Talk about shaking things up! One full day before the Grammy winning artist took to the NRG stage. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour buses full of merch made their way to Downtown Houston. Taylor Swift was not far behind coming into town Friday night to kick off a historical Swifty weekend. Taylor Swift is the first artist to play three back-to-back-to-back shows at the Houston NRG arena. Saturday April 22nd we were able to put our best boots on and go to day two! The whole city was buzzing with excitement. The fun started miles before reaching the venue. Car windows were painted with things like “Honk if you are a Swifty!” and “Honk if we will see you at the Eras Tour!” letting everyone know where they were headed.
A grand clock face appeared on the screen at the end of the catwalk. The two-minute countdown began! The fans in the sold-out NRG arena jumped from their seats! Everyone wanted the first look of Taylor Swift appearing on stage. In the most mesmerizing shimmers Taylor Swift came out singing “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince”. Taylor Swift looked out into the crowd and smiled; she stuck her tongue out in a playful manner, a vibe that would carry through the full three-hour show. Taylor Swift was able to shift into different charachters continuously, not only for each era but for each song. It was incredible to witness.
It’s hard to imagine that after 17 years of being in the music business, Taylor Swift could ever get nervous. If she does, she doesn’t show it. Instead, she takes pauses to soak in the moments. She appreciates her fans so much. Her professionalism and years of experience were tested on Saturday night, when she returned on stage after hurting her hand during a wardrobe change. Our Junior Reporter Luka Haro was shocked when she read the news of what had happened, “You couldn’t even tell.” Monday Taylor took to her Instagram to reveal she had fallen backstage and cut her hand. We hope she has a speedy recovery.
Before beginning the next song Taylor flashed a smile across the crowd and thanked everyone for coming out. Taylor Swift told everyone how her Mom, Andrea Swift, use to go to School in Houston. From Middle school all the way to graduating from The University of Houston and even getting married in Houston. So, playing the historic three shows here really meant a lot to her.
Taylor Swift was able to be vulnerable with the audience, revealing that with this particular tour she was able to show her full self. Taylor explained “I love this tour, no shade to the other tours.” The crowd laughed with her. Taylor elaborated, “This tour has become my whole personality… I missed you guys so much!” She went on to tell her fans how this tour wouldn’t be possible without them. That when she decided to re-record her first six albums, she only had the faith to do so because in her words, “The only reason I was able to do that was because I knew you would have my back in every step…I was about to go back to the drawing board…Thank you!”
Taylor Swift asked, “Can we take it back to high school?” Then the 2008 hit “You belong with me” played. Taylor Swift, now wearing a gold dazzling corset dress rose from the bottom of the stage and stood in the center. All the different set designs and outfits that night had every detail figured out. Even the mics and pianos got makeovers with each switch. The interactive wrist bands displaying multicolored lights in each section of the stadium had you feeling like you were apart of the show. Luka reports how everyone was singing along to every lyric. She couldn’t believe that from that time the clock appeared to the very last song the fans were on their feet! Usually, you see people sit down and take a break, but not that night. This was Taylors return to what felt like home and everyone was welcoming. The secret songs were played, day two the secret songs were “A place in this World” and “Today was a Fairytale.”
After a literal stage dive and ‘a swim’ down the catwalk, the arena was filled with a cool mist, changing the atmosphere and giving you a full immersive experience. While “Lavender Haze” played, clouds carried by backup dancers twirled around. Taylor would work with quite a few props during her performances such as umbrellas and bikes. She even including a chair dance that Britney Spears would tip her hat too. The time flew by and before we knew it, the last song of the night was over. It felt like leaving the biggest karaoke party with your closest friends, even seeing a few of those friends later in the Whataburger line.
Thank you, Taylor Swift! Come back any time!
Cover Photo Courtesy of Bob Levey/Getty Images for TAS
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