Review: Taylor Swift shakes Acrisure with a show for the ages

There’s no one else who can make Acrisure Stadium shake quite so hard as Taylor Swift did Friday night for the first of two Pittsburgh shows on her nationwide Eras Tour.

The reviews from other tour stops were indeed true: Swift’s concert is a multihour (3½ hours on Friday) adven­ture.

Swift employed elaborate outfits ranging from someone’s father, dressing as “The Man” (referencing Swift’s song of the same name) in a full suit and tie, to a girl dressed as a car, paying homage to Swift’s song “Getaway Car” from her 2017 “Reputation” album.

There were more sequins and hair and eye crystals than one could count, and all the outfits survived a preshow downpour.

More than 70,000 fans in the stadium and thousands more dancing outside were greeted with her 2019 album, “Lover.” It felt appropriate to begin with the album that almost was titled “Loverfest,” a worldwide tour canceled by the pandemic.

Taylor’s Eras offered something for everyone, beginning with the “Lover” era. Highlights included the bop “Cruel Summer” and, of course, “Lover” the song, complete with backup ballroom dancers. The romantic vibes were the perfect songs to pull fans into the concert, with the heady feel of a new relationship.

The show moved into her 2008 “Fearless” era. Swift was not even 20 when she debuted this album, and one would think the songs wouldn’t convey as well at 33. Yet Swift is a true chameleon, instantly transporting fans to the time when her megahits “You Belong with Me” and “Love Story” reigned.

Then it was time for Swift at her most mature. Her “evermore” album, sister album to “folklore” — both came out during the pandemic — was where Swift shined, sitting amid a woodsy scene in a long, rust-colored, folksy dress with brown boots. “Evermore” and “folklore” are autumnal-sounding albums, perfect for sipping a pumpkin spice latte as you hike through maroon and rust-colored forests, which is the aesthetic Swift nailed perfectly for this segment.

Swift next whisked fans into the darker, moodier “Reputation” era. Her snake-themed bodysuit during this era was a costume standout, along with “Look What You Made Me Do.”

A little snippet of “22” from Taylor Swift + a few crowd views from inside Acrisure Stadium on Friday night.

Photo/video: @SeanStipp | @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/olwwjkkNOb

— TribLIVE.com (@TribLIVE) June 17, 2023

After three songs (plus a shortened version of “… Ready for It?”), it was time to take Taylor’s hand and move into her next era.

Enter a brief stint into 2010’s “Speak Now” and “Enchanted.” Swift’s “Enchanted” gown has been the topic of conversation, and seeing it in person was, for lack of a better term, truly enchanting. The gown is made with more than 200,000 sequins and crystals of various shapes and sizes.

The audience then entered the wonderful world of Swift’s “Red” album, which she rerecorded in 2021.

Every show during the Eras Tour has Swift giving the black fedora she wears for this set to an audience member. During Friday’s show, Swift gave the hat to a young girl, who gave her a friendship bracelet in return, smiling in awe.

The next era, 2020’s “folklore,” included seven songs, including the popular “august” and “cardigan.”

When Swift sang “august,” the light-up bracelets that guests were given to wear flashed red and orange. The song lyrics are all part of Swift’s “folklore” world that she created with lots of fun Easter eggs, including the song “betty,” which features characters named after her friends Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ daughters James, Inez and Betty.

The “1989” album, from 2014, is full of catchy, dance-y songs like “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” Swift’s performance of “Bad Blood” was just incredible, with breathtaking fire displays that warmed the entire stadium.

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Swifties all look forward to the surprise songs at each tour stop — acoustic versions of songs not played at other shows on the Eras Tour. For Pittsburgh’s first night, Swift chose “Mr. Perfectly Fine” from her “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” album re-release. It was a live debut on guitar. The second song was “The Last Time” from her “Red” album and Swift’s tour debut and her first performance of the tune in 10 years.

Finally, to finish her epic 44-song set, Swift took audience members into her most recent era, “Midnights.” Once again, the costumes and set were amazing.

It’s a rare occurrence for a star to be as universally liked as Swift. It’s admirable what she does, and she deserves every bit of praise she has been given for this tour. Where else can you find nearly 100,000 people (including those outside the stadium) on their feet for hours, singing along to every single song?

It’s hard to imagine Swift’s Eras Tour not being the biggest tour of the summer, and it’s one that those in attendance — even those who didn’t see it in person — will remember for years to come.

Set list for Acrisure Stadium show on June 16

Miss Americana & the Heartbreak 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

marjorie

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

seven

the 1

betty

the last great american dynasty

august

illicit affairs

my tears ricochet

cardigan

Style

Blank Space

Shake It Off

Wildest Dreams

Bad Blood

Mr. Perfectly Fine

The Last Time

Lavender Haze

Anti‐Hero

Midnight Rain

Vigilante

Bejeweled

Mastermind

Karma

Source: setlist.fm