(Above) The fan project that has dominated the Eras’ Tour has been trading friendship bracelets, which is inspired by the lyric, “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it” from the song, “You’re On Your Own Kid” on Swift’s newest album, Midnights. Fans, such as Kathryn Hudson, grade 11, and Isa Tapia Arocho, grade 11, pictured here, traded before and after the show (or in a McDonald’s
like the transaction I saw prior to the doors opening). Another thing that was featured on most fans’ hands was the number 13. This comes from Swift’s affinity for the number as she was born on December 13. In an interview with MTV back in 2009, Taylor Swift explained why she always draws the number on her hand before a show, noting, “I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first #1 song had a 13-second intro.”
If there is one person I have a parasocial relationship with, it’s Taylor Swift. The guitar-strumming, ballad-belting singer who first rose into prominence at the age of 16 after releasing her self-titled debut album, has become my celebrity obsession vice, a statement that I am far from alone in making. Ever since Swift’s first album, she has earned 12 Grammy Awards, three of which were Album of the Year, selling an estimated 114 million albums. Swift also received an honorary doctorate from NYU and became the first artist in history to hold the first 10 spots on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Thus, over the course of her 17-year career, Taylor Swift has reigned as a global icon and superstar. And so, after four albums never heard live, except for the attempted Lover Tour that was canceled after one show due to the pandemic, Swift launched the Eras’ Tour, encompassing 52 dates in 20 cities, all filling soldout stadiums in the United States. However, over the summer, Taylor Swift added 78 international dates spanning five continents and 15 domestic dates in 2024. These dates will also contain content from the next album up for re-recording, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which Swift announced at night six of the Los Angeles Eras’ Tour and
will be released October 27. For me, like virtually everyone else who tried to be one of the 70,000 people in a stadium, getting the tickets, deemed the “Great War” by fans, was nothing short of agony and tribulations due to the never-before-seen demand. But alas, my family and I secured the seats for Swift’s third night in Tampa. At the risk of sounding like another Taylor Swift-obsessed teenage girl, (which I am not denying) I for one certainly was not “Ready for It.”
(Above) As part of Raymond James Stadium’s security protocols, concertgoers were only permitted to bring a 4.5 by 6.5 inch bag, regardless of its opacity. This rather strict policy caused a lot of chaos at the line, as person after person was turned away. Still, tight security was only a small feature of Tampa’s preparation for the Eras’ Tour. Small aircrafts are forbidden from flying over crowds of more than 30,000 people at major sporting events, less than one-half of the 65,000 Taylor Swift fans packing each night, but after major concerns from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration overruled attempts to initiate the ban. (Delaney Bolstein)(Above) If there was a dress code for the tour, it was to dress up as an album which was certainly easy considering how each album is color-coded. I opted for a Lover-inspired outfit comprising of a bright pink dress and pink hair gems, something that I saw a lot of fans adorning themselves with. On the left is a Fearless-inspired combo complete with champagne fringe and on the right is, once again, a Lover combo, taking the album quite literally. (Delaney Bolstein)(Above) One of the biggest themes featured in Taylor Swift’s songs is the patriarchy. Seen through lyrics like, “He wanted a bride; I was making my own name” from the song “Midnight Rain” and most notably, “Wondering if I’d get there quicker If I was a man” from the song “The Man” pictured here. The Eras’ Tour is a testament to how much Swift has broken barriers as a woman. At Raymond James Stadium alone, Swift became the first act in history to sell out two shows on a single tour, let alone three. Even before the tour, Swift was the first female solo artist to win Album of the Year twice (later on she would win a third with Folklore). In the Eras’ Tour, during the song, “The Man” Swift literally climbs up the corporate ladder, finishing the song by manspreading on the top desk. (Delaney Bolstein)(Above) In addition to Taylor Swift’s whopping 44 song setlist, she devotes a segment of each show to her “suprise songs” which Swift plays acoustically. These two songs can be chosen from any of her albums (seemingly randomly) and can not be repeated at different shows, except ones from her newest album, Midnights. Another thing that is unique to the Eras’ Tour is the wristbands. Almost looking like a stripped down smart watch, upon entrance into the stadium, everyone received a wristband that glows depending on a guest’s location in the venue and what songs were playing at the time. For the song, “Lover” the bands formed blue hearts, expanding the three bowls. For the acoustic songs, the bands glowed white, mimicking a phone’s flashlight. And finally, to conclude the three hour set, Swift ended with seven songs from Midnights complete with fireworks and confetti canyons. (Delaney Bolstein)
Delaney Bolstein is the Editor-in-Chief of Lake Highland Preparatory School’s Upper School newspaper Twice-Told Tale. She is a Senior at Lake Highland and has been at the school since Pre-K. Delaney has also been a member of the cross-country and track team since Sophomore year. Additionally, Delaney volunteers at the Winter Park Public Library. In her free time, Delaney can be found watching Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous and translating French novels.
