I went to three Taylor Swift concerts in 72 hours, and it was completely, utterly worth it

Leaving MetLife Stadium in 2015, after the second of two Taylor Swift exhibits I attended throughout her “1989” tour, I had just one thought on my thoughts: If Taylor had been enjoying a 3rd night time, I’d be there with bells on. That’s how I discovered myself with tickets to the total trio of Taylor’s “Repute” tour dates on the similar stadium three years later. After charges, I forked over almost $600 to see my longtime pop idol grace the identical stage for three consecutive nights. (For comparability, a general-admission go to Coachella prices $429.) So earlier this month, I set out for three days’ worth of track, snakes and Swift — however by no means may anticipated how the story would finish. Right here’s how it all went down. Friday 5:05: I depart work early with my colleague Chelsea, who’s additionally acquired tickets for tonight’s present. It’s my aim to arrive earlier than Charli XCX — Taylor’s first opening act and one other one in every of my favourite artists — goes on. 5:30: Penn Station is sweltering, and jam-packed with Swifties in Taylor-themed costumes. I spy a few “Shake It Off” ballerinas and quite a lot of followers in literal snake getups. We board a crowded practice to MetLife Stadium. (Welcome to New York — it’s been ready for you.) 7:10: Made it! I discover my strategically chosen seat proper subsequent to the primary of Taylor’s two B-stages, and Charli begins her set. 7:50: Second opener Camila Cabello is up. Whereas dancing to “Havana,” I befriend the concert-goer on my left. She asks whether or not that is my first “Repute” present. Sure, I inform her, however I’m going all to all three of this weekend’s dates. “Me too,” she replies, “however I’ve already seen it in two different cities.” My three-show streak all of the sudden appears tame in comparability. 8:30: Camila finishes her set and I sprint off to purchase a scorching canine, which I wolf down whereas huddled in a nook alone. Stylish! 8:50: IT’S TAYLOR TIME!!! The stadium goes darkish, and the opening strains of “…Prepared For It?” echo round me. I am, certainly, prepared for it. Enter Taylor.Getty Photos for TAS 8:51: I was most undoubtedly not prepared for it. I’min hazard of dropping my voice on night time one, screaming the lyrics on the high of my lungs. 8:55: Up subsequent is “I Did One thing Dangerous,” one in every of my favorites from “Repute.” The stay staging contains each fireworks and flames, that are exactly employed to match the track’s beat. 9:00: “I grew up going to the Jersey Shore each single summer season!” Taylor exclaims, which is information to me at the same time as a megafan. Name her TayWoww. 9:15: The stage goes darkish as soon as once more, and a video performs that I’ll name “American Horror Story: Taylor Swift.” Plenty of bounce cuts, scratchy movie, shadows — and, in fact, snakes galore. I really feel like Ryan Murphy and Taylor would actually hit it off. 9:30: Throughout her efficiency of “Delicate,” Taylor soars over to the primary B-stage by way of a suspended carriage wrapped in twinkly lights. She’s carrying a good looking beaded blue-and-red costume that she’ll later evaluate to a Tide Pod on Instagram. Charli XCX, Camila Cabello and Taylor Swift onstage.Getty Photos for TAS 9:35: Taylor brings Charli XCX and Camila Cabello again out for “Shake It Off” — mere ft away from the place I’m standing. I shriek-sing alongside, snapping iPhone pictures like a madwoman as confetti rains down. I can’t imagine how shut I am! At one level, I swear Taylor winks at me. 9:55: Followers are packed like sardines on both facet of the barricaded path Taylor will cross to transfer between her two B-stages. As she runs by means of the group, Taylor grasps — not simply high-fives! — the hand of each individual she presumably can. 10:05: After singing “Clean Area” and “Costume,” Taylor boards a second flying carriage — this one formed like a snake’s skeleton — again to the primary stage, performing “Dangerous Blood” in midair. She blends the monitor with “Ought to’ve Stated No,” a track from her 2006 debut album, and followers of “nation Taylor” lose their minds. 10:20: Taylor mashes up her 2010 monitor “Lengthy Stay” with “Repute” piano ballad “New 12 months’s Day,” however momentarily flubs the opening of the latter. “Piano is difficult,” she says, beginning over. It’s a consolation to know that even Taylor Swift makes errors generally. 11:00: That’s a wrap on night time one! Throughout the New Jersey Transit experience dwelling, our total automotive breaks into an impromptu singalong. I’m nearly too exhausted to be part of in. Nearly. Saturday 7:00: My boyfriend Ryan and I arrive at MetLife for Taylor Take Two. It’s the primary time he’ll have ever seen her stay — a incontrovertible fact that none of my pals or household, all of whom know the way significantly I take my Swiftie standing, can fairly imagine. 7:15: Tonight’s forecast contains rain, and a number of it. The primary few drops begin falling throughout Charli XCX’s set, and everybody whips out their plastic ponchos. 8:30: After each openers’ units, we seize pizza and a tender pretzel from a concessions stand, and try to eat whereas leaning in opposition to a wall. Ryan promptly drops his total $20 meal on the bottom; we shake it off and replenish on beers as a substitute. 