CAMMIE BAGLEY
Athens/Living Editor
As the 56,000 fans that attended Taylor Swift’s 1989 world tour on Sat., Oct. 24, entered the Georgia Dome, excitement filled the air of the venue. Questions such as what would Swift sing, what would she wear and, most importantly, who would her special guest star be were swarming around the dome.
As fans approached their seats, they found white, rubber bracelets taped to their chairs. The bracelet was a gift from Swift to all of her fans, and it was synced with the music. Throughout the show, it lit up in correlation with her songs and filled the Dome with all kinds of color. This made for a very special, interactive experience between Swift and the crowd. Later, she told the crowd that, because of the bracelets, she could see every fan in the dome, no matter how far back he or she was sitting.
To kick off the night, Shawn Mendez took the stage to perform an opening act. Following him was Vance Joy. The crowd was hyped for both of these artists as they prepared for the main event.
Once the opening acts were finished, the anticipation throughout the Dome began to intensify. As the lights dimmed as an indication that Swift would soon take the stage, the crowd went wild. She came on stage wearing sunglasses with a mini skirt and silver jacket, looking like a teen straight out of the 1980s.
Swift opened with her song, “Welcome to New York,” complete with flashing lights, dancers and a booming loud room of fans singing along with her. She continued to sing a few songs from the 1989 album and then gave a speech. She gave thanks to the people of Atlanta for being so welcoming and for making the city feel like her home, along with some background information on the 1989 album and then some encouraging words for her fans.
Before she sang her song, “Fifteen,” she discussed how great she believes the age of technology can be but, also, how detrimental it can be when used the wrong way.
“These days we have a lot of people telling us what’s cool, what’s beautiful and how we should act,” Swift said. “And, a lot of the time, the message that we get fed is that what’s cool is to be bored and unaffected and unexcitable and unmoved by life, even if your life is giving you a happy moment to be excited about. And I just wanted to tell you that I’m so happy that I’m not seeing that attitude here tonight. The thing that I think is better than being cool and chill is being happy, and that’s what I’m seeing a lot of tonight.”
After her speech, she went on to sing a couple of her older songs, including “I Knew You were Trouble,” “Love Story,” “Enchanted,” “Fifteen” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” However, instead of singing the traditional versions of these older songs, she remixed them into other songs or gave them a different beat and feel. For example, traditionally, “I Knew You Were Trouble” is a fast-paced, pop-style song. But for this show, she turned it more into a rock and roll song.
For those who don’t know, as a special feature of every single show that Swift has done for the 1989 tour, she has brought a special guest to each city. Mid-way through the Atlanta show, she announced that since the crowd had been so loud and interactive, that it was time to bring out a guest. Moments after she announced the guest appearance, Swedish artist, Tove Lo, took the stage. She and Swift sang Tove Lo’s hit single, “Bodies.”
As the night began to wind down, Swift sang “Out of the Woods” and then finished the show with “Shake It Off,” which was quite literally a huge dance party throughout the dome. The stage was full of dancers and Swift shaking it off herself, which encouraged the crowd to go wild as well. She then thanked Atlanta once more for welcoming her and then the show ended with a quote on the screen that said, “She lost him but found herself. And that was everything.”
This concert was one for the books. Swift had her fans engaged and involved throughout the entire show. The crowd sang along to every song, and the bracelets were a great feature that brought all of the fans together. Swift’s stop in Atlanta for the 1989 World Tour was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that everyone who attended will surely never forget.