It’s been a long time coming: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ takes Gillette
May 22, 2023
Seventy thousand fans traveled to “Foxy Foxborough” Friday, May 19 to see Taylor Swift for the opening night of a three-night stay at Gillette Stadium for “The Eras Tour.” After surviving the great war with Ticketmaster—and with Route 1—Swifties made their way inside the sold-out stadium and were taken through the various eras of Swift’s albums.
The show opened with performances by artists Gayle and Phoebe Bridgers. Fans enjoyed their sets while they found their way to their seats or waited in merch lines for the highly coveted blue crewneck. When the “Midnights”-esque countdown clock appeared on the screen behind the stage, everyone rushed back, ecstatic for the main event to start.
Swift opened the show in her “Lover” era with a mashup of songs “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” and “Cruel Summer.” The crowd went wild as Swift appeared in a bedazzled bodysuit, with giant silk fans entering alongside her.
“Gillette Stadium is the most joyful place on the earth,” Swift said in her introduction, sharing her love for the venue. Swift and Gillette Stadium go way back, with Gillette being the location of her first-ever stadium show in 2010 during the “Fearless” tour.
After finishing up her “Lover” set, Swift transitioned into the “Fearless” era, singing the album’s titular song as well as “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story,” all the while fans shouted every single word.
Swift then changed to her “evermore” era, singing “tis’ the damn season” as the stage sprouted a forestry scene. With the performance of “willow,” Swift and her crew gave a theatrical performance, twirling around in their witchy capes and tossing balls of light in a cultish fashion. Swift went on to sing “marjorie,” a song written about her late grandmother. She teared up as the whole stadium lit up with swaying phone lights. “That was really stunning of you to do that,” she said to her fans.
Swift had another touching moment with the crowd during the “evermore” set, with fans non-stop cheering as she finished “champagne problems.” A solid three minutes went by before Swift spoke up. “That was so loud and for so long,” she said in amazement. “You’ve always been awesome, but you’ve never done that before.”
In a dramatic tone shift, the “reputation” era began; however, the fans were indeed ready for it. In her sparkly red snake jumpsuit, Swift sang “Ready For It,” “Delicate,” “Don’t Blame Me” and “Look What You Made Me Do.” With great flashing lights, the “reputation” set created a beacon of light coming out of the stadium, reminding UMass Boston students of their beloved mascot.
Swift quickly changed into the “Speak Now” era, coming out in a stunning purple gown to sing “Enchanted” before going into the “Red” era. Swift sang “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble” before she welcomed back on stage opener Phoebe Bridgers. The pair sang “Nothing New,” a song from the rereleased Taylor’s Version of the “Red” album.
Swift then went on to sing the infamous ten-minute version of “All Too Well.” Fans went wild as they shouted along to every single word. After, the crowd collectively took a bit of a breather while Swift prepared for her next era: “folklore.”
Atop the woodsy cabin of her dreams, Swift sang “the 1” followed by songs such as “betty” and “cardigan.” In a heart-wrenching medley, Swift performed “august,” “illicit affairs” and “my tears ricochet,” a performance that brought her to the ground.
Up next was the poppy “1989” era, contrasting “folklore” with beloved hits “Style,” “Blank Space,” “Shake it Off,” “Wildest Dreams” and “Bad Blood.” Then came the long-awaited surprise songs.
At each show, Swift sings two songs not included in her usual setlist. For the first surprise song, Swift sang “Should’ve Said No” from her debut album. The crowd seemed very happy with her choice as they thrashed their heads to the song. The second surprise song, “Better Man,” was written by Swift but originally recorded by the country group Little Big Town. Swift released her own version of the song on the rereleased “Red” album.
Last but not least came the “Midnights” era, with songs from the artist’s latest album released last October. Swift shimmered across the stage performing songs such as “Lavender Haze” and “Bejeweled.” She closed the show out with “Karma,” saying her goodbyes to the crowd as confetti rained down on them.
As those lucky enough to get tickets to see “the loudest woman Foxborough has ever seen” know, “The Eras Tour” is truly one for the ages. One student, Amber Mulvey, shared her thoughts on the concert. “It was such a surreal experience,” she said. “[Swift] is so talented, and the production was incredible.”
With intricate costumes, set design and the incredible performance from Swift and her entire crew, the show is incomparable to any other concert. It is hard to imagine any other artist who could draw so many fans and keep them singing along to every word for a three-hour set—even in the pouring rain, as seen on the following night’s show. Despite the monsoon, the crowd still showed and danced their night away as Gillette turned into somewhat of a waterpark, just like they did 12 years ago during Swift’s first rain show at the “Speak Now” tour.
Swift wrapped up her three-night stay at Gillette Stadium Sunday, May 21. The crowds at Foxborough will surely remember all the moments and feelings from such a fantastic show.