8:38: The drizzle outdoors has become a full-on downpour. 8:50: BABY, LET THE GAMES BEGIN. 9:10: “You understand your actual pals will present up for you rain or shine,” Taylor tells us. “And that’s the reason, no matter what occurs tonight, this crowd to me is completely sacred.” The stadium roars its approval. 9:18: Ryan, who at this level is 2 beers deep and has the hood of his rain jacket pulled as tightly round his face as it’ll go, leaves to use the restroom throughout “Look What You Made Me Do.” In doing so, he misses out on each seeing a 50-foot inflatable cobra dramatically rise from the stage and Tiffany Haddish delivering the track’s line in regards to the “outdated Taylor” being lifeless. Time these toilet breaks, individuals! 9:48: At each cease on her “Repute” tour, Taylor has carried out a shock track on the primary B-stage. Tonight’s is the aptly chosen “Fearless.” Certainly, when it comes to making you need to dance in a storm in your greatest costume — or a $2.50 plastic emergency poncho from Duane Reade — there’s actually no one like Taylor Swift. 10:05: Ryan could be very impressed by Taylor’s flying snake-skeleton carriage, and desires everybody to know it. 10:15: Now he’s happening a Google rabbit gap attempting to work out the mechanics behind the tour’s synchronized light-up bracelets, which each and every fan receives upon check-in. 10:30: Taylor introduces “Getaway Automotive” with a good looking quick movie set in a salt desert, which I’m moderately-to-extremely assured can be a teaser for the monitor’s forthcoming full music video. You heard it right here first, pals. 10:50: She did it: Taylor carried out her full two-plus-hour present, regardless of the torrential downpour. “WELL?!” I ask Ryan as we make our method out of the stadium. “It had its moments,” he says with a smile and a shrug. I briefly contemplate breaking apart with him, however suspect he had extra enjoyable than he’s keen to admit. Sunday 8:00 a.m.: I get up, examine my electronic mail and freeze. There’s a message from Taylor’s publicist — whom I’d emailed months in the past mentioning how excited I was for her weekend of exhibits — asking if I can present up a couple of hours early to tonight’s efficiency. Realizing that this implies a meet-and-greet alternative, I burst into tears, waking Ryan from his peaceable slumber. “I’M MEETHING THAYLOR THWIFT!” I scream-sputter by means of my nightguard. 2:00: I begin my pre-concert prep: bathe, hair, nails, outfit. If I’m going to meet my idol, I’d higher look my greatest. I determine on some velvet shorts impressed by Taylor’s “Saturday Night time Stay” efficiency look, together with a mesh tank high and each of the snake rings I purchased from Taylor’s on-line merch retailer when “Repute” first got here out. 5:45: It’s pouring by the point my pal Liza and I arrive on the designated assembly spot, and so humid that my bangs have reached DJ Tanner proportions. I’m too excited to care. 6:00: We’re escorted again to Taylor’s “Rep Room,” the place refreshments and snake-themed décor await. She’s acquired Outdated Fashioneds on faucet (a nod to the “Getaway Automotive” lyric,“I knew it from the primary Outdated Normal we had been cursed”) and a large ice bucket of beers (in the track “King of My Coronary heart,” she sings about “ingesting beer out of plastic cups”). A-plus consideration to element, that Taylor. 6:30: After almost a decade of fandom, it’s lastly time for me to meet my hero. Taylor greets me with an enormous hug, and I promptly black out. We discuss for nearly 10 minutes about . . . one thing? Vogue? Music? It’s a blur. She’s extremely good. When it’s time for our photograph op collectively, she grabs each of my palms, interlocking her fingers with mine. My soul promptly exits my physique. 8:50: ARE YOU READY FOR IT? 9:05: Taylor mashes up her “1989” single “Fashion” with “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me,” two hits from her earlier albums. Liza, who grew up in Nashville and is completely Staff Nation Taylor, is leaping up and down like a maniac. Swift throws again to her nation roots.Getty Photos for TAS 9:50: Shock track time! Taylor picks the “Communicate Now” favourite “Enchanted.” Have you ever ever witnessed 60,000 individuals singing “This night time is glowing, don’t you let it go” in unison? It’s fairly rattling enchanting. 9:55: Liza and I dash from our seats to Taylor’s second B-stage, the place she serenades the group with “Clean Area” and “Costume.” I’m as shut to her as I was on night time one — although not as shut as I was only a few hours prior (!!!). Even in my residual state of shock, I handle to snap a couple of pictures for posterity. 10:15: I’m jamming out as Taylor performs my favourite track from “Repute,” the gospel-inspired and highly-underrated “Don’t Blame Me.” It’s even higher stay, if that’s doable. 10:45: Since that is my third and closing go-around, I know precisely when to begin making my method out of the stadium in order to beat the crowds to the practice. The second Taylor thanks everybody on the finish of her “We Are By no means Ever Getting Again Collectively/This Is Why We Can’t Have Good Issues” mashup, Liza and I are headed for the exit — and my Swiftdrawal has already begun. 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