Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has been one of the biggest turning points in pop culture. It will be one of the most successful tours of this century in terms of profit and overall a great show. It has become a pop culture phenomenon with all the outfits, friendship bracelets, and of course, Swift herself. Along with its popularity, the tour also comes with some great wars. Given that Swift has increasingly risen up in the music industry – with her ten studio albums and 17 years of experience – her concerts are one of the most challenging things to get tickets for.
Ticketmaster, a popular website used by fans, had a ticket pre-sale and a general sale in early 2023. People signed into their accounts, specifically to become verified fans, and waited patiently to get into the queue. Many waited hours to get tickets and when they got there, they were all gone. Bots had bought out everything. Naturally, tons of people were outraged that they were not gonna be able to see Taylor. This whole situation caused an uproar on social media, especially since many people went to more than five different shows. I even saw one girl that went 22 times! Some people just wanted to go once. Taylor acknowledged this distress and saw an opportunity to provide fans with a chance to see her concert.
Currently, The U.S. leg of the tour is done and she is headed to Europe. However, Americans now have the opportunity to experience Swift’s performance through the screen. The Eras Tour movie was released on October 12, 2023. Filmed at one of the Los Angeles shows, it was a chance for everyone to see the show and feel that concert experience. Many movie theaters even have Swift merchandise like popcorn buckets, posters, and tote bags.
In my opinion, the movie didn’t feel like a “movie” at all. It had all the same feelings as a concert but in a movie setting. The first few seconds have the clock ticking down from 13, which is a cute detail considering that is Swift’s favorite number. As the show opens, you can feel the energy of the fans screaming as the huge parachute-looking things glide onto the stage. Swift comes up from a hidden door and sings her opening song. The Eras Tour goes through all of Swift’s albums, one era at a time. Even though she has had tours before for that album, she had a lot of pandemic albums that she wanted to do tours for. The first era is “Lover” which I think was a good way to open, since “Loverfest” (A concert for her album Lover) was canceled due to COVID-19.
As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but notice all of the little details. She has many different outfits to go with that particular era as well as matching guitars and microphones. Her backup dancers have coordinating outfits too! The film quality is amazing and depicts things that you could have missed during the show. For instance, The angles a moving camera can capture are far more dynamic than a stationary seat in a stadium. For example, during “The Man” performance, Swift has a set up of an office because she is a boss. Watchers of the movie get to indulge in this stage work in further detail than if they were simply standing in the audience. With the “Reputation” performance, a CGI snake wraps around the stage signifying the original inspiration of the album. The snake represents what the whole internet called her before she disappeared for a year. Each era has a different aesthetic to coordinate the vibes of the albums.
After it was all set and done, I wanted to see it again. I felt the lights, the energy, and the magic of it. I truly believe that even if you’re not a Swift fan, after this, you will at least not be a Swift hater. Even if you’re not a fan of her music, you have to appreciate the emotional details in her songs and the passion she has for music. She interacts, talks, and has fun with the “Swifties” at her shows. This movie articulates the hard work that she has put in to make her concerts the best. Just doing a three-hour show almost three nights a week is impressive enough. Moreover, if you haven’t seen the Eras tour movie yet, I definitely recommend it!
https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/box-office-taylor-swift-eras-tour-previews-1235753749/
