Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is arguably the most anticipated live event of the 21st century. It has been ~5 years, 4 albums, and another Album of the Year Grammy since her Reputation Tour broke the record for highest-grossing U.S. Tour, and The Eras Tour seems all but certain to shatter that record. Nosebleed seats are selling for well over $1,000—even in Los Angeles where she became the first artist to sellout FIVE consecutive shows—and despite crashing Ticketmaster’s website, Taylor Swift still managed to set the record for most tickets sold in a day. Her brilliance in marketing has also ensured that The Eras Tour remains a topic of almost daily conversation.
Are you ready for it?
Few things could live up to such extraordinary hype, but The Eras Tour does. If happiness equals reality minus expectation, then the only way to account for such stellar reviews is because the Taylor Swift Experience exceeds fan’s wildest dreams. I was fortunate enough to see her perform in Detroit and while I remain largely at a loss for words to describe the experience, I think the highest compliment I can give is that after 3+ hours of music, she not only had hours of additional songs to play, but I would have happily stayed to listen. I came for the music, but Taylor’s masterful stage presence, choreography, set design, and setlist sequencing evoked a sense of wonder and majesty I have not felt in a very long time…
This night is sparkling…I was enchanted to meet you
In the days following the show, however, I noticed something strange happening to me. While I did not experience amnesia like many are claiming, I was physically and emotionally exhausted. All the commuting, waiting, dancing, singing, and general anticipation took its toll, but that was expected. What was unexpected was the immense sadness I felt afterwards.
Why? How could I feel this way after such an overwhelmingly joyful experience? After some consternation and contemplation, this is my best guess:
Whatever your relationship with Taylor Swift, attending The Eras Tour is likely its zenith. Taylor and her tour will undoubtedly continue to produce new material to engage with—Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is soon to be released and there very well may be more remixes, rumors, and relationship drama to come—but the Taylor-Verse feels anticlimactic and shallow after experiencing such a high as attending The Eras Tour.
Now, all eras eventually end and while it’s natural to feel challenging emotions during times of change, we have the power to transform those emotions into something else, something beautiful…something worth singing about. Just like Taylor transforms her frustration, longing, and heartbreak into nourishing songs, we can transform our sense of loss into gratitude for having experienced something so wonderful. Whether The Eras Tour represents the golden era or the portent of even greater times to come (I think this more likely), we should celebrate this wonderful moment while it’s here and cherish it once it’s gone.
In the words of Taylor Swift: Hold on to the memories they will hold on to you.
Be well.