Take The Moment And Taste It
by Lucy Karp
A look into the thoughts of a so-called “die-hard Swiftie,” and her experience at the Taylor Swift Eras Tour
“So make the friendship bracelets, Take the moment and taste it…” is the motto for this year’s Taylor Swift super fans“Swifites” heading to the 2023 Taylor Swift Eras Tour. American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is currently on her sixth headlining tour, The Eras Tour. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, Swift was unable to tour in support of her studio albums Lover, Folklore, and Evermore. Now, Swift is starting the Eras Tour in support of all of her albums, including her most recent, Midnights with billboard-breaking songs such as Your On Your Own Kid, Karma, and Bejeweled.
For die-hard “Swifties” the Eras Tour is soon to become the highlight of their year. Trends such as trading friendship bracelets, loudly singing special fan chants during song sets, and the infamous “Taylor costumes” that fans wear to concerts, has swept the nation through the use of apps like Tik Tok.
Although the Ticket-master drama and the race to secure tickets is over, the race to prepare for the concert begins.
According to the NY Post, “Prices started in the $300 range, with some going for as high as $5K,” which begs the question: Will the concert be worth the price spent?
Taylor Swift announced that at each concert, she will sing a set amount of “surprise songs” which will not be repeated at any other show, All concert- goers know the gut wrenching feeling of going to a favorite artist or bands live performance and not hearing their favorite song live, decibel levels that are strenuous on the ears, or not being able to buy the sought after merchandise.
If you are looking for someone who can recite every lyric to all one hundred and six Taylor Swift songs, look no further than 17-year-old Jillian Marcus. Jillian is a senior in high school from South Carolina and just came down from the high of her first of two Taylor Swift Eras Tour shows.
Q: When did you start listening to Taylor Swift?
A: I started listening to Taylor Swift at 4 years old when my older sister introduced me to her music.
Q: What is your favorite song?
A: Innocent. “Who you are is not where you’ve been” is a really important line to me because it reminds me that I’m not necessarily defined by the mistakes I’ve made. I’m not defined by my past and I am constantly changing. My past may have shaped me, but it doesn’t determine my future. Taylors lyrics describe that we have the power to choose who we want to be, regardless of where we came from and I really connect with that.
Q: What is your favorite “Era?”
A: Speak now is my favorite because there are so many different types of songs that talk about so many different things like childhood, heartbreak, and friendships. There are also so many different emotions that the songs bring out in me like anger, love and nostalgia.
Q: How do you think Taylor Swift influenced/created the music industry?
A: I think Taylor Swift influences the music industry by creating songs everyone can relate to at different stages in their lives. We have grown up with Taylor’s music and watched her music grow up at the same time. She has influenced so many women in the world not only other female songwriters but also young girls growing up dealing with mean friends “Mean,” heartbreak “All Too Well,” and even grief, “Ronan” and “Marjorie.” And also, her concerts are insane. She sets the bar really high for her concerts.
Q: How do you think the Ticketmaster scandal influenced the way people viewed the concert before it started?
A: I think the scandal with getting tickets made people frustrated because they think she contributes to capitalism. People thought it was outrageous how much she was charging for the concert because in reality she “doesn’t need more money.”
Q: What songs do you hope to hear on tour?
A: I definitely wanted to hear something from Speak Now because it’s my favorite album like I said, but I heard a lot of rumors that she wasn’t doing many Speak Now songs.
Q: What are concert rituals for die-hard Swiftes?
A: Dressing up like Taylor is definitely a tradition. I dressed up as Taylor from the music video “You Need To Calm Down.”I had a huge fuzzy pink jacket and a pink athletic set with pink sunglasses and lots of glitter. Also, a lot of people draw a 13 on their hand with glitter like Taylor does (it’s her favorite number).
Q: What are your thoughts on Taylor playing surprise songs that won’t be repeated at any other show?
A: I know there are many opinions on her surprise songs, but I think it creates a really special bond between her and the specific audience. It sucks that you may not get to hear your favorite song live, but it’s also cool to know that you will be in an audience that gets a song played to you by Taylor that no one else gets to hear.
Q: What is the thought process behind finding an outfit for the concert?
A: Choosing an outfit for my concert was really hard, but you definitely need to find something that will make people remember you and be noticed by Taylor Nation which is her management. Lot of people had really creative homemade costumes that reference lyrics from her songs or from her music videos. People get really creative.
Q: Can you describe to me your experience at the concert?
A: It was unreal. Super, super energized crowd, very united, emotional, everyone sang and knew every word of the songs, and Taylor constantly engaged with the audience. It was such a dream and I am so excited to go to another concert of hers in May!
Swift believes that the present is the only period that matters and that this time is her own. It’s safe to say that if you attend the Eras Tour, you are paying for unforgettable memories and experiences. With its ground-breaking stage design, cutting-edge visual mapping, and high production qualities that far exceeded most of today’s touring show standards, “The Eras Tour” sought to engage all of the senses while providing an unparalleled 4-D experience.
