I must preface this post by saying I’d never considered myself a Swiftie. Do I like Taylor Swift? Of course. Her songs are absolute bangers, but I’ve never been the type to listen to her albums all the way through (over and over) and I generally only know the song on Top 40 lists (or ones played to death on the radio).
After seeing Taylor Swift’s ERAS tour in Indy the first weekend of November… mark me down as a Swiftie; send me a membership card; hire a skywriter because the people need to know!
I’ve been to my fair share of concerts and festivals, having attended Coachella thrice and Electric Daisy Carnival: Las Vegas once. Artists I’ve had the pleasure of seeing? Ellie Goulding, Calvin Harris, The Rolling Stones, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beyonce (x 2, her On the Run Tour with Jay-Z and her Renaissance show), and many more including DJs whose music has guided me through many a tough time. Taylor’s ERAS show though… a totally different level. The production, sets, effects, and watching Taylor sing, play guitar and piano, and dance her ass off for 3.5 hours was unreal! She wasn’t even out of breath, and I nearly needed an AED after screaming the lyrics and dancing to “Blank Space”.
Swifties are probably the best fan base. Driving to the venue was a cluster fuck as you might expect with crazy traffic but… people let us cut in with a wave and a smile, there were no road rage incidents, and once we made it to the parking deck, everyone we came across was amazing! We made pals with a group of Swiftie healthcare workers and shared glitter (like breaking bread but way cooler).
Walking to Lucas Oil Stadium, we witnessed some redneck inbred idiots protesting, complete with signs that said: Stop dressing like whores, bow down to men, with a bunch of BS bible verses taken completely out of context jotted on torn up poster board. A man with minimal teeth and even less brain cells shouted profound hate speech with a megaphone and was summarily taken down by the Swifties who started chanting: FUCK THE PATRIARCHY, and a woman (who is now my new hero), walked over to the douchebags with her sign reading: The smallest man who ever lived, utterly eviscerating these brain dead incels. Go check it out on TikTok because it was brilliant.
I was still stunned at how wonderful the concert goers were. Everyone said: please, thank you, excuse me, something I’ve never experienced at a packed venue before. No shoving, no cutting in line. Everybody showed extreme respect for others. Being a big EDM fan, I’ve been to plenty of shows and the PLUR crowd is pretty wonderful but Swifties one up anything I’ve ever seen. Kindness inspires kindness.
The concert itself was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Ten different sets, several songs from each of her albums; each with its own outfit, props, and lightshow. The crowd’s energy was unmatched, and the entire stadium sang along with EVERY song and after her song “Champagne Problems”, Taylor received a standing ovation that lasted 3.5 minutes, which brought tears to my eyes (and Taylor’s!). The Folklore set was stunning, complete with a cabin, trees, and a complete woodsy vibe. I knew none of her Folklore songs but the beauty of her singing, the heartfelt meaning behind the words, moved me to tears. And, yes, I cried like 4 times at the concert.
My favorite sets were Midnights, 1989, Reputation, and The Tortured Poets Department. During “Anti-Hero” (my favorite song), Taylor came over to our side of the stage and it filled me with such joy. Also… our seats were the tits. We were a few rows up from the floor seats and had a great view of the entire show. We even saw Travis Kelce’s back! (Karma is the Guy on the Chiefs!)
Not to sound cheesy, but the entire experience almost bordered on religious for me. A sold-out crowd of 69,000, each person filled with infectious joy, supporting an incredibly talented artist who is a grade-A wonderful human being, who inspires their fans to be kind, good people. What’s better than that? I’ve come to realize that true happiness is putting yourself and your work out in the world and if by being yourself, you encourage others to be the best versions of their selves as well… you are winning at life. Taylor Swift is truly a role model to her fans who range from young girls to dads to childless cat lady lesbians. She teaches women we don’t have to roll over, we don’t have to silence ourselves for the “betterment” of society and encourages everyone to be their best. Plus… I’ll always root for a strong woman who makes insecure men, religious zealots, and the like scared. Not to mention she boosts the economy in every city she visits on her tour, she donates money to local charities and is the epitome of what a celebrity should be, using her platform for good. Also… I’ve never felt safer at a public event.
Do yourself a favor and play a Taylor Swift album, dance like no one’s watching, and sing the lyrics at the top of your lungs. Might I recommend “Shake It Off”?
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