Taylor Swift: Come As Your Fav Taylor

Taylor Swift w/ Vance Joy and Shawn Mendes
CenturyLink, Seattle, WA
08.08.15

It has been two years since Taylor Swift last visited the Pacific Northwest. Then, twenty thousand screaming fans packed into the Tacoma Dome to hear Swift belt out her new hits off her then recent Red album. Having retired Red and put out a new album in an entirely different genre, Swift filled CenturyLink Field with 60,000 of her biggest fans in the PNW on Saturday night. She gave a performance to remember and the show of a lifetime. I’m still mesmerized. I’m also just a touch saddened that we likely won’t get a Taylor fix for another couple of years.

Some things were typical of just about any other large show. You didn’t have to look far to find homemade signs and even more handmade, customized shirts. But what was truly unique was the sheer number of Swifties, of all ages, who wore what I want to call the many different genres of Taylor. It was like attending a Halloween party that was themed “Come as your fav Taylor” (is this a great idea? Am I maybe on to something?). You could almost identify each style with an album. There were Enchanted Swifties: cowgirl boots, frilly dresses, flower headbands; Red Swifties: black and white outfits, fedoras, shirts from her previous Tacoma Dome tour. But, the 1989 Swifties were my absolute favorite. Oh, the range. From customized TS cheerleader uniforms, to white ballet swans, to sassy pleather pants – this was people watching at its prime, my friends. And there was one thing that tied just about everyone together: that red lipstick.

Now, down to the show… “Welcome to New York” kicked the night off with an excitement level so high that I thought there was no way Swift could maintain that energy throughout the entire show. I was wrong. She rocked just about every song from 1989. She surprised the crowd with a badass version of “I Knew You Were Trouble,” complete with shooting steam, background dancers, and a threatening dance with the mic stand. Swift thanked all of her Taylor Nation fans in the crowd for their continued support over the years, filled with all of her genre changes. To show her appreciation, she shared some old favorites, too. She rewrote the background music of “Love Story” to coincide with the style of the 1989 Tour. As if that wasn’t enough, she played it on keyboard on an elevated, rotating stage.

And of course, a Taylor Swift show wouldn’t be complete without guest appearances from her close friends. Swift welcomed Fetty Wap to the stage for a surprise duet performance. She also brought out singer Ciara and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. I have never heard the CLink so loud.

Swift also sprinkled some pretty genuine dialogue into her set. She offered heartfelt, best-friend-advice as if she was talking to each person in the crowd on an individual basis over coffee. Quick synopsis: we should be more kind to everyone, including ourselves. We all deserve the very best in our relationships. We all make mistakes, and we should learn from them to make ourselves better. Swift’s smile had us captivated. Her hits had us dancing along. The dynamic, ever-changing performance had us truly feeling like there was no better place in that moment than to be sharing a Saturday night with her.

Until next time, Swift.

Taylor Swift Set List:

Welcome to New York
New Romantics
Blank Space
I Knew You Were Trouble
I Wish You Would
How You Get the Girl
I Know Places
All You Had To Do Was Stay
Trap Queen (Fetty Wap cover, w/ Fetty Wap)
Mean
Clean
Love Story
Style (Russell Wilson and Ciara walk runway)
Bad Blood
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Wildest Dreams (samples from Enchanted)
Out of the Woods
Shake It Off