Taylor Swift has had many memorable performances throughout her career, but none are as impressive as her Eras Tour. It’s receiving an onslaught of buzz for a reason. The tour is a shining testament to her unparalleled stage presence and innate ability to connect with her fans on a personal level—despite there being 70,000ish of them at every show. Below, find five of our favorite moments from the tour that highlight what makes it so special.
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1. Her grand entrance
By now, clips of every second of the Eras Tour are readily found online. But, when the tour kicked off, we were blown away by Swift’s surprise entrance to the stage. The atmospheric medley of her biggest hits paired with the ethereal rainbow props was a show-stopper and the pose she struck when she was finally revealed to the audience, more than warranted the screams that followed. Swift knows how to kick off a show with a bang. Few tour openings in recent memory are as memorable as hers.
2. Playing through the rain
Swift has performed through many storms while on her Eras Tour. Each and every time she does so, we can’t help but look on in awe. Many musicians would immediately call off a show for the torrential downpours that Swift seems to not just muddle through, but thrive in. The rain adds a layer of dramatization to Swift’s career-spanning set. Moreover, it’s a testament to her dedication as a performer.
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3. Performing a 10-minute song every show
Singing for 10 minutes straight seems like a measly task when you’re performing for three hours, nevertheless, we tip our hats to Swift for performing the extended version of “All Too Well” every night. It’s not easy to sing such a powerful song for that amount of time—trust us, we’ve attempted it. Our karaoke session to this song leaves us with hoarse voices. We can’t imagine what it is like to have to a) sound good while singing it and b) do it three nights a week.
4. Playing deep cuts perfectly during her surprise song section
Now, we know Swift likely does a rehearsal of whatever songs she chooses to dust off for her surprise song section each show, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t highlight the fact that they sound as good as the songs she plays every night. Muscle memory is a real thing as a performer and Swift has the breadth of her setlist engrained in her bones by now. But adding two curveballs every night is not something just any performer would do. She’s only had a couple of slip-ups the entire tour. It’s truly commendable how flexible she is as a performer.
5. Ending on a high note with “Karma”
Despite having performed non-stop for three hours, Swift brings all of her energy to the final song on the tour’s setlist, “Karma.” Save for her recent scorching shows in South America, she rarely breaks a sweat. She makes performing a show of this size look like easy work, which is never more evident than it is in “Karma.” She powers through the finale with a marked edge.
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
