DETROIT - The frenzy was real and the hype was legit as Taylor Swift delivered one of the most epic and awe-inspiring concerts the state of Michigan has ever seen at her first of two concerts at Ford Field in downtown Detroit on Friday, June 9.
Every other “Swiftie” you talked to at the show traveled far and wide from a different state. It was as if the Super Bowl was in town as people lined the streets of downtown hours before the doors to Ford Field even opened. Thousands even waited hours to buy “The Eras Tour” merchandise when it went on sale the day before the show. Indeed, the frenzy was real and it was spectacular.
Swift took the stage at 7:56 p.m. and performed a mammoth 44 songs in three hours, 15 minutes. This wasn’t just a concert. It was a grandios journey through the entire career of one of the most famed music artists in music history.
Each stage of Swift’s career was showcased, starting with 2019′s “Lover,” followed by “Fearless,” “Evermore,” “Reputation,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “Folklore,” “1989″ and “Midnights.” Each had their own sets, themes and costumes as if they were their own separate productions.
And there was no rushing through any of the songs. Swift performed almost all 44 of them in their entirety with just a few shortened versions along the way.
The scene at Ford Field for Taylor Swift's first of two "The Eras Tour" concerts on Friday, June 9, 2023. (Photo by Edward Pevos | MLive)
The tears of fans were real as the excitement and emotion overcame some as they heard one song after another which has touched their lives in some way and brought back all kinds of memories. And no matter what song Swift performed, it seemed like every single one of the tens of thousands of fans knew every word no matter if the song was a hit or not.
Swift was accompanied by a full band, backup singers (not counting the fans) and dancers. And as at previous Swift concerts, all fans were given a wrist band which lit up with different colors in different ways depending on what song it was. Seeing tens of thousands of lights in the crowd added to the already magical ambiance.
Tickets to this tour have been perhaps the most difficult and priciest of any concert tour we’ve ever seen and Swift is not oblivious to that. She acknowledged how thankful she is to her fans not only in words, but in her performance, delivering what felt like multiple shows in one making for one of the most memorable nights any concertgoer will ever have, now, then, or in any era.
MORE TAYLOR SWIFT IN DETROIT:
Taylor Swift recalls performing at a Lions game Dan Campbell actually played in
Taylor Swift’s 2 surprise songs and entire setlist at night 1 in Detroit
All of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” merch you can find at her Ford Field concerts
Our favorite photos from Taylor Swift’s first night in Detroit
Fans line up outside Ford Field for first night of Taylor Swift concerts
See the mass of humanity in line for Taylor Swift tour merchandise a day early in Detroit