Taylor Swift brings flawless theatrics, profound intimacy to Minneapolis

Taylor Swift performed at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday, June 23, 2023.Tony Nelson for MPR

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June 26, 2023

Situated in downtown Minneapolis, U.S. Bank Stadium is often a center for masculine aggression and fans ready to scream “Skol” when the Minnesota Vikings score. On Friday night, fans screamed passionate words — not for a sports team — but for the first artist to claim the entire Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: Taylor Swift.

For The Eras Tour, Swift broke 17 years of her career down into segments, each defined by the album, clothing aesthetics, and distinct musical identities associated with it. Since Swift’s last Minneapolis visit five years ago, the artist has added four albums to her discography — what she referred to as “our musical family.” Throughout the extravaganza, Swift’s emphasis on the joy of witnessing people relate to her music in person may explain why The Eras Tour is one of the most elaborate and calculated productions in recent history.

Swift executed the show flawlessly: Dancing in heels for almost three and a half hours and changing into 17 different outfits over the course of 44 songs, the audience never witnessed her taking a breath, missing a step, or fluctuating vocals. Gazing around all angles of the stadium and playing with inside jokes between herself and tens of thousands — like waiting for fans to insert the line, “One, two, three, let’s go bitch!” between verses of “Delicate” — the intimacy was almost indisputable. If Swift was faking her admiration and gratitude, she deserves an Oscar.

When Swift visits a city, you can’t go anywhere without hearing about it: Her ensuing presence is the opening small talk in Zoom meetings, the baristas’ chatter in the background, the TikTok algorithm planting Swiftie content in your feed, and local news outlets announcing that Metro Transit has extended light rail hours to accommodate the event.

Judging by the social discourse since tickets went on sale last November, Swift’s visit seems to have almost matched public anticipation when the city hosted the Super Bowl in 2018. Ticketmaster’s malfunction due to website traffic left many “verified fans” with presale code waiting for hours in queues. Some got the chance to purchase, and others didn’t. No tickets were sold to the general public. One week out from the show, tickets on resale websites started at $1,000, and prices quickly increased as seats progressed closer to the stage.

Beyond financial commitment, one way the 64,000 attendees communicated their infatuation was with thoughtful fashion from head to toe. Journeying back to Swift’s early country music days, the most prevalent aesthetics included cowboy boots and hats. Others fast-forwarded to don Swift’s more recent concert looks, like dresses with glittering frills and sequins. Many (mostly men) wore handmade T-shirts to match the 2008 “You Belong With Me” music video. Sitting behind me on the floor level of the stadium, a woman told me she planned her outfit — a seductive, sparkly black bodysuit to match the Reputation era — as soon as she secured tickets in November.

The most wholesome omnipresence was as an accessory; handmade, beaded bracelets, referencing the lyrics “Everything you lose is a step you take / So make the friendship bracelets / Take the moment and taste it” from Midnights’ “You’re On Your Own, Kid.” Before the show began, I saw a man trading bracelets with others. When I asked if he made them, he confirmed and handed me one. A moment later, a woman gave me another to match my outfit. The friendly interactions continued as I walked back to my seat, and a girl insisted I take her last bracelet, which said “karma is a cat,” lyrics from “Karma.”

Distance didn’t hold fans back. Walking toward downtown, I saw two seemingly confused girls at a bus stop and invited them to follow me across the Stone Arch Bridge. The duo had traveled from Nebraska and declared their $800 tickets a “good deal.”

Once inside the stadium, I asked a couple near the stage if they lived in town; they didn’t, flying in from Montana and planning to send photos to their three-year-old daughter. A person in the front row held a sign saying they drove from New Orleans.

Gracie Abrams in Minneapolis — Gracie Abrams opened for Taylor Swift at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday, June 23, 2023.
Tony Nelson for MPR

Swift’s list of star-studded openers, including Phoebe Bridgers, HAIM, and Paramore, also come from all across the country. Minneaoplis’ Friday stop featured Gracie Abrams and girl in red. Beginning the evening, rising pop-rock singer/songwriter Abrams, strummed an acoustic guitar for “Block Me Out” and resembled a young Swift during her tight 20-minute set.

