Taylor Swift’s Unbelievable Eras Tour Breaks Records in Nashville
Words & video footage by Yoselin Moreno | GIFs by Giannina Fredo
Thumbnail + photos by John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS
Friday, May 5, 2023 — Taylor Swift brought the highly anticipated Eras Tour to “Music City” Nashville, the town where she started her music career as a teenager, with a sold-out show at the Nissan Stadium. This marked the first of three consecutive nights at the venue, with over 70,000 devoted fans in attendance each night. Additionally, it has become the most attended event in Nissan Stadium’s history.
Before entering the venue, Taylor Swift’s fans (nicknamed “Swifties”) flooded the streets of Nashville dressed in outfits representing an “era” of their choice. Many fans were also seen trading handmade friendship bracelets, which has become a tradition fans started in reference to the Midnights song “You're on Your Own, Kid.” Upon entering the stadium, fans received a wristband that would glow all night as they traveled through the eras.
The crowd then witnessed the best opening acts they could have expected. Gracie Abrams took to the stage first and treated everyone to four songs, including her hit single “I know it won’t work.” Abrams took a moment to acknowledge how special this was for her, as the first song she learned to play on guitar was a Taylor Swift song, and the first cover she posted on the internet was a Phoebe Bridgers song.
The second opener, indie-rock musician Phoebe Bridgers, then made her debut appearance at the Eras Tour and performed eight songs. Bridgers joined fans on the ground during her “Scott Street” performance to give them hugs and love. She also kicked off the night’s first surprise by bringing out Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, the other members of their supergroup boygenius, to perform songs from their album.
At roughly 7:55 pm, a lock emerged on-screen counting down to midnight. The stadium filled with screams and excitement as the seconds passed. In a dazzling rhinestone bodysuit, Taylor Swift made her grand entrance as she sang “Miss Americana & the Heartbreaker Prince” while surrounded by the dancers carrying large flower-petal-like fans. Lover became the first era of the night and included favorites from the album such as “Cruel Summer,” “The Man,” “You Need to Calm Down,” "Lover,” and “The Archer.” It was terrific to see Lover as the first era of the night knowing this was the first album she released after she departed from Big Machine Records. It was also the album she anticipated to tour, but could not do due to the pandemic.
Throughout an impressive three and a half hours, Taylor treated fans to songs from all ten albums she released in the past 17 years. Although she has performed many songs from these albums during previous tours, there were some songs that she had yet to. She, very excitedly, welcomed the 4 new albums to the “family”— Lover, folklore, evermore, and her latest release, Midnights.
The second era of the night was 2008’s Fearless. This era brought back all the nostalgia for me, taking me back to the time I listened to these songs on repeat when I was younger. Wearing a gold fringe dress and sparkling boots and joined by her band, she paid homage to her country roots. Taylor performed the title track, “You Belong With Me”, and “Love Story.” All songs I honestly couldn't believe I was hearing live all these years later.
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The sister album to the Grammy-winning Folklore, Evermore, became the third era of the night as the stage filled with oak trees. Wearing a yellow corset gown straight out of a fairy tale, this era included beautiful performances of “Tis the Damn Season”, "Willow, "Marjorie, "Champagne Problems," and “Tolerate It.” The stadium lit up in lights as Taylor began to sing the ballad “Marjorie,” a tribute to her grandmother, making it an exceptional performance for her and her fans. Shen then sat in front of her moss-covered piano and began to play “champagne problems' ' telling fans how she had been anticipating playing this song live and truly missed being on stage. It was not long until fans noticed her eyes beginning to fill with tears in response to the outpouring of love and support. Taylor thanked fans saying “That was so beautiful and special.”
Taylor then took a moment to acknowledge how extraordinary performing in Nashville is for her, as she considers it as a hometown show. Having moved there 20 years ago to pursue a career in music, she continued to say that Nashville brought back memories of being a teenager and noted that her dreams have come true because of this town. She also took the time to appreciate “the most phenomenal opening acts” consisting of Gracie Abrams, Phoebe Bridgers, and boygenius.
I was looking forward to Reputation, the fourth era of the night, as I have always enjoyed its unique aesthetic and sound. The dramatic change in the stage design and overall atmosphere from Evermore to Reputation is also something I found astonishing. This era included powerful performances of "Ready For It?", "Delicate,” "Don't Blame Me,” and "Look What You Made Me Do." Realizing that I had been on the verge of tears moments ago, and now found myself screaming and dancing was something Taylor incited for everyone in attendance.
