Taylor Swift - Denver Concert Photos - Eras Tour Mile High Stadium

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in Denver, Night One – Large Photo Gallery

Posted on July 16, 2023
by Aimee

I have always liked Taylor Swift. She has a gorgeous voice and is very talented. But I never understood the *hype* until I stepped into Mile High Stadium for night one of The Eras Tour stop in Denver. All around me were people, mostly young ladies, filled with sparkles and excitement – ready to trade friendship bracelets before their heroine took the stage. A good pal who was there early too (and happens to be a gay man) said to me, “That’s the thing about Taylor – her crowd is full of love, for everyone.”

Openers Gracie Abrams and MUNA were wonderful and built the emotion towards the main event. Personally, I admire the care that Taylor has taken in choosing female-led acts as her openers on this tour. We all rise by lifting others up, right?

And I have to admit, I marveled at pretty much everything. The huge screen with incredible visuals, the LED wristbands that created waves of light throughout the stadium, the A+ choreography, the dazzling wardrobe changes… all of it.

The heart, of course, is Taylor herself.

The show is an insane three and half hours long and she didn’t complain about the altitude once (a common issue for performers here in Colorado). In fact, several times she talked about how special the Denver show was to her – and how she could hear all 70,000 of us, that we were the “most bouncy crowd imaginable.” The noise that Mile High Stadium makes is legendary (ask any Broncos fan), but indeed Swifties (the affectionate term for Taylor Swift fans) were louder than I have ever heard during any game day.

The set list (below the photo gallery) spanned Taylor’s career, including several songs from each album, thus the “Eras Tour” moniker. She talked about how the pandemic played a part in the back-to-back release of the last few albums, and how much it meant to her to finally be able to share all that material live. Ain’t gonna lie, I teared up listening to her on several occasions. And laughed when she jokingly got angry at her hair for getting all over her face, as the winds whipped up into the evening. Sometimes you see the superstar, and you forget they are real people too.

Taylor Swift’s music has undeniably touched the hearts of millions worldwide. From her humble beginnings as a country music prodigy to her evolution into a global pop sensation, her songs have chronicled tales of love, heartbreak, and growth. Each album represents a chapter in her life, connecting with fans on a deeply personal level. Swifties often find solace in her lyrics, as if Taylor herself speaks directly to them, understanding their joys and struggles.

At a Taylor Swift concert, strangers become friends, and friends become family. The sense of community is palpable, and the connection with fellow fans feels like a homecoming. Case in point, the friend I mentioned above traveled to Arizona for opening night of the Eras Tour and then ran into a friend he made there at the Denver concert. They both seemed shocked by it, but after hearing story after story in preparation for attending this show, I am not surprised at all.

As I witnessed the hugs and laughter – before, during, and after the show – I could sense something that was well beyond music. It was like watching empowerment in real time. But not the kind that pushes women into male standards. Taylor, and in turn her Swifties, are ready to be who they want, on their own terms, and make their own rules. That, my friends, is why people are obsessed.

I completely get it now.