Josh McCann

It was a night of amazing ERAs at Acrisure Stadium. On a picturesque Saturday night in Pittsburgh, Taylor Swift showed us why she’s the biggest and best pop star on the planet. And the crazy part? She. Keeps. Getting. Better. This was the second night in a row she played the stadium. Where do I begin?! Even now, sitting here hours after the show, I’m still on a high from this concert experience. I don’t think any of us are coming down for a while! This show was incredible in so many ways. She played over three hours, including 46 songs! There’s a lot to unpack here. Let’s get to it.

Before the show you could feel the undeniable buzz in the air, as the parking lots became filled with 70,000 Swifties ready to have the time of their lives. It was a remarkable scene: merch trucks with lines that wrapped around the block, fans tailgating and playing a mix of Taylor songs, people sharing friendship bracelets, all of them dressed in their favorite ERA outfits. You could feel the energy from the start. And the show hadn’t even started. I mean, we weren’t even in the stadium yet!

The entire sold out crowd stood in anticipation for Taylor to hit the stage. The countdown clock appeared on the screen. The screams got louder and louder. This was it. When Taylor walked out the crowd erupted. She opened with “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince.” It was crazy to see this happening. I think everyone was thinking, “wow this is actually happening?!” She wore her gold colored bodysuit, walking down the gigantic runway, waving to the crowd.

This was followed by “Cruel Summer.” It’s one of her best, destined to become a Taylor classic. When the chorus hit, everyone in the stadium shouted out the lyrics, hands pointing to the stage. The Lover set also featured “You Need to Calm Down,” which had the entire crowd waving their arms back and forth in unison.

“Welcome to the ERA’s tour,” Swift said to the frenzied crowd. “I have a big smile on my face because I get to play in my home state of PA.”

She went on to say, “When you hear these songs I hope you think of the memories we make on a Saturday night,” before playing the opening chords to “Lover” on her acoustic guitar.

She told us a really crazy fact. We made history!

“You have broken the attendance record for any event in Pittsburgh ever!”

The crowd went wild. “This is the coolest thing ever for you to do to me on a Saturday night. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

The stage had a massive screen, with an 8-piece band playing on both ends of the stage. There was a very long runway that led to the middle of the floor, allowing Taylor to get close to the fans. During some of the songs, the middle of the runway would become a raised stage, giving everyone a good view of Taylor and her dancers. Then she’d walk all the way down to the end of the stage, very close to my seat, and I’d about pass out from the fact that she was right there!

Josh McCann

During this tour, she goes through each of her ERAs–it was interesting to see which album would be the next portion of the show. Up next was Fearless, which opened with the title track. Then came “You Belong with Me,” which has become a staple of her live show over the years. The energy in the crowd went up even higher (as if it couldn’t get any higher!). Yes, it can. It was a total singalong. Taylor walked down the runway, no guitar in hand, playing to the crowd, everyone losing it. I mean, just losing it. This was followed by “Love Story,” giving Fearless a solid set.

A really spectacular moment: the screens showed trees and a forest and you knew it was time for Evermore. Taylor sat at her piano, wearing a mustard dress. She looked back at the crowd behind her, her face on the giant screen. The stadium went ballistic. The roar of the crowd was unlike anything you’ve ever heard at a show. She wasn’t even playing the song yet. Just sitting there, casually waving to the crowd, the fans going crazy. It was something special. She played “Tis the damn season” followed by “Willow.” “Majorie” had the stadium holding up their phones, creating their own light show.

While at the piano, Taylor talked about how it’s been five years since she went on tour. She mentioned “Cruel Summer” and how she played it earlier in the show. When she wrote it, the song became a favorite of hers.

“Cruel Summer was my pride and joy,” she said. But it never became a single because of everything in 2020. Now fast forward three years later–Taylor tells the crowd it’s her official new single. Because of the fans loving it so much, from streaming to views. “It’s crazy, you’re the ones doing it,” she said.

There was also “Champagne Problems,” proving that the songs from Evermore are really great to hear live. This was the first tour that we finally got to hear them. After playing, Taylor looked back at the crowd, the crowd chanting “Taylor! Taylor! Taylor!”

