’ll be something that I’ll remember for a long time!! I loved just seeing her blonde hair and her little body down there and I loved the reputation section.” These long-time Swifties had an amazing time seeing Taylor for the first time.
As big as the stadiums were, the show felt very personal. Taylor made everyone feel seen no matter what seat they were in. Her opening song was “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” from the album Lover and there was so much energy in the venue. You look around and see crying fans who finally got to see Taylor live. The loudest the stadium got was when Taylor played “Cruel Summer” and the crowd screamed the iconic bridge. Taylor never let up or lost energy. She flew through her eras and played many hits that have been around for as long as we can remember. Glowing wristbands that lit up for every era made the show that much more interactive. She spoke to us fans as if we knew her personally and wasn’t just a performer that we went there to see. We came up on the Red era where she played all of her radio hits of 2012. But she played THE song everyone was waiting for from that era and it happened to be one that lasts ten minutes. The “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)(Taylor’s Version)(From the Vault)” played and Taylor played her heart out. Fans – including myself – screamed the lyrics as loud as they could. It was truly one of the best performances of the night. A very special performance with only Taylor, a guitar, and a mic stand.
Three hours and forty-four songs later, the show ended with “Karma” from Midnights and we waved good-bye to Ms. Swift. Hours of crying with our friends, screaming our favorite songs, and passing out friendship bracelets finally came to an end. This is a tour that will be remembered forever. Thank you, Taylor. We had the time of our lives with you.
