The End of an Era
Taylor Swift’s last weekend of shows for her Eras Tour in the US ended in Indianapolis, Indiana, on the weekend of November 1. Only two stops in Canada remain before the tour is complete. The world record-setting Eras Tour has come full circle. Starting in March of 2023, Taylor’s stadium tour concludes with 152 unbelievable shows.
After canceling the Lover Fest tour due to safety concerns for fans during the pandemic, Taylor released four albums that had yet to be performed live. ‘Midnights‘ was the album that motivated her to return on tour. This led Taylor to create The Eras Tour to showcase her entire career from her debut album through the present day. Now, she has traveled the world to five continents, battled the elements (I heard rain made some shows all the more memorable), shattered saled and attendance records, released a record-setting film of the tour, and single-handedly boosted the economy of every city she played in. The three-and-a-half-hour epic performance of the 10 eras of Taylor’s life and career (oh yes, she even added an Era to the tour with the release of April 2024’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘) was a testament to her creativity and commitment to giving her fans the best possible experience.
Hard work and endurance training undoubtedly were required to prepare for these marathon shows! The Eras Tour raised the bar for what is possible at a live concert. The fantastic example that Taylor Swift set for so many young girls and women alike was substantial. Even when it could have been appropriate to pat herself on the back and take the credit, Taylor still thanked her fans and acknowledged their support that make her livelihood possible.
Even though this tour has been on the road for over a year and a very similar version of the show is available on Disney+, fans in Indianapolis lined up well before the gates even opened. The city was filled with excitement and unseasonably hot weather to boot. Indianapolis even went as far as posting a 34-story-tall graphic of Taylor on the JW Marriott promoting the show! (Seen HERE) With Taylor-themed drinks and dinner options offered all over the city, there was no shortage of ways to pregame for the show. The sidewalks were flooded with fans covered in sequins, dresses, and outfits from all of Taylor’s eras, and, of course, the number 13 painted on hands and faces, which is said to be good luck for Swift (and her fans) based on many connections, some of them sillier than others.
The anticipation was palpable as everyone took their seats inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Taking their seats was just an expression because no one was actually sitting. From the moment the Midnight’s Clock started counting down on stage until the moment the Midnight’s outfit wearing Taylor was lowered under the stage to end the night, every able-bodied person was standing, cheering, screaming, and singing.
When the clock struck “Midnight,” Taylor’s dancers slowly emerged from behind an opening in the enormous screen that spanned the width of the main stage. They had to duck as they entered the stadium, their 25-foot+ large pastel-colored parachutes harnessed to their backs. Giving floral clamshell vibes, the dancers formed a circle around the center stage of the catwalk, concealing what was to come. The audience cheered at the top of their lungs, knowing they were seconds away from Taylor Alison Swift rising from below the stage. She emerged with the opening lyrics “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” from 2019’s ‘Lover’ album. If any reserves were left in the audience, this was when they came out. As Taylor pointed to all corners of the stadium, everyone knew they had entered one of the most incredible and memorable nights of their lives.
The night started with the Lover Era. On night two of the weekend shows, Swifties were gifted the pleasure of seeing Swift in the Orange Lover bodysuit—a new fan favorite. As Miss Swift performed, she slowly became elevated as part of her illuminated stage rose into an illuminated cube. It became more apparent that this was no normal stage; this was no ordinary night. This was a night filled with surprises. As Taylor took everyone through the Lover Era, 69,000 fans watched her sing “Cruel Summer.” Next, Taylor took us with her to the office with “The Man,” joined by her team of dancers, all wearing suits, dancing on the three-story structure set up on the main stage. Closing out the Lover Era was “Lover,” complete with the Lover House from the music video. (I’m still searching for the Lover House snow globe.) One Era down and nine to go!
Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management
The Fearless Era (featuring songs from her 2008 album release) was short and sweet. Taylor took the stage with her career-long guitar player, Paul Sidoti, who is a Cleveland native (of interest to CleveRock’s Cleveland-centric demographic). The two shared many memorable moments throughout the show, but their in-step moments of dueling guitars at the beginning of “Fearless” brought nostalgia to longtime fans.
Taylor then moved into the Red Era (straight out of 2012), which was complete with a 10-minute “All Too Well.” Just before that, the audience witnessed one of its favorite moments during “22“: the 22 Hat! At every show, Taylor started the Red Era wearing a black hat. Waiting at the end of the catwalk would be a young lady about to have the memory of a lifetime. On the second night in Indianapolis, the 22-hat recipient was little Eloise from Maryland. Her mom, a lifelong Swiftie, along with the community of Swifties, got the attention of Taylor’s team and was selected to have a memory and keepsake that will be cherished for a lifetime!
