Singer-songwriter Taylor Alison Swift is no doubt a global icon. Her rise to stardom has seen her constantly shifting her identity as a musician and as a celebrity. Bursting onto the music scene with her self-titled debut album, Taylor has grown from a teenage country singer to a woman confident in her talents and her voice. Never afraid to reinvent herself, never afraid to stand up for what she believes in, Taylor is more than a pop star, she is an inspiration for her millions of fans.
After three original album releases, and two re-recorded albums with songs “from the vault” Taylor Swift finally embarked on another long-anticipated stadium tour, her first in five years. Dubbed “The Eras Tour”, this tour promised to showcase all 17 years and all 10 unique eras of Swift’s musical career. However, it wasn’t the scale and anticipation of the tour that made headlines when tickets went on sale in November 2022. Ticketmaster was unprepared to handle the vast demand for tickets, causing multiple website crashes and many, many fans to walk away empty-handed and frustrated at Ticketmaster.
Website crashes and other issues aside, the tour kicked off on March 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona at State Farm Stadium. Over the course of the tour’s six-month first U.S. leg (an international leg and a second U.S. leg are scheduled for 2024), Swift broke dozens of attendance records, including being the first act to play six shows at L.A. ‘s So-Fi Stadium. When playing two sold-out shows at Seattle’s Lumen Field, the cheering and dancing from the crowd was enough to register seismic activity, an event now known as the “swift-quake.”
Despite breaking attendance records, Swift’s shows were not accessible to everyone. Even after more chances to purchase tickets were made available to selected fans, not everyone who wanted to go could get tickets. Resale prices for even the furthest nosebleed tickets were still upwards of $500-$800 on the day of the show. And for a fan lucky enough to survive the great Ticketmaster war, face-value tickets for an event of this caliber were not cheap.
That’s why loyal Swift fans, “Swifities”, were ecstatic that a professional recording of this historic event was produced over three of Swift’s L.A. shows. And, for the first time, Taylor’s concert came to the big screen. Taylor has released professional recordings of her previous tours, but many have gone straight to streaming, with the most recent, the Reputation Stadium Tour, being a Netflix exclusive release.
Amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, Swift worked with the unions to ensure her film met the standards and demands the studios were seeking. In an unprecedented move for the American film industry, AMC theaters served as both distributor and exhibitor of the film (a move only recently made legal again), bypassing the need for the involvement of the major film studios.
Upon the announcement of the concert film, Swift posted on her Instagram “Starting Oct 13th you’ll be able to experience the concert film in theaters in North America! Tickets are on sale now. Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged.” This announcement, as well as encouragement from movie theater chains across the country, elevated The Eras Tour from a typical movie to a concert experience in itself. There was some apprehension among fans and other moviegoers that the show would turn into mayhem with none of the typical theater rules, but in my experience, people were still mostly respectful. All standing and dancing was kept to the aisles so everyone could see the screen. Also, the volume in my IMAX show was so loud; I couldn’t hear myself sing, never mind anyone else.
Each one of Taylor Swift’s musical eras not only receives a dedicated section of the tour, with costumes and staging matching the feel and overall vibe of the album, but the film version also includes visual transitions, a beautiful verbal display showcasing the name of the album whose songs are about to be performed.
Acclaimed concert film director Sam Wrench (BTS Live from Sofi, Billie Eilish- Live at the O2), with the help of an on-stage camera crew and even a robot for some shows, brings the best viewing experience a fan could ask for. Even the closest of front row tickets cannot equate to the close-up shots of Taylor, her costumes, the stage, and her dancers. The credits sequence features photos of fans dressed up in their Eras best and trading bracelets, as well as a blooper reel of sorts for the tour as a whole. Dubbed “The Errors Tour” by some fans online, these mishaps include Swift’s piano malfunctioning the night after a particularly rainy rain show.
Overall, the filmed version of the eras tour is just as magical as being there in person. The movie itself also features two “surprise songs” not on the setlist, which in my opinion were great additions to this film. Whether you were lucky enough to score tickets to the event and just want to relive your memories, or you are finally able to see this incredible tour for the first time, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is an enchanting sight to behold.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Extended Edition is now available to rent, featuring three previously unseen performances: The Archer, Long Live and Wildest Dreams.
5/5 STARS