Taylor Swift – US Bank Stadium – Minneapolis MN – June 23rd 2023

Taylor Swift brought her Eras Tour to Minneapolis, Minnesota on both Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24.  This review, in particular, is for the June 23 show.  Opening for the show was Gracie Abrams and Girl in Red.  The two could not have been more different from each other, which is really cool when you have such a large crowd.

If Gracie Abrams sounds familiar to you and you don’t know her music, it’s because her dad is JJ Abrams.  I had never heard of her and loved her music.  I’d go see her again if given the chance.  She has an indie pop feel and the kind of music that just makes you feel really good.  Girl in Red, by contrast, had a bit more of a punk feel to begin with.  I had never heard her music either, but was told by people in the crowd that if I was on TikTok, I would know it.  Girl in Red is an incredible musician, one that I feel would be really fun in a more intimate venue.

Back to Taylor, this was all a true event.  From the beginning debacle with Ticketmaster, this has been all anyone has been talking about in one way or another. Governor Tim Walz proclaimed Friday and Saturday’s concert dates official “Taylor Swift Days,” following Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s unofficial naming of of “Swiftieapolis.”  It was all anyone heard about on the news all week, considering the amount of people that would be downtown.  The merchandise booth opened early on Friday and people had camped out for their picks.

Once we arrived downtown, we saw all the people dressed up for different Eras.  That was really fun.  I love when you go to a concert and it’s more than just that.  It’s an overall event that everyone surrounding you seems to be participating in.  Restaurants had Taylor Swift themed drinks, they were playing her music, it was a really positive environment.  We met people from all over.  Those sitting around me had flown in from North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Chicago, and Wisconsin.  The majority of the people there were women, however, there were men there as well.  People of all ages attended as well.

The beginning of the show kicked off with a countdown that started at two minutes.  Once it hit ten seconds, we all counted down and when she first came onstage, people around me completely lost it.  I saw people break down sobbing, others just screaming.  I personally couldn’t stop smiling.

People have asked me in the last twenty-four hours why I went to this show.  Bear in mind, I like all types of music, but am mainly surrounded by people who are not really into pop.  The fact of the matter is that Taylor Swift is someone who was truly born to be a performer and musician.  You know how you see people in different industries and can just tell that’s what they are put on the Earth for?  That’s her.

She puts everything she has into every song, which is not easy.  This is actually why I can’t go to shows where someone just stands on a stage and sings and has no stage presence. People like Taylor Swift spoil me with really seriously amazing performances.

This whole concert just radiated positivity and love.  That is something that is very much needed right now.  Everyone was so respectful of one another.  People were handing out friendship bracelets, which was so fun.  People I didn’t even know gave me some, so I have that little memory to hold on to.  One thing that really amazed me was how respectful people were with their phones.  They held them up when she first came out.  After that, one would pop up every now and then, only to take it down as soon as they got their photo or quick video.  If there is one thing that ruins concerts for people, it’s when you pay for a great seat and then have to watch the show through someone’s phone.

I would recommend anyone that is given the chance to see her, do it.  Say what you will about the fans – every fanbase has fans that drive all of us crazy.  But Taylor does an incredible job that cannot be missed.