“Its such a moment to sing Champagne Problems,” Swift told the crowd.

Taylor loved the energy from the crowd!

“You guys are doing things out there that are just as entertaining as anything on the stage. You are on a level. It’s just exceptional. Don’t stop, don’t stop.”

Josh McCann

The show went to the Reputation ERA. Yeah, this was amazing. Things got dark in the best way. The opening beat to “Ready for it?” played while Taylor stood at the top of the stage, wearing a black and red bodysuit. The lights flashed while she delivered an intense performance for the song. She followed that with “Delicate.” I looked behind me at all the glowing bracelets in the air. A girl next to me said, “I’m gonna cry.” You get all the emotions at a show like this. “Don’t blame me” had an awesome guitar solo, the night sky settled in over the stage. “Look What You Made Me Do” showed different versions of Taylor on the screen. Thirteen to be exact. The Speak Now ERA featured “Enchanted.”

If things couldn’t get any crazier, Taylor went into songs from her Red album. This was loaded with so many fantastic songs, all of which are huge favs when it comes to her live shows. “22” opened it up. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” was classic, especially when Taylor handed the mic to her backup singer and he said “like never,” the crowd having a good laugh. “I knew you were trouble” had everyone rocking out like never before, with smoke shooting out of the stage. The stadium was going crazy.

Josh McCann

“There’s a song I really wanna play for you off the Red album,” Swift said. “It’s about ten minutes.” Yes, it was time for “All Too Well.” Taylor played her black acoustic in the middle of the runway. Not a dry eye in the house. “I don’t have a voice anymore,” a girl next to me said.

Folklore had a strong amount of songs in the set. There was “the 1” and “Betty” and “The Last Great American Dynasty.”

“This entire album was very conceptual,” Taylor said. “I really wanted to do something different. ” She also talked about her love of songwriting.

“Songwriting is not really a job. It’s like a full coping mechanism. It’s the only way I know how to process anything,” Swift said.

After the intimate songs of Folklore, things got back to the dance side of things. We’re talking 1989. Swift had the stadium dancing to “style.” The momentum kept going with “Blank Space” (the fans really belted this one out). “Shake it off” was unreal, Taylor and her dancers moving to each end of the stage, the crowd shaking like never before. “Bad Blood” was incredible–there was fire shooting out of the stage! So much energy on that one. I took it all in and savored the moment.

Each show has surprise songs. “Seven” (with Aaron Dessner on piano) was a really cool moment, with Taylor dedicating it to all the dads out there.

“This is the acoustic portion,” she told the crowd. Then it was “the story of us,” a tour debut. She played it on acoustic a mere 20 feet away from me. Amazing!

The finale featured songs from Midnights. It was great to hear the most recent album live. In past tours Taylor likes to emphasize her new material at the end. It’s always great to see. “Lavender Haze” went into “Anti-hero.” She also did “Bejeweled.” The show ended with “Karma.” What a scene! Fireworks went off, confetti shot out of the stage, the fans yelled for more. Everyone in the crowd danced along, taking pics and videos, screaming for joy, Taylor taking a bow. It was everything and so much more.

“Pittsburgh thank you so much,” Swift said. “You’re the most beautiful city.”

#PittsburghTSTheErasTour #TaylorSwift #ErasTour #Pittsburgh #Taylor #Swift #TSTheErasTour #MusicBlog

Setlist

Miss Americana & The Hearbreak Prince

Cruel Summer

The Man

You Need to Calm Down

Lover

The Archer

Fearless

You Belong With Me

Love Story

’tis the damn season

willow

majorie

champagne problems

tolerate it

Ready for it?

Delicate

Don’t Blame Me

Look What You Made Me Do

Enchanted

22

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

I knew you were Trouble

All Too Well

the 1

betty

the last great American dynasty

august

my tears ricochet

illicit affairs

cardigan

Style

Blank Space

Shake it Off

Wildest Dreams

Bad Blood

seven

The Story of Us

Lavender Haze

Anit-Hero

Midnight Rain

Vigilante Shit

Bejeweled

Mastermind

Karma