I resisted the Taylor Swift phenomenon as long as possible. I reluctantly attended the first wave of Eras movie theater performances to which the girls and I were invited. That she so quickly and adeptly recorded the concert to stream in movie theaters to provide more #swifties with access to Eras (and to capture more of the demand curve) intrigued me; the fact that mothers and daughters alike danced in the aisles as if the concert were live surprised me. Then came Travis Kelce, and her meteoric musical arise now coincided with the NFL. Everyone at 975 Pine Tree Lane was now engaged in the Swift Era.
When one of my favorite human beings on the planet invited the girls and me to join her and her daughters at the Eras Tour live in New Orleans, it seemed time to say yes.
What I experienced a few weeks ago was far more impactful than I expected.
Attending the Taylor Swift Eras Tour provide a flawless experience in cultural anthropology. Our girls happily wore matching sparkle dresses (that much I knew to do, and for Taylor, they even matched without a fuss, so long as I didn’t match them…ha!), matching sparkling boots (thank you to that same extraordinary friend who invited us for those as well), glitter everywhere, and prepared friendship bracelets to trade (for days, thanks to a fabulous team member at Empower). So did every mother-daughter, best friend crew, etc. who attended. There were adults in sequined leotards, young girls in glitter from head to toe. The outfits were festive, the colors were bold and beautiful, and the masses were the kindest, most respectful bunch of 65,000 human beings I have ever seen.
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour has created a movement. It feels, somehow, like the Woodstock of our generation (minus the drugs and alcohol which were also notably absent from the show!). When I asked another super insightful girlfriend why, she shared, that “Taylor allows everyone to ‘feel.’ To tap into her high school heartthrob, that college broken heart, that period in one’s 20s when they almost married but avoided marrying the wrong person.
She has style, she has class, she has grace, she has heart. She is the All-American sweetheart with all-American smarts and a dash of sex appeal.
I now get it. Proud to have been #Swifted.
