Column: Come with me to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Reviewer gives a glimpse of her experience at Arlington concert

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Gianna Galante

Bowing to the crowd, Taylor Swift concludes her concert. Swift had many elements to her concert. She included set pieces, 11 outfit changes, backup dancers and more.

Gianna Galante, Reporter

Taylor Swift graced audiences for three nights in Arlington, Texas, from March 31 to April 2. The process, from scoring my tickets to planning my outfit, was something I had never experienced before. Follow me as I document my experience with the final night in Arlington at The Eras Tour. 

Purchasing tickets

Scattered across the halls, senior Gianna Galante and her friends wait for the SeatGeek queue to open. Galante got into the queue after about 30 minutes. She scored tickets nine rows back from the stage.

The first phase of The Eras Tour was actually getting the tickets. I, along with three other students from the class next to me, gathered in the school hallway, anxiously waiting for 11 a.m. to hit. I was in charge of getting my sister and her friend a ticket, as well as a ticket for myself. According to SeatGeek, at 11 a.m, the Taylor Swift Arlington queue would open up, but this was not the case. Our group of friends sat and stared at the computer screens for almost 30 minutes, wondering why nothing was working. Fans from across Texas reported to have the same issue, and SeatGeek sent out a statement explaining that the Swifties had crashed their site. I sat there incredibly nervous, wondering whether or not I could score these tickets.

All of a sudden, my computer glitched, and immediately let me into the seating map to purchase tickets. I freaked out, and immediately scrolled down to the floor seats, and bought three tickets. Everyone else in the hallway group logged into their accounts on my computer and got tickets as well. 

Although our ticketing experience was a success, for many other fans it was not, so much so that SeatGeek as well as Ticket Master are now facing multiple lawsuits. I had never been apart of a SeatGeek queue, but all I can say is that it was in my favor. 

Pre-Show Festivities 

Months went by, and finally, the day came for the concert. I have planned many concert outfits before, but this one was probably my favorite outfit so far. Many Swifties based their outfits on different Taylor Swift Eras, which is exactly what me and my sister did.

Ready for the concert, Galante stands at the barricade. Galante’s tickets were fairly close to the stage. She said her view throughout the duration of the show was amazing.
Posing for the camera, Galante shows off her makeup. Galante found the makeup inspiration on Pinterest. Galante’s friend, senior Victoria Clark, did her makeup.

I decided to go for the Lover Era, because Lover is one of my favorite songs. I bought a heart shaped top, pink skirt to match, and had my friend Victoria top me off with some pink makeup. My sister decided to base her outfit on the Speak Now Era, rocking a purple dress with some small white cowboy boots

Parking and Entrances 

After about an hour and a half drive through a really bad thunderstorm, we finally made it to AT&T Stadium. I had never been to a concert at AT&T Stadium before, and did not realize you had to buy a parking pass through SeatGeek. When I pulled up to the parking lot, I was confused and lost. The lady working the parking lot directed me to where to purchase parking, and a single parking pass was worth upwards of $150! I did not have that much money and was at a loss. Graciously, a man directing traffic told us to pull our car to the side, told us “Merry Christmas, go park,” and directed us to an open parking spot. I hope that man is doing well today. 

As for entrances, it was very easy to tell where exactly to go in through. There were multiple different entrances to enter through, and the staff was very friendly with directing us to different places throughout the stadium. 

Merchandise and food 

I had heard nightmares about the merchandise lines for the Taylor Swift concert, so I didn’t even take the chance to get in the line. My friend Grace, who was willing to wait in line, purchased me and my sister two t-shirts, eliminating our wait completely.  

As for food and drink lines, the stadium made it easy to not have to wait in line. Through their app, they offered the option for in-seat delivery of food and water. Although there was an extra fee as well as sometimes a longer wait, you at least could sit in your seat comfortably rather than standing in a long line. 

Opening acts

Taylor Swift brought on different artists depending on the tour date. For our day, she brought out Gracie Abrams, as well as Beabadoobee. 

Gracie’s set was very short, but she looked and sounded amazing. You can tell she really captivated the audience with her soft and beautiful voice. I had never really been a fan of her music before the concert, but after getting a sample of what she sounded like, I started listening to her more.

Smiling towards the crowd, Beabadoobee sings her opening song. Beabadoobee was one of two openers of the night. She played hit songs, such as “Perfect Pair” and “Glue Song.”
Standing on a platform, Taylor Swift sings her opening song. Swift opened the concert with her Lover album. She played popular songs from that era, such as “Cruel Summer,” “The Man,” and “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.”

Beabadoobee is an artist I’ve listened to for a little while, so I was very excited when she came on the stage. She played some of my favorite songs from her album “Beatopia,” as well as her new hit single “Glue Song.” Her stage presence was great, and she was so pretty. 

Taylor Swift 

The clock hit eight, and Taylor Swift came on the stage. Everything about her concert was amazing. The theatrics were amazing, her raw vocals were amazing, and in general, everything about the concert was amazing. 

I loved the backup dancers, the musicians, and everything in between. Taylor brought out all of her hit songs, such as “Love Story,” “22,” and “Anti-Hero.” The only thing I was disappointed in regarding the setlist was that she didn’t play any songs from her debut album, and only one song from “Speak Now,” which is one of my favorites. 

Along with her set list, she played two surprise songs for our night. The songs she played for us were “Jump and Fall,” which I don’t really like that much, and “The Lucky One,” which is one of my favorite songs from her album “Red.” “The Lucky One” really made up for the disappointment of the first song for me. 

Final Thoughts 

Overall, the Taylor Swift concert was one of the best concerts I have ever been to. I cannot wait to see her again, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I got to be so close to her. I will cherish this night forever.