Eloise from Maryland receives the 22 Hat from Taylor on Night Two in Indianapolis. (Posted with parental permission)
The 2010 album-based Speak Now Era was special for this tour. ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)‘ was announced and later released during the tour’s run. This was one of Taylor’s first opportunities to release a Taylor’s Version during the tour. “Enchanted” was the only song from ‘Speak Now‘ still on the tour. “Long Live” did appear for a time, but was removed to make room for her new songs. Swift’s extravagant blue dress draped across the platform as Taylor rose above the stage like a full-on princess.
Reputation was still seemingly one of everyone’s favorite Eras. After all, it was the 2017 album on which Taylor first did a stadium tour. ‘Reputation‘ was also what Taylor was able to turn out, harnessing the negative attention she was receiving from the media. She took time for herself and put that energy into writing an album. It later went on to sell over 1.2 million records in its first week. She then put her time and energy into creating a fantastic stadium tour for Reputation (only to outdo herself in creating the Eras Tour). Like the start of the Rep Tour, Taylor starts the Rep Era with, “…Ready for It?.” That and “Look What You Made Me Do” fostered some of the loudest audience participation of the whole show. While Taylor wore a gold and black version of the Rep outfit, it was still missing its leg and sleeve since the beginning of the tour. Some believed that this signifies that Reputation is unfinished, like the outfit, and that Taylor’s Version of ‘Reputation’ was still on the table before the tour closed in Vancouver!
One of the most significant alterations to any of the Eras over the past year was the combining of folklore and Other Eras. While they were sister albums and had much in common, the two Eras used to be separated by’ Reputation’ and ‘Red.’ This change felt natural, and the most exciting elements were maintained. Fans still got to see Taylor on top of the smoky moss cabin, but instead of “the 1,” which was removed, she performed “cardigan.” One moment that this reviewer was excited to see maintained was the goosebumps-causing transition from “august” to “illicit affairs.”
The power in Taylor’s voice and her focus on those songs night after night were phenomenal, but it was what happened when talent met hard work. One of the few moments, if any, that Taylor paused and let sink in how much she meant to the audience was immediately following “champagne problems.” As Taylor got up from her moss-covered piano, the cheers and love for her were literally stadium-shaking. Taylor briefly removed her in-ear monitors so she could let in the voices of the 69,000 with her own ears. While this moment may have happened night after night on the tour, what was ALWAYS genuine was Taylor’s emotional respect and gratitude for everyone who chose to spend their evening with her that night. The second night in Indianapolis was no different, and the cheers went on for over two minutes.
Once the crowd settled down, there was another quick outfit change as the show entered the 1989 Era, celebrating her 2014 album. That evening, the audience was given the orange skirt and yellow/gold top. This era had been one of the most consistent throughout the tour. Starting with “Style,” the era kicked off with that clean electric guitar by Sidoti and jumped into the perfectly marchable-paced song that gave everyone runway vibes. A crowd favorite, “Shake It Off,” came halfway through the era. During this song, Taylor made another trip to the end of the stage toward the front of the house, energizing everyone nearby. The era concluded with “Bad Blood.”
For fans fortunate enough to have seen the Eras Tour in 2023 or even on Disney+, The Tortured Poets Department Era of the show brought back that same excitement they felt the first time they saw it. This entire Era was brand new and had only been part of the tour for a handful of months, as it was added to the tour almost a year after it began. With TTPD being released earlier in the year, Taylor had the opportunity to add something entirely new to the tour. There were new songs, new outfits, new choreography, and new technology added to this powerhouse of a stage. She started with a hybrid of “But Daddy I Love Him” and “So High School.” This was a common theme throughout the whole show. Blending and shortening songs was a perfect way to give Swifties moments of what they loved so much. Fans saw a whole new element of the show. At one point, Taylor was positioned on top of a motorized mirror-covered platform (a stage Roomba, as it was referred to) that moved around the center stage while she performed. During “Fortnight,” Taylor stood atop a large white lopsided bed that rotated, completed with dueling typewriters. It was very reminiscent of the “Fortnight” music video with Post Malone. The Era closed with some slapstick comedy. In between “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” Taylor needed to be “revived” and pushed into changing her outfit.
