Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in Chicago 2023

4 Jun, 2023 Mosie Hillis Concert Reviews, Pop

Taylor Swift - Photo credit: Soldier Field, TAS Rights Management, Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

In pop culture today, it is impossible to meet someone who has not heard of worldwide, multigenerational pop star, Taylor Swift. Known for her record-breaking pop albums and insanely loyal fanbase, she has amassed fame that could only be compared to that of the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson or the Beatles.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

On November 1st, 2022, Taylor Swift announced on Good Morning America and her social platforms that she would be embarking on her sixth tour, titled The Eras Tour, an event that she dubbed as a “journey through the musical eras of her career”. With the news that tickets would begin to go on sale on the 18th via Ticketmaster, hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the continental United States (myself and my three sisters included) began strategizing how they could get tickets to Swift’s first touring event in five years. When tickets went on sale, Swifties across the nation made the hours-long wait in the queue to score a chance to attend the tour. With seats for each date reselling for thousands of dollars, the tour was sure to be nothing short of a success.

Chicago – Night 3

Fast forward seven months to June 4th, Taylor Swift brought The Eras Tour to Soldier Field for its last time of the weekend, after selling out the stadium the two previous evenings. Front Row Music News last covered a Taylor Swift show was eight years ago on July 19, 2015. Once again, it was a sold out Soldier Field. Check out the post HERE.

As my sister Olivia and I walked into the venue, it was clear fans showed out. The lawns surrounding the stadium were already filling up with thousands of fans who had not gotten tickets to listen to the show, wear their music video-inspired outfits, and trade friendship bracelets–an activity known as ‘taylgating’.

As the countdown clock on the stadium screen went down to zero and the lights dimmed, Soldier Field was pure pandemonium. With every person in the audience cheering, Taylor Swift took the stage for the beginning of her three-hour musical spectacular, taking fans through a journey of her ten studio albums. She commanded the crowd from start to finish, but with a set that long, there were bound to be a few mishaps. Tonight’s included mic troubles and Swift swallowing a bug live onstage while introducing her pianist. These errors may be upsetting for the average performer, but Swift handled them with grace and laughed through her coughs, making her even more endearing and relatable in the eyes of her fans.

Highlights

While Taylor Swift’s set was technically flawless from start to finish and still has me questioning how she has the energy to put on such a show every weekend, there were a plethora of memorable moments. Highlights of the night included: Taylor’s beautifully created outfits (of which we saw at least a dozen!) as well her ethereal and spooky performances of her Folklore and Evermore era, which came straight out of a cottage-core fantasy.

Conclusion

With my younger sister standing next to me, tears streaming down her face, telling me, “I never thought I would get to see her live!” I realized that for millions of fans worldwide, seeing Taylor Swift was not just a concert, but a truly bucket list, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Fireworks exploded and confetti rained down overhead while Taylor Swift sang her final song of the evening, “Karma”, marking the show for what it truly was: a fun-filled momentous occasion for many.