

New Orleans, LA— Let me take you on a journey into Time, or should I say Eras, Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour that is!!
In my 30+ years of covering or attending events in New Orleans, I have never seen the entire city of New Orleans go above and beyond to Welcome anyone, let alone a musical artist to their city!! But on this Special Weekend, New Orleans rolled out the red carpet, or should I say 7 ft tall Friendship Bead Bracelet to International Superstar, Taylor Swift, for a musical journey that was so much more than any of us could have expected!!
Of course, Taylor’s Swiftie’s knew what to expect, but this writer had never attended a previous Swift concert so I had no idea the Swiftie Journey I was about to embark on!! If I’m completely honest, even though I appreciated Taylor’s music career and watching her take on some of life’s challenges and seeing her grow in to the amazing young lady she is, I grew up as Michael Jackson being my Iconic Pop Star since I was 5 years old. Funny Story: on my 5th Birthday in ‘71, my Grandma Strumila sent me $1 in my birthday card, my mother took my brother and I to see the Jackson 5 in concert and I cried and threw a lil 5 year old fit wanting to go to the stage and give Michael Jackson my $1. So I understand all too well the Love that the Swiftie’s have for their Taylor!!


What I discovered once I learned I would be attending Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour was that it’s not simply going to a concert!! Preparation for a Swift concert begins weeks and months earlier with the perfect over the top fun outfit of glitter, bling, sequins, etc. I had No Idea!! Yikes, I only have a couple days to throw something together!! But if there’s one thing I love, and New Orleans being the perfect backdrop, is the more bling and sparkle the better!!
Bling & Sparkle are just part of the preparation I learned. I kept hearing bracelets bracelets bracelets..what is it about these bracelets? So I bought me some cute sparkly bracelets to go with my outfit, I had no idea Swifties make their own handmade beaded Friendship Bracelets!!! They don’t just make them to wear themselves, they carry around metal rings filled with these handmade bracelets they made with love and gift to their fellow Swifties they meet at the concert!! Such a precious jester of friendship and unity among strangers who have never met but are all brought together for this one magical moment in time!! What a proud moment it was for me while standing in the line of the ladies restroom that a Swiftie saw I had no Friendship Bracelets on my wrist and gifted me a beautiful one that said “Bestie” on it. Awww…my heart melted!! By the end of the night I would be gifted 5 more friendship bracelets by total strangers each with their own worded beads of love: You Glow Girl, Wonderland, Blank Space, Evermore & Crying at the Gym. It is so special how these lil jesters among the Swifties create the most perfect Energy and Atmosphere for a night of Swiftie Magic!!


When I say these outfits and Friendship Bracelets make for a Special Night, unless you have attended a Taylor Swift concert, you really don’t have a clue how it all comes together for one of the most magical experiences!! It was unlike any concert I had attended before!!
With Taylor’s career spanning 18 Years, her early Swifties are now all grown up with daughters of their own. To see these mother’s all dressed up in bling, glitter & sequins with their young daughters was beyond precious!! It’s as if these mothers are passing the baton to the next generation of Swifties. What an absolutely priceless moment of memories these mother and daughters are sharing together!! Another Heart Melting Moment for sure!!!
While the Swifties help to create a fun atmosphere around the concert, it isn’t until the lights go down and the incredible stage, lighting, sound, props, and sets begin that you realize you better hold on to your sparkle because you are about to embark on a concert like you’ve never seen before!!
In my 25 Years of promoting and showcasing concerts and fests in my Coast Observer, I have Never Seen Anything like the over 3 hour musical journey everyone inside the Caesar’s Superdome were about to experience!!
From the moment you walk into the Superdome, you realize this is one of the largest productions you’ve seen or will probably ever see at a concert!! In the center of it all are three separate stages connected by a ramp; a main stage, a middle stage, and a rectangular stage that forms a T-shape at the middle of the floor. Each stage featuring various visuals and effects throughout the show. Inspired by Broadway theatre, it has been described as a 4D cognitive experience, featuring pyrotechnics, laser lights, smoke machines, fire cannons, indoor fireworks, PixMob LED bracelets (more on these bracelets in a moment), and image projection technology.
There was absolutely No Expense Spared on this production!! For someone who has never attended one of Taylor’s concerts in the past like me, Imagine her performances on the award shows x 1000 and that doesn’t even begin to describe the full extent of this production!! From the beautiful sheets of fabric that fluttered above the stage forming eventually into beautiful tulips to the incredible digital displays both behind the stage and on every “hyperactive” hydraulic platform, this production was a truly magical experience to all of your senses!!
But the experience didn’t end at the stage!! Before attending the concert, I was watching some of Taylor’s videos on YouTube to get a sense of what to expect. One thing kept popping out to me. How does she get everyone to have their phone lights on all at the same time as in every video the entire crowd were lit up on every level. What a pleasant surprise it was to learn that that wasn’t cellphone lights I was seeing at all! Everyone upon entry were given these PixMob LED bracelets. All throughout the concert these bracelets would light up, flash, change colors, all synced to each of her songs to create one of the coolest light shows in the crowd I had ever seen!! Brilliant!! Just Brilliant!!!
As Taylor treated her Swifties and the crowd to their favs of her 18 years of hits, there was no doubt that she has made an impact on her fans with every lyric!! For over 3 hours every Swiftie stayed on their feet singing and dancing to every song!! I had the cutest fans around me to make my experience that much more exciting!! This precious lil couple in front of me kept singing to every song and looking at each other smiling as they sang the lyrics to each other! Down from them were a group of Besties singing and dancing with one of their boyfriends that joined them even dancing and singing with them!! And I was so thankful that when my favs, Shake It Off & You need to Calm Down, came on I was able to have the Best Time singing along with the young lady that was seated beside me!!
To say the Full On Taylor Swift The Era’s Tour Concert was so much more than just a concert would be an understatement!! It is without a doubt a Full Experience that everyone in attendance will be talking about and reminiscing about for Generations to Come!!
Ms Swift, I’d like to personally Thank You for being a Wonderful Role Model to the Young Ladies of this World!! Knowing our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and every young lady has you to look up to makes me so Proud to know they’re in good hands following in your footsteps!! From now on when anyone tells me they’re a Swiftie, I’ll know right away what they mean and that is Something Special!! At 58 years young now, I’m probably one of your oldest New Swifties!! Is there a Golden Girls Swiftie Fan Club I can Join!!!???!!! Sign Me Up!!!!
Photo Credit: Canonblue Lalley C. Blue Photography