On Friday April 21, Taylor Swift was set to play at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas for night one. Presale codes had been sent out to 1.5 million fans and I just happened to get lucky. During the great Ticketmaster war, I was able to get two tickets to the Houston show, scoring the nosebleed section. I was scheduled to arrive in Houston on Thursday night, giving us time to prepare for the concert on Friday. 

The front of the stadium had opened at 10 a.m., allowing those who got past security to purchase merchandise. The merch truck outside the venue and two tents allowed fans who did not get a chance to get tickets the opportunity to get merchandise as long as they passed security checks. The doors were set to open at 4:30 p.m. inside NRG stadium. After we had our tickets checked, we found our floor. The merchandise on our floor had no line yet, so I was able to go right through. Before we looked at any food or beverages, we wanted to see our seats so we knew where we would be going. 

Inside the stadium there were multiple bars, concessions, drink stands, and merchandise tents. A few of the bars offered an exclusive cup reference to Taylor Swift; a multi-colored mirrorball (disco ball). Due to the high number of stands at the venue, none of the lines were bad, or too long. We gave ourselves plenty of time to look around before the openers came on at 6:30 p.m. For my concert, Gracie Abrams and Beabadoobee were the openers. It is not something you want to miss. All of Swift’s picks for openers feature artists she likes and most have a similar style to her own music. If you are looking to expand your music, I would highly recommend getting there to hear the openers perform. 

If that is not your style, then I would suggest arriving around 7:15-7:30 p.m. Swift starts performing at 8. She opens the show with a mix of her album titles through the Eras. I’ve been to a few concerts and I would definitely argue that The Eras Tour has the best opening I have seen. The first song she plays comes off of her “Lover” Era; “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” In her opening, she sings the lyrics of, “It’s been a long time coming.” This line is a reference to the harsh realities that artists faced with COVID isolation. During the “evermore” Era, Swift spoke out about the loneliness of feeling like she may never get to perform for an audience again amidst the pandemic. As she takes us through the eras, she sings songs from “Lover,” “Fearless,” “evermore,” “Reputation,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “folklore,” “1989,” and “Midnights.”

During her latest album “Midnights,” Swift has focused a lot on imagery. The music videos are filled with colors and emotion. The tour was the same, every song had a feeling. With props and technology, the imagery of the concert was amazing. The whole show was very visual and fun to watch. Swift and her team got very creative with the set. 

The whole concert was a great experience. No matter where you are sitting, you will still be able to enjoy the show. Swift even gives out light-up bracelets to ensure she can see fans at the highest seats of the venue. The concert had great vibes and was one of the most fun things I’ve done. If you have a chance to buy tickets as prices drop closer to your show, I would say it is definitely worth it.