Within the first ten minutes, a flood of little Miss Americanas, young Heartbreak Princes charged the front row, their parents following after them. Right under the screen, they made music, bouncing across the floor and proudly chanting back the lyrics of their favorite songs. In that theater, I realized that Taylor Swift had transcended to a new kind of stardom, one whose mere projection could spark an impromptu concert anywhere in the country.
Admittedly, I was not fully unaware of every evolution Taylor Swift’s career had taken, luckily the concert covers just about everything that you may have missed. As its namesake suggests, the concert is divided into 10 eras (Love, Fearless, Evermore, Reputation, Speak Now, Red, Folklore, 1989, Surprise, and Midnights) with an astounding 44-song set list. Each song contains unique sets, costumes, choreography, and set configurations. The performance’s 3 hour and 15-minute runtime is certainly lengthy but, whether you’re a Swifty or not, one has to admire the immense time it took to design and rehearse this monstrous concert.
The moments in between the songs were equally noteworthy in the way they showed the duality of Taylor Swift’s persona. At the outset, she establishes her divine power, pointing towards different segments of the concert audience who cheer and go silent at her command. Later she slows down, seeming candid on stage as she reflects on her difficult moments and telling her fans she would be nothing without their continued support. I was not sure whether this shift from pride to humility was genuine, but it was clear that the audience on the screen and the spectators in the theater believed it was.
And overall, my enjoyment of the Eras Tour was not what I saw on screen, it was the electrifying reaction of those around me watching. I’ve never seen so much dancing, singing, and interacting during a movie. If Hollywood is smart, they will understand that this is the kind of experience they should be bringing to the movies, the kind that says you can’t experience this at home.
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