WHEN TWEENS GO WILD >>>
I've seen countless performances of the old-school Country and Western genre, such as George Strait (four times), Tanya Tucker, Brooks & Dunn, The Judds and Reba McEntire - just to name a few. These experiences occurred mainly during past Houston Livestock Show and Rodeos, plus a few various Texas bars back in college.
When I think back of my first real concert, never do any of the aforementioned shows come to mind. If you were to ask about my first concert, I'd talk to you about the first time I saw The Cure.
Why do I not mention any of the Country and Western performers? To me, they were simply part of my childhood.
My daughter, however, will remember last night's Taylor Swift performance for the rest of her life, as her first real concert - and it was country.
With a fanbase primarily of young girls and boys between the ages of 5-19, Taylor Swift has swept the Country and Western landscape with three platinum-selling albums and two sold-out headlining, cross-country and international tours.
On the heels of her phenomenally popular self-titled debut album (Taylor Swift), and a second album that included her first headlining tour (Fearless) - Swift hesitated only briefly to create yet another catchy, tween-mesmerizing album that feels as though she's singing directly from her recently-old-enough-to-drink-and-possibly-have-sex diary.
Speak Now, Swift's third album and second headlining tour, recently received five nominations for the 2011 Country Music Association Awards. Rightfully deserved, this purebred Pennsylvania girl holds her ground with strong, theatrical performances and smart, relatable lyrics.
Last night singer Josh Kelley was the pre-opening act, there as simple background music for sweaty fans to listen to while they dog-piled in front of the merch stands, hoping to score overpriced t-shirts for their kids. (Guilty.)
This was unfortunate, seeing as how Kelley's recent album, Georgia Clay, is legitimately good. I was happy to hear him live.
Some time after 7 p.m., county-rock band Need to Breathe graced the stage. These are some down-home, plain ol' "good guys" who make you want to pull up a tree stump around the campfire and listen to them play. I sorta started to crush on them, but only briefly, as my daughter and her friend began chanting, "We want Taylor! We want Taylor!" repeatedly to the tune of their own, offbeat music.
I had to agree with them. It was a school night, getting late, and our seats in the very top rows of the Tacoma Dome would make for a great hot yoga location. I pressed my $5 water bottle against the back of my neck for relief and tried to recall if I had put on deodorant that evening.
Finally at around 8:30 p.m. Taylor Swift made her grand entrance. The look in my daughter's wide eyes, the gaping-wide grin, and the bounce in her wild dance moves made every effort of that evening valid. Screw school. This moment was what it was all about.
The crowd went nuts, and Swift, in all her innocence, sat back and watched in awe. She might just be acting, but the look on her face let you know that she was not above appreciating what she has become to all those fans. Moments went by as the stands went wild and Swift absorbed it all.
Hits such as "Our Song," "Mine," "Mean," "Fifteen," "Fearless," "Back to December," "You Belong to Me" and "Sparks Fly" were front-and-center during the show, with grand stage displays as though we were watching a musical with actors and a live band. Swift's facial expressions fed into the "musical" feeling, not to mention entertaining those ‘tweens.
While performing the title track of her latest record, "Speak Now," a wedding ceremony was enacted on stage as Swift swept through the crowd and shook hands with elated fans. Landing on a small, circular stage somewhere amongst the floor seats, Swift played a ukulele to the tune of her song "Fearless," while mixing in bits of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours."
Continuing on that circular stage, concert goers heard a rendition of Dave Matthews' "You and Me," plus a newer Swift song, "Last Kiss." I, of course, pirated "You and Me" onto my iPhone memo recorder and sent it to a few friends, which in turn led to hilarious text auto-corrects about Taylor Swift playing Dave Matthews' dong.
As the clock struck 11 p.m. and my ass was turning into a flat, squishy pumpkin, Swift closed down the show with the ever-popular "Love Story" and my favorite, "Haunted."
The best part of leaving was ... leaving. We hired Stonegate Pizza's limo to take us to the concert and drop us off, so passing up that long line of cars and no parking issues was da bomb. Check out next Thursday's Person, Place or Thing for the skinny of what actually went down in the limo.