Wearing a breathtaking gold gown, Taylor moved onto Speak Now as the stage filled with lavender visuals. Although many fans were hoping for more songs for the Speak Now era, her performance of “Enchanted” was more than enough… at least for now, as it was unbeknownst to everyone what was in store.
We then saw a dancer roll a red music box on stage that would tease songs off Red when opened. It was safe to say everyone knew which era would be next. Full of coming-of-age anthems that many fans in the crowd, including myself, can relate to, Taylor started the Red era with “22” She walked out wearing the iconic outfit similar to the one seen in the “22” music video, complete with the white graphic tee, black fedora, and black high-waisted shorts. Getting to hear “22”, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble" as I transported to my teenage years was something I enjoyed immensely.
The 10-minute version of "All Too Well” concluded the Red era, a song that has become very special to not only Taylor, but her fans as well, as they sang along as loud as they could.
Taylor then brought out Phoebe Bridgers for a debut performance of “Nothing New,” a song she is featured in. Included in her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version), “Nothing New” is a song that Taylor labeled as being “from the Vault.” These are songs that she wrote, but, for one reason or another, did not make it onto an album; she explained to fans.
Folklore was the next era and included seven tracks, making it one of the most significant eras of the night. Taylor told fans how, although she has loved writing auto-biographical songs, she also loved creating her fictional characters paired with their own stories. The folklore era included the songs "Betty,” "August,” "My Tears Ricochet,” and "Cardigan," just to name a few. Taylor wore an ivory gown that moved effortlessly as she danced and spun around on stage. The funeral-like procession of “My Tears Ricochet” was a very emotional performance as she sat beautifully at the end of the stage.
With two eras left, Taylor shifted styles again to commence the bold, bright, and exciting 1989 era. She started this era with "Style" as the stage glittered in city lights, followed by a fantastic performance of "Blank Space" and then moved on to "Shake it Off,” songs that were sure to keep fans on their feet and moving. Wearing a shimmering hot pink set to tie the eras aesthetic together, she continued to perform "Wildest Dreams" as the stadium glowed in pink and purple hues. To end the 1989 era, the stadium witnessed a powerful performance of "Bad Blood," complete with flames bursting from the stage, hot enough to be felt all around.
As many fans know, Taylor performs two surprise songs at every Eras tour date, and they knew that the Nashville date would be exceptional in one way or another. With her acoustic guitar in hand, she told fans, “I’ve been planning something for a while.” She then directed fans to the screen as she announced the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), which is set to be released on July 7th. As the stadium filled with piercing screams, she began singing “Sparks Fly.” She then sat in front of her floral-painted piano to perform “Teardrops on My Guitar,” a song off her debut self-titled album, which she told fans she wrote throughout her time at school while living in Nashville.
John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS
Taylor ended her nearly 4-hour set with the last era of the night, Midnights, her latest critically acclaimed album which was released late last year. Fans maintained their high energy as they saw Taylor emerge from lavender clouds; she began to perform “Lavender Haze.” The Midnights era also included the tracks "Anti-Hero," "Midnight Rain," and, one of my favorites, "Vigilante Shit," which was accompanied by a sensational chair dance paired with a sparkling black bodysuit. During “Bejeweled,” she did the choreography that fans have made go viral on Tiktok following the song’s release and was followed by an elegant performance of "Mastermind."
Swift thanked fans for “such a beautiful Friday night” as she performed “Karma,” a feel-good pop anthem, followed by confetti and an array of fireworks, a true spectacle to witness.
Taylor Swift’s Era tour is a testament to her artistry and ability to captivate fans of all ages. With this being her first tour since 2018, Taylor made sure to put on a performance attendees will never forget. Her overpowering and euphoric stage presence over three hours demonstrated her immense dedication and stamina as she sang and danced with little breaks. Joined by amazing dancers, breathtaking visuals, and an overall high-quality stage design that would change to match each album's aesthetic. Not to mention, the numerous outfit changes she had, from sparkling bodysuits to ethereal gowns, she kept everyone wondering what would be next. She ensured to make the Eras tour an experience like no other.
The U.S. leg of the 2023 tour continues through August, and it is one you won't want to miss!
