Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Taylor!

Yeah, so much to say about the show, but how to say it? For starters, it's well over 3 hours of nonstop musical exuberance. 

If you haven't already heard, the production value is unparalleled, more in the spirit of theatre than music. The stage is this dynamic screen with levels that go up and down. the gigantic screen behind her seems to be 3-d or stereoscopic in a way that layers the musicians or story into the songs stunningly. Everyone gets multicolor LED bracelets that turn the crowd itself into a gorgeous ambient light show, at times pulsating, or doing a wave, or just setting a tonal mood (maybe this is a thing on big tours but I'd never seen it and it blew my mind). 

The dancers were an amazing troop of diverse races and body types, helping to pump out both the joy and the story telling of each track. 

Taylor is absolutely feeling herself, fully immersed in the role, able to drive the crowd bananas simply by breathing, blinking, maybe tossing a knowing smile between songs. She played 44 songs and gave her all unflaggingly. 

I would imagine the crowd is both different and the same every night. I'm sure the throat searing shout-singing is a constant, even as the crowd's favorites eras shift. Pittsburgh skewed towards the early stuff for whatever reason, so white cowgirl boots and shirt sparkly dresses win the day. 95% women, which made for a delightful diversion from the standard crowd I’ve been part of at the Steelers stadium--lovelier, more coherent, less drunk.

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