Everything I need to know, I learned from the 1989 Tour

I bought my tickets in November 2014 and I almost forgot I was even going to the concert. Sometimes, things are well worth the wait, and this was no exception.

I am a newfound Taylor Swift fan. I loved Red (I still love Red the most) and I had admittedly liked a song or two before then, but I joined the Taylor Nation after 1989. I don’t like to bash music genres, but I had just never been a country fan. Sure, the first song to ever make me cry was “Dear John,” though the circumstances were extreme and it was 4 in the morning and I was on my way to my former barista job, brokenhearted and weak-willed. I had love for her then because it takes a lot of courage to have your heart broken. She became an expert, and she became somewhat of a beacon of hope for me. Saturday night, it was all drilled home even stronger.

EINTKILF the 1989 Tour

1. Taylor loves her fans.
By now, we have all heard the millions of stories about the way Swift treats her fans. There are the GoFundMe donations, the random Christmas presents, the replies on Tumblr…she certainly likes to put as much effort into loving her fans as they (we) love her. Imo, there is nothing really better than a famous person who reciprocates our love. It is an important lesson in being humble and appreciative. The concert was no different. There were fan-cams celebrating all of the great costumes, signs, and groups of #squadgoals all throughout the night. Beyond even that, there were moments where Swift would lose her train of thought because of “all of the wonderful signs,” etc. in the audience. She knows she is loved and she loves us right back.

Also she made all of our wristbands glow Seahawks colors and I heard she does that for each city she’s in. What a touching bit of detail.

2. And the fans love Taylor.
Look, I have been to a lot of pop concerts. A lot of pop concerts. I have never quite seen anything like I saw on Saturday night. Of course there were a ton of people wearing t-shirts repping various eras of Swift’s career—something that is always adorable to see at a concert—but beyond that, people got creative. I saw groups of girls and guys dressed as the different stages of the “Shake it Off” video and I saw entire families with handmade shirts representing their love. I saw a dad in a pink tutu and a “Dads <3 Taylor Too-Too” shirt, perfectly matching his young daughter’s outfit. I saw lightbulb shirts spelling out stuff like “1989” or “Style” and I am still confused on how that group walked in a perfectly formatted line for it all to make sense. Man, I know people are creative, but this was very creative. I personally wore the outfit from the “22” music video and felt like everyone understood my vision because these fans were basically all superfans.

3. Internet comments are not always awful.
Every few songs, Swift would break to just chat with the audience. Sometimes, it was just a discussion about how much she loves performing in Seattle, sometimes it was a motivational speech, and sometimes it was just to shout out the 60,000 people at CenturyLink Field. At one point in particular, Swift talked about how it felt like we were all friends (a very Taylor Swift thing to say) and how the way we “stay in touch” is by commenting on Instagram, replying on Twitter, and reblogging on Tumblr. As Swift discussed that some people just tell her what’s going on in their lives, she feels really touched and close to her fans as she reads them. That particular bit of info about Swift really touched my heart. We’ve all read comments on a famous person’s public platform and if you’re like me, you’ve probably wondered how they handle the awful things that people have to say about their appearance, personal life, or anything else. I felt really warm knowing that Swift views those comments as a conversation with her fans and not as a source of anxiety.

4. Heartbreak is real.
Yeah, we all know that Swift is known for high-profile breakups—but more importantly, she is known for her strength. Swift didn’t hesitate to remind us that heartbreak happens, and it is OK to go through it, and learn from it, and overcome it. And hey, we have probably all been there in some way, shape, or form. Also following up heartbreak conversations with an awesome rendition of “Mean” is basically the best thing in the world.

5. Oldies are goodies.
Though Swift performed almost every song off of 1989, she of course shouted out some of her old favorites. What I loved in particular about the 1989 Tour is that Swift jazzed up her old songs and made them a little more interesting for those of us who have known and loved them throughout the years. “Mean” was pretty classic, though it was cool to have just Swift and her guitar and all 60,000 of us singing along. Beyond that, Swift did “Trouble” in a way we’ve never heard it, “Love Story” in a fun and more modern way, and even “We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together” became an almost 80s hair metal band tune. It was a BLAST.

6. You deserve better.
As I have already mentioned, Swift’s motivational speeches were truly something. Beyond that however, she got pretty specific about the things that we all know and have been through. Besides the general “we all have scars” stuff, Swift reminded us that if we were here tonight and mad at ourselves for someone else’s actions, we deserve better than that. She really drove it home with a resounding reminder that “if someone is not sending you response texts in a timely manner. . . if someone is doing that, in my humble opinion, I think you deserve better than that.”

And oh my god, we all definitely deserve our text messages responded to! THAT’S REAL LIFE 101.

7. Surprises are so fun!
I was really hoping that Swift would bring out one of those surprise guests that she keeps showing the world via Instagram and BOY DID SHE. One of the many things I love about Seattle is that when artists perform here, they really aim to impress. Seattle has long been recognized as a hub of music and no matter how huge someone is, they want to impress a Seattle audience. I knew Swift would bring out someone, and though I had a few predictions, I had no idea it would be FETTY WAP. Errybody loves “Trap Queen” right now and I just about died and went to heaven as Swift was crooning, “I be in the kitchen making pies with my baby baby” right beside him. I absolutely love her outreach and her ability to promote upcoming artists of all genres. You go, girl. Swift also brought out Ciara and Seattle Seahawks’ QB Russell Wilson. Seattle certainly loves our football team, so the couple got quite the warm welcome—something that Wilson is very used to in that stadium.

8. Music brings us together.
In a particularly touching moment, Swift reminded us that everyone in the room has something they are working through, whether it is loss, heartbreak, or just a hard time in general. She also reminded us that we all have something in common, and that is that music brings us together. We all turn to music—in some way, shape, or form—to help us get through whatever we are going through. It’s hard to disagree with that statement in a room full of 60,000 people, turning to music on a Saturday night.

9. Pop concerts can feel like going to church.
I don’t go to church and I am not a religious person, but I imagine if I was, I would feel the way I feel at a giant pop concert. There is nothing quite as exhilarating as being in a room with thousands of screaming people, all directed toward someone you all love. I don’t think I have ever not cried at a concert. Swift was so touching that I had tears in my eyes during most of her speeches and obviously during “Wildest Dreams.” It was incredible how much emotion I felt for a young popstar. Watching her up there, dressed in a glittery dream of a bodysuit, singing about everything she has overcome really made me feel everything all at once. I felt proud of her, a young girl who has been so openly vulnerable and warm, standing on an empire that she is steadily building every single day. I am proud of her, and moved by her, and my heart is full of love for her. She does bring women together—young and old—and there is nothing better than that.

10. “Shake it Off” rules.
None of us expected the concert to be over after “Out of the Woods,” and when Swift came out for her encore performance, we all shook it off together. There is something so uniting about that song. We ALL want to shake it off, all of us, all of the time.

(Image via Wikipedia)

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