“It’s been a long time coming but,” Taylor Swift has taken on the world with her highly anticipated ‘Eras Tour.’ The three-hour setlist includes two surprise songs, as well as titles from each of Swift’s 10 studio albums. Each of Swift’s albums have their own distinct “era,” or vibe, associated with it, and the ‘Eras Tour’ appropriately gives each of her albums their moment in the spotlight. Swift has had crowds of over 70,000 people screaming, crying, and hyperventilating. The tour was announced upon the release of Midnights this past year.

Swift’s fans, affectionately dubbed “Swifties,” have activities they do to prepare for the night of a lifetime, and it all begins with what to wear. Many fans wear an outfit inspired by their favorite “era.” Lover fans have dressed as “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince '' to honor that tune. Folklore lovers get cozy in their cardigans, while fans of Fearless bust out country-style cowboy boots. Finding a colorful and unique outfit to wear to the show is a fan favorite as they get to express their individuality with a hint of Swift’s essence sprinkled in.

Once the outfit is complete, fans unite as one under the venue’s roof and exchange homemade friendship bracelets with one another, which they can take home as a way to remember the kind faces they met at the event. This concert tradition began upon the release of Midnights, with track five “You’re On Your Own Kid.” The fans brought the lyric, “So make the friendship bracelets/Take the moment and taste it” to reality with the bracelets they exchanged. Swifties take this to the next level by making more than 100 bracelets with sayings or letters to symbolize their favorite albums, songs, lyrics, and favorite Swift phrases. They leave the concert with lots of memories and bracelets up to their biceps.

Swift’s long-awaited entrance features her bodyguards pushing her to the stage in a cleaning cart. The grand gesture is accompanied by thunderous cheers.

Then, the show kicks off with the romantic, passionate, and pink Lover Era. Back in September of 2019, Swift announced “Lover Fest,” the tour solely for her new “era” Lover, which had come out only a month prior. Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced her to postpone, and later cancel, this tour. Fans and Swift herself were both devastated. Flashforward four years, and Lover finally takes the stage. The live experience has been everything fans wanted and more. Fans aren’t the only ones empowered by Lover live, however, as the intro to “The Man,” Swift mentions how the fans are making her feel dominant. She ultimately says, “Guess what I’m trying to say is you guys are making me feel like I’m ‘The Man.’”

After a swift transition, the Fearless era begins, honoring the album that was originally released in 2008, and more recently re-recorded in 2021. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) gives Swift full ownership of her sophomore album, which was originally released when she was only 18. Swift’s Version of Fearless also features “Vault Tracks,” additional gems that weren’t originally on the album. At the end of “Fearless,” the artist holds up her hands in the shape of a heart, and everyone else follows along, a nostalgic gesture that she’s done with the track since 2009.

The Evermore era begins, being encapsulated live for the first time. Evermore, sister album to Folklore, was released in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experiencing the album together as one is powerful, as it was written and released during a period of depressing isolation, yet managed to bring Swifties together then and now. During the song “Marjorie,” fans create a sea full of bright lights in tribute to Swift’s late grandmother, an emotional moment that brought the artist to tears.

“I’m sorry,” the ethereal, Evermore Taylor “can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ‘cause it’s” Reputation time!” Swift takes the stage in a sparkly, sequined, black unitard with a snake on it. This outfit perfectly captures the essence of Reputation. The set includes four songs and moments of audience participation, with fans chanting, screaming, and even singing along with Swift.

The third album, Speak Now, originally only had one song on the setlist: the fan-favorite “Enchanted.” But after the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), which was announced previously during the tour, she added the song “Long Live.” This song is all about taking in the moment, which is what fans do as they watch in awe.

The lavender haze of Speak Now fades into Red, a four song set, during which Swift extends her black hat to a luck-struck fan in the crowd. The set transitions to fan-favorite “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” This gut-wrenching track keeps fans screaming along, as they do know it all too well.

The next set brings fans on a journey through the fantasy world that is Folklore. In all its glory, this album resembles a storybook in song. Taylor wears a beautiful, flowy dress and dances along to the peaceful melodies.

Fans are awakened from their epiphanies with Swift's biggest pop album, 1989. On August 9, fans at the Los Angeles show experienced the live announcement of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), right before the Surprise Songs. Many fans pieced the puzzle together, predicting the announcement beforehand. Regardless, this was a moment straight out of their “Wildest Dreams.”

The most awaited part of the night comes next: Surprise Songs. Taylor plays one song with an acoustic guitar and then another on the piano. On some nights she will have surprise guests, who have co-written a song with her. A fan-favorite guest who brought fans to tears was Gracie Abrams, an opener on the tour. Together, they played Abrams’s “I miss you, I'm sorry,” a dreamy rendition with Taylor on acoustic guitar, and Abrams on piano.

The show concludes with Midnights. Swift wears a bejeweled look and leaves fans starstruck as she finishes the night with seven tracks. As she closes the show, confetti flies through the air, giving fans an experience as majestic as “Snow on the Beach.”

While the experience is inviting to all, there are only so many seats in the stadium. With 270 million followers on Instagram, it is inevitable that some Swifites will miss out on the live experience. However, through social media streams, they still have the chance to engage in the audience from home. Some dedicated fans even stay awake until at least 2 in the morning to ensure they don’t miss out on their favorite song being sung as a surprise, or an announcement being made live at the show.

Swift has made the “Eras Tour” an all-inclusive experience that extends beyond Swifties. While saying goodbye to Taylor Swift is “death by a thousand cuts,” fans are sure to leave with full hearts and happy memories.

by Claira Fronczak & Jazmine Blustin

Published on October 2, 2023

Oshkosh West Index volume 120 issue I

‘Eras’ tour stands as perfect love letter to passionate fan base of Swifties everywhere