While the TTPD Era was the show’s latest addition, the Surprise Songs were new every night! Fans checked X every performance night to see which songs they missed. Future concertgoers then did mental math to see if their favorite song might come up during their show. First was her guitar surprise song, a mashup of “The Prophecy / This Love.” Next was her piano surprise song, “Maroon / cowboy like me.” Performing these songs as mashups required practice and thought, showcasing yet another level of attention to detail that Taylor put in night after night. The surprise songs came to an end, Taylor then stood, walked to the middle of the stage, and dove into an opening only to visually “swim” backstage to begin her final Era.
The evening led to a culmination of The Midnights Era. As the final Era began, large lavender clouds slowly made their way out from behind the main stage, similar in pace to the parachute-wearing dancers at the beginning of the night. Once more, the stage opened up, creating stairs for Taylor to rise to the beat of “Lavender Haze,” Taylor emerged wearing a purple sequin dress and lavender faux fur coat. Well into the third hour of the night, Taylor showed no signs of slowing down. “Anti-Hero” had Taylor and her dancers all over the center stage. She followed with “Midnight Rain,” which ended with her becoming concealed by umbrellas by her dancers.” As they pulled away, they revealed Taylor in her final outfit of the night: a silver and black sequin bodysuit with a silver crescent moon. Taylor artistically opposed the seductive dances during “Vigilante Shit” with the bubbly, high energy of “Bejeweled.” Taylor asked the audience whether everyone could give their all to one final song. After emphatically responding “yes” to Taylor’s question, the night concluded the Era and Eras Tour with “Karma” (a personal favorite). By this time, everyone, including Taylor, had been on their feet for over three hours! With great pride, Taylor took time to thank every member of her onstage team, from the vocalists to dancers and her live band, who performed alongside her night after night. Oh, and yes, she said, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs.”
Swift worked with Canadian production designer Ethan Tobman on the stage’s design, chose which songs would be performed and when, collaborated with the one and only Mandy Moore on choreography, and underwent band practice, dance rehearsals, and the physical training needed to push her body. Every Era during the show had a completely different look and feel. The requirements for the stage and presentation were enormous and meticulous. There were screens everywhere—the Main Stage back wall, the entire floor of her catwalk, and the entire Center Stage. Speakers were positioned all over so that every fan in every stadium could hear every word Taylor sang and every note the band played. The stage featured trap doors, raising platforms, underneath dressing rooms, and a crew of people there to assist. Fans often don’t realize that it is the artists themselves who bring everything on tour. Taylor Swift owned or rented the lights, speakers, stage, screens, costumes, and numerous other items. It took an estimated 90 trucks to move this state-of-the-art experience from town to town. The crew, both local and touring, countless stagehands, backstage crew, costumes, props, makeup, managers, publicists, and numerous others were all at Taylor’s behest because of her commitment to making everything perfect for her fans.
The Era’s Tour will maintain its place in history as one of the most incredible tours ever. The tour’s first leg sold out without ever having a public on-sale. She credits her fans and every member of her crew who makes this all happen. She has such love and admiration for all her fans, who Taylor admits have given her such a wonderful life. Stadium concerts take a lot of work to do well. When you have 60,000 plus fans, it’s hard to make everyone feel like they are part of the show, but Taylor did just that. When you have so many songs to share with such an 18-year accomplished career (that is seemingly just getting started), how could an artist make it work? Taylor did; she put together a three-and-a-half-hour masterpiece of concert-going experiences. The Eras Tour isn’t ending because of lack of demand. It’s just the right time. She’s performed sick, covered by rain, inside, outside, and for hours on end. She’s never publicly complained or phoned in a single show. Every night is like her first, and she’ll keep that until the very end in Vancouver. While The Eras Tour will be immortalized on Disney+, fans who were fortunate enough to see this life-changing event in person will be able to look back for decades and say, “I was there!.”
Author’s Note: As someone fortunate enough to have covered concerts for over 20 years, I really stand out when I see something special. Sometimes, the concert I am at is more than just a concert. It’s a culmination of hard work, talent, and perfect timing. I’ve seen stadium-level shows with Metallica, Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, David Gilmour, Elton John, Dave Matthews Band, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Beyonce. Something special happens at all of them. As impressive as all those experiences were and how much they’ve meant to me, The Eras Tour was in a category of its own, and I don’t take it lightly that I can also say, “I was there!”
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