Foxborough, May 20
Night two of the Eras Tour
There are few artists who would dare to put on a three-and-a-half-hour show in pouring rain and still manage to look flawless.
Night two at Gillette Stadium may just have earned the title of ‘The Rain Show.’ Interestingly, the original “rain show” took place over a decade ago, also at Gillette Stadium, during Taylor’s Speak Now tour.
As the rain started, the crowd braced for the worst, wondering if there would be a delay. However, the fans embraced the night, exchanging friendship bracelets and singing along to the openers, Gayle and Phoebe Bridgers. Surprisingly, the show went on as scheduled. When Taylor came out to perform her first song, “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince,” the rain didn’t dampen her spirit or hinder her performance. If anything, it seemed to energize her. It was truly impressive to see her give it her all despite the circumstances.
She brought the heat with her Reputation set, starting strong with “…Ready For It?” Even with buckets of water pouring down on her, she blew the stadium away with “Don’t Blame Me” and flawlessly transitioned into “Look What You Made Me Do.” During her Red set, she brought out Phoebe to sing their song “Nothing New,” and the crowd soaked in both the harmonies and the rain. One of the most memorable moments of the night was Taylor’s performance of the 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” with 70,000 fans singing along in the pouring rain. It’s a moment that will be etched in the memories of many from this tour.
After the high-energy 1989 set, Taylor switched gears for the acoustic portion of the night. Taylor customizes the two acoustic songs for each show, making it a tradition for fans to guess the chosen songs. While preparing the stage for this set, Taylor mentioned that this was the “rainiest rain show she had ever experienced” and expressed how happy she was in that moment, as if her life finally made sense.
Despite the rain intensifying, she powered through “Question…?” with incredible light and energy, even shaking off the water from her piano. Setting the stage for the next song, she said, ‘From my first album… I think I wrote this when I was 13 years old. It’s going to be interesting. The acoustic set is always a fun, sort of terrifying but exciting challenge for me… and in this situation, it feels like being in a water park. Like underwater.’ She thanked the crowd for their patience and began to sing “Invisible.”
Closing out the night, she performed hits from her newest album, Midnights, and flawlessly executed her famous routine for “Vigilante Shit” as if it was tailor-made for the rain. The night came to a grand finale with “Karma.”
From start to finish, Taylor Swift gave her all for those three and a half hours. As the rain continued and the weather cooled down, it didn’t deter the artist, her backup singers, or dancers. Everyone on that stage poured their heart and soul into the performance, delivering an amazing show. The stage crew also flawlessly executed the transitions between eras, ensuring each had a distinct set design.
With a total of 16 outfit changes, Taylor effortlessly navigated the quick transitions between eras. Watching her do all of this in the rain, with grace and poise, is truly remarkable. If you weren’t a ‘Swiftie’ when you arrived, you definitely left as one. The work ethic displayed by Taylor and her entire crew that night was exceptional, solidifying Taylor as the Queen of rain shows.”
https://videos.files.wordpress.com/g9Hu0EtG/taylor-swift-showzine.mp4