Girl in Red in Minneapolis — Girl in Red opened for Taylor Swift at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday, June 23, 2023.
Tony Nelson for MPR

Next, girl in red’s Marie Ulven Ringheim amped up the chaotic energy and flailed limbs as she sang “You Stupid Bitch.” Referring to her Norwegian roots, she said, “I hear you guys like vikings here. I hope you like me, or I’ll kill you.”

Phones surged upward as soon as a clock counting down from two minutes appeared on the screens — one the length of the entire end zone, one on the opposite end of the venue, and one perpendicular to the main stage — fans could see regardless of their seats’ location. The sun still shone overhead as Swift emerged from the center of runway in a sparkly leotard to “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince.” After a few more Lover songs, she said, “I’ll be your host this evening. My name is Taylor.” The show continued in the order of Fearless, evermore, Reputation, Speak Now, Red, folklore, 1989, and finally the Midnights era.

Swift is the fifth artist to concurrently place 10 albums on the Billboard 100, and past work felt present amidst a sense of nostalgia. (She skipped her 2006 debut self-titled album). Performing songs written in her teenage years — which were too indelible to feel juvenile — seemed to pay homage to fans, inspiring them to recall their own nuanced identities when the albums first released.

The order of eras wasn’t chronological, instead thought-provoking with the set shifting emotional tones each time a new era began. The idealized affection on “Love Story” proceeded into regret on “‘tis the damn season.” The feelings of rejection on “tolerate it” stumbled into malicious intent on “...Ready For It?” And the bitterness on “Look What You Made Me Do” disintegrated when the innocence of “Enchanted” began.

Every show on The Eras Tour includes two “surprise songs” which Swift has never before performed live. Before Friday, Reddit was ablaze with the hypothesis that she would welcome Wisconsin-based Justin Vernon of Bon Iver onstage to play his feature on folklore: “exile.” He didn’t make an appearance. Instead, the artist debuted “Paper Rings” and “If This Was A Movie.”

Taylor Swift wears black sequins with several dancers. — Taylor Swift performed at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday, June 23, 2023.
Tony Nelson for MPR

Swift’s fans — many of whom studied the setlist beforehand — didn’t need to be prompted to sing the catchiest choruses; they sang along not only with every chorus, but with every word. The dedication was most apparent during the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” when tears rolled down faces while screaming, “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest.”

An abundance of theatrical stage props and screen visuals accompanied Swift’s sometimes poignant, oft-blissful lyricism all night. She frequently traded one bedazzled microphone for another, and once grabbed a glow-up golf club to pretend to smash an on-screen car for “Blank Space,” like in the music video. During “The Archer,” smoke burst upward from the stage while sparks floated to the floor. For evermore, screen graphics placed Swift in a mystical forest, and for folklore, a mossy cabin roof with a steaming chimney held her body as she sang stories about fictional characters. 1989’s “Bad Blood” ended with fire erupting from high pedestals around the stage, sending waves of intense heat onto the crowd, at least on the floor level.

A group of 14 backup dancers often followed Swift to strut across the runway that connected three stages. They affectionately danced for “Lover,” leapt in the air for “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and joined Swift to seductively pose on chairs for “Vigilante Sh*t” while the artist sang, “Lately, I've been dressin' for revenge.”

Carrying the crowd back to the present moment, Swift ended with the Midnights era. During the final track, “Karma,” confetti and fireworks exploded as Swift and the dancers bowed heads and beamed. The Eras Tour can be defined by these words from “Karma”: “Ask me what I learned from all those years / Ask me what I earned from all those tears / Ask me why so many fade, but I'm still here.” More than half of her lifetime in the global spotlight is delineated by distinct public personas, she’s earned dedicated fans clearly awaiting the next era, and it’s impossible to imagine Swift fading anytime soon.

Heading out of the stadium’s tightly packed crowd, people collected glitter off the floor and with raspy voices, planned their trips home. Once outside, some replaced cowboy boots with sneakers, and stuck in inescapable traffic, a car rolled its windows down to blast a “Love Story” remix.

The following day, I texted an acquaintance who attended, curious to hear their perspective. They responded: “My thoughts can best be summarized by the following Gwenyth Paltrow quote: ‘I laughed. I cried a number of times. I sweat. I danced. I got a shot. We ate. And I had many epiphanies.’”

Taylor Swift