The experience.
Three years ago, a not-so- random
song prompted me to research some blonde country singer. I had heard of this
“Taylor Swift” before, but I had thought of her as a beautiful teenager who
would have a brief 15 minutes of fame before dying out like many country-pop
tweens. I secretly played and re-played “Love Story”, humming it under my
breath and singing full out in the shower until I knew every line of the song. From
then on, I was hooked.
One month later, on a first date
with a handsome man, he asked me what kind of music I liked. Bashfully, I
admitted that I had just started to get into Taylor Swift and I was a sucker
for her Romeo and Juliette re-write. On our next date, he showed up 20 minutes
late (don’t worry, there is a good reason).
Instead of apologizing, he slyly smiled as he pushed “play” on his CD
player and Taylor’s voice filled the car. “A CD,” he said “so we can listen to
her together”.
As I fell in love for the first
time, Taylor’s songs were more than just some blonde girl’s claim to fame…
there were words from my diary, from my own personal story. Every perfect date,
every heart wrenching moment of doubt, every twist and turn of my love life was
right there on the radio.
I know it seems ridiculous that a
24 year old woman shares the same music interest as someone half my age, but I
can’t help it. Taylor has been so involved in the most important relationship
of my life- if her success is indicative of my romantic success; than I hope
she NEVER stops singing.
Finally, at the concert this
weekend (eight months of anticipation and excitement building towards ONE night)
- I cried through the first two songs. I’m slightly more than embarrassed to
admit this (but c’mon, you guys are all my closest family and friends). It was
all too much- watching her LIVE singing about falling in love and the wondrous
joy of being with someone who just gets
you, with the man who made it all possible standing right next to me… I lost
it. I’m a sap, what can I say.
The Deets.
So,
like a friend once said (shout-out to Cece, possibly the only other friend who
rivals my level of dedication as a “Swiftie”), “it was clearly one of those
nights you’ll remember forever”. The show was AMAZING. Totally above and beyond the clichéd Avril concert I went
to (yeah, I liked to pretend I was an angst-ridden teen too)- it was more than
a concert, it was a SHOW.
She opened with "Sparks Fly" (which I
dragged John in a full out SPRINT to our seats), complete with sparks flying
from two acrobats that were spinning, twisting and turning twenty feet over the
stage. Ballerinas took the stage as Taylor sang in the background for
“Enchanted” (probably my favorite entertainment of the night- the choreography
was breathtaking). She played the ukulele for an acoustic version of “Fearless”
on a rotating stage away from the rest of her band. Fireworks lit the stage as
she sang “Dear John” (“I’m shining like fireworks over your sad empty town") - I
jumped and screamed with everyone.
For the last song, she played “Long
Live”- she brought out just her band and I felt like I knew them all. I screamed and screamed, and when she
said “Sacramento, I want to see you jump!!” The only question was “HOW HIGH,
TAYLOR?!?” and I jumped up and down with the fourteen year olds next to me.
John of course, just tried to survive the concert.
She finished with an encore
performance of “Love Story”, which I sang full out and screamed my heart out. Taylor
stepped onto a balcony which floated over the audience, and blew kisses to her
“Swifties”. The curtains closed and the concert was over. It was without a doubt, an unforgettable
night. While John apologized and apologized for such “awful” seats, I just
smiled ear-to-ear. I felt like the luckiest girl ever (who else can say their
boyfriend took them to a Taylor Swift concert? Not many). We could have had the
worst seats in the world (which we didn’t) and I would still feel like I was on
cloud 9.
Of course I would be regretful if I
did not thank Patty and Dave Raney for the extra ticket… and for raising such a
wonderful son that I am so madly in love with.
And last but not least, thank you
to my awesome boyfriend. Thank you for standing in an hour long line so I could
get my concert t-shirt, holding my purse when I had to pee, for not getting mad
when we wandered the parking lot for 45 minutes after I (incorrectly) made
navigation decisions, for taking videos and pictures during the concert so I
could soak in the moment, and for making so many of my dreams come true
(T-Swift concert included). You totally earned 47,309,875 bonus points.
