After ten albums, four re-recordings, and 243 songs, Taylor Swift made the executive decision to go on what she calls “The Eras Tour”. After Swift noticed that many of her fans were left unhappy when they were unable to see the show live, she decided to film “The Eras Tour Movie” at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, on August 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th.
When I first saw the movie at AMC theaters, I immediately noticed the spectacular quality of the cameras filming the concert. The audio was so clear, it gave me the illusion that I was truly there. Even though I went to the concert at Soldier Field, I still thought that the documentary was an amazing alternative. To me, this documentary gave me the joy and excitement that I felt when seeing it live.
When watching the documentary something I realized is that Swift changed microphones each era. They not only match the aesthetic of the songs she was performing but it also allows for a more visually appealing aspect of the performance, that does not draw the audience’s eyes in a bad way to a large, black microphone.
An advantage of watching the documentary was being able to truly see the details of the costumes. Originally when viewing the performance (in-person) I found that the silver shimmery boots that she wore when performing the Lover set, were an underrated accessory. When given a closer look at the boots, I was able to see that on the bottom they were a bright red color matching her lipstick shade.
Although I loved this documentary and would recommend it to any people who want to feel free-spirited, it did have its flaws. Multiple of what could be considered “fan favorites” were not incorporated into the documentary. Songs such as “The Archer” from the Lover set, “no body, no crime” (featuring Haim) from Evermore, “Long Live” (which plays during credits) from Speak Now, “Wildest Dreams” from 1989, and “Cardigan” from Folklore. Yes, I would say that these songs should have been incorporated into the film, but I understand that they had to cut some songs and to maintain an appropriate movie length.
In many ways, I enjoyed hearing “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version), I think that rather than spending 10 minutes on one song she could have spent ten minutes performing two or three songs. A few song suggestions I have are “Back to December,” “Picture to Burn,” and “This is Me Trying.”
Something I absolutely loved about the film was the usage of transitions. In person, there were about one to two and a half minutes between each set. When they cut time out of the transitions it not only kept the audience in a state of excitement but also provided me with enough time to grab a sip of soda and candy to ensure the maximum level of energy for the next era.
Another thing that made this experience so memorable was the merchandise that was available to purchase. By the time I went to the theater (the second day of airing), the popcorn buckets were already sold out (as expected), but I was still able to purchase a commemorative plastic cup [$11.99 a piece], with the signature eras tour logo on it.
Something else that was available to the public (for free!!!) was a collector’s poster showing Swift in her “Lover” set outfit. At least for the theater, I went to when purchasing a Taylor Swift cup, they also provided you with a normal (paper) cup to use, if you wanted to wait to use your cup whether that is to was it or if you wanted to just have it as a decoration (which more people than you expect do).
To me, there was a special feeling when drinking out of the cup with my favorite kind of soda and eating some of my favorite candies (airhead extreme bites). This sensation made me feel that the concert was really happening all over again, bringing me back to such pure happiness.
