I have always been a huge fan of T-Swift. I had wanted to go to her concert this year but none of the dates really worked because we always had something planned, and for some reason she didn’t put Vegas on the schedule!
Somehow, while we were on our 5.5 hour drive to San Diego last weekend, the topic came up and Shai asked why I hadn’t gone. I started to look at the rest of the tour and there was only one other date that worked – if we wanted to fly to Texas for it. Since the hubs was seriously considering this as an option…I decided to offer up an equally crazy idea. Why not go to the one in San Diego. The next night. Aka the night of the Football game we already had tickets to!
Of course all the tickets were sold out so we had to buy them through StubHub and get ripped off enormously. I won’t say how much…but it was less than the cost of second-seller tickets + airfare + hotel + rental car +food if we went to Texas…so I consider it a win.
We stayed at the Seahawks game until the last second possible (seriously, we were watching from the stairs as we sloowwllyy walked out) and then were on a TIGHT timeline. Luckily Shai is the master of scheduling/timing and it worked out. Thank god we buffered a 30 min window into our “leave game, take shuttle to car, change, shuttle to concert” plan. We got into our seats 3 minutes before she came on stage.
I do have to say one thing. I have a DSLR camera and they would NOT let us through security with it. They kept repeating “Sorry, Taylor does not let professional cameras into the concert.” I’m like, OK, but I am NOT a professional photographer, therefore, this really isn’t a professional camera, and furthermore, I am not sitting in the front row so WTF guys. Can’t get through idiots like that with logic. So I did the next best thing – took the lens off, hid it in a zipper pocket, put my phone over it, put the camera body sideways and when they went through my purse just said “oh that is just my point and shoot camera.” BOOM.
Also, you aren’t allowed to have bottle caps in either Petco Park or Qualcomm Stadium — apparently people throw caps on the field AND you can break your leg on a cap. Seriously people. If you break your leg on a bottle cap, you probably did something in your life that you deserve that kind of karma. Just saying.
Back to Taylor. So it was amazing. I had read an article a while ago that I sent to Shai that was written from a guy who went with his sister and left totally understanding the Swift-fandom. Every seat has these light up bracelets that change color based on the song as well as change rhythm.
It’s seriously incredible. They don’t turn on/off with the bass or anything like that – it’s specific words and timing…and sometimes you are one color and the person next to you is another. Or the middle of the stadium is green and everyone else is blue. Mind. Blown. And then…when the concert is over…the magic leaves the bracelet and instead it just lights up when you hit something or it bounces…just…normal.
This tour she has been known for her special guests and for us she brought out Omi to sing Cheerleader and Avril Lavigne to sing Complicated. Both guests sounded great and I really enjoyed both performances. Nothing like a Justin Timberlake or John Legend…but nothing to scoff at either.
In between sets she has videos of members of her “girl squad” come on and talk about Taylor and their friendships. It’s all very funny/healthy/feel-good stuff. Sometimes in between her songs she talked about her own journey as well as cyber-bullies, body image, self-love, etc. It really made me hope that one day if I have a daughter to take to a concert that it’s for a pop-star like her who will espouse positive words like her.
Our seats were far back but on the first level and centered so we were able to see everything (except for the jumbotron because it had a giant pole in front of it!). It was a really fun concert to watch and she sounds really great live. She played her guitars and keyboard and even did a slow mix-up of Trouble that I really enjoyed.
All in all, it was definitely worth it and I would recommend seeing her to anyone. I will have to pay closer attention to her tour when she has her next one and try to buy tickets at the actual price instead of the re-sale mark-up price!
Xx
Kali