BY ALYSSA FISHER
On June 2 AND 3, thousands of enthusiastic, country-clad fans gathered around Bank Atlantic Center, prepared to be blown away by country-pop princess Taylor Swift. After eagerly waiting months for her Speak Now World Tour, it was finally time to see what she had up her sparkling sleeve. Those fearful it wouldn’t live up to last year’s Fearless tour were in for a pleasant surprise.
The thick, crimson curtains rose, showcasing a whimsical, romantic set equipped with a golden bridge. Swift rose from under the stage wearing a signature sparkling gold mini dress and was greeted by a wild roar from the audience. The simple elegance set the scene for the opening song, “Sparks Fly”, with actual sparks flying through the air along with graphics that lit up the back screen and accompanied each song. The crowd was pumped up, the dancers were lively and Swift was sounded better than ever. It was the perfect beginning to an incredible concert.
Swift went out of her way to make every song memorable. After three songs, the set went through a quick change, and before you could blink, Swift popped up (it’s still unclear as to how she managed that) in front of an adorable gazebo wearing a conservative lace dress, hinting to the crowd that she was about to sing some of her more “country” songs. From there she sang hits like “Mean” with a banjo, something the audience had never heard from her before.
Afterward there was another costume/set change, and suddenly she was donning a sequined red dress and standing atop a new bridge that had been added to the set and began throwing her head around, getting really into her song “Better than Revenge.” Even though the crowd craved her fun, energetic songs, it wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift concert without her adagio melodies accompanied by beautiful, honest lyrics. She showed off her talent on the piano while she sang “Back to December” mixed with one of her songs off Fearless, “You’re Not Sorry” as well as One Republic’s “Apologize” for an unexpected and interesting twist on a popular song.
One of the most memorable numbers of the evening was “Speak Now”, in which she simulated interrupting a wedding and made an objection to the marriage of the boy she loved to another girl. Swift twirled and performed her quirky dances in a little purple dress with an old fashion microphone in hand. It was really funny, and it was great to see how much fun she was having on stage with her band and dancers.
After already singing a multitude of songs, Swift made her way through the crowd, hugging and shaking the hands of fans as she headed toward the back of the arena. A brightly lit white tree stood on a little black revolving stage, and Swift promptly took a seat and began singing “Fearless”, one of the biggest hits off her second album, with a ukulele in hand. She chose to mix it with the acoustic version of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.” There she stayed close to the fans who originally assumed they had bad seats and sang a few more songs, including “Last Kiss”, which didn’t leave a dry eye in the arena.
After pumping the crowd up again with her hit from Fearless, “You Belong With Me”, Swift ran back to the stage where she changed yet again, but this time into a long, chiffon dress that sparkled in the light. Then came the most beautiful performance of the night: “Enchanted”, where she melodically sang about an encounter she will never forget. While she sang, her dancers performed en Pointe, pirouetting and Jeté-ing flawlessly and making the performance even more romantic and, dare I say, even emotional. The whole number was indescribably beautiful, and it portrayed her perfectly as an artist.
The intensity did not stop there. Instead, it was pumped up to levels beyond measure. Three large tower bells dropped from the ceiling, and after hitting one with a mallet three times, they suddenly rose, and a dancer dramatically dropped from each one on an elastic band – comparable to Cirque Du Soleil acrobats – as Swift belted out her “Haunted.” It was so unexpected and left jaws on the floor.
To end the night, Swift stepped onto a small platform with a gate around it that resembled the top of a tower. She was promptly lifted in the air and flown across the arena as she sang her older hit, “Love Story” looking like the princess she is. The crowd went absolutely wild; Swift exited the stage to a thunderous standing ovation. That was the general reaction to every aspect of the Speak Now World Tour. It had everything a concert should, yet it was completely special and original. It was unforgettable. It was enchanting. It was a fairytale.
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