THE TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT!

WARNING:

Epic (meaning LONG) post follows.

I know that you all have anxiously awaiting this post, but I've literally had a test or paper due every single day this week, so I couldn't justify the time it would take to write such an epic post. But now I've got plenty of time to devote to this grand event.  So here's what its like to attend a Taylor Swift concert and have girl's reunion in the middle of the week.

First of all.. my excitement had definitely peaked long ago, so I wasn't out of my mind excited to go to see Taylor. I mean I still like her a lot and listen to her music and throughly enjoy listening to it, but I was much much more excited to see my family. I took work off on Wednesday so I got to spend the entire afternoon with my family. We wandered around BYU -- with two babies, two strollers and two diaper bags which we shared between the four of us. It was a little bit embarrassing to be part of a baby caravan, but I would do it again for my SUPER CUTE nieces. Both Aubrey and Camilla have got so much more animated since I last saw them so it was a great time!


When we got to Dawn's house Aubrey and I bonded on my computer by making videos and taking pictures like this one:

So we had a good time. Then Dawn made us the most delicious enchiladas, and then it was time for a night out on the town. 

On the car ride over we fulfilled all of our girl night requirements. We cried, we did make-up, we built confidence, and then we arrived at the concert.

As we walked up to the doors of the Energy Solutions Arena, it was immediately apparent that we were not the normal Taylor Swift concert goers.  We were older than most, and in a smaller group than most, and we were less dressed up than most. However we were joined in our minority by small pockets of mothers bringing there 5 or 6 year-olds.

Pre-Concert Pics:

Yes -- I missed the memo to where black. Lame.

We arrived promptly at 7:00 p.m. ... Just in time for the opening-opening act. Who was followed for the opening band. Who was followed by the longest break of my life. Who was followed promptly at 8:45 by Taylor Swift. Maybe this common at concerts, but I was a little put-out by the waiting for two hours.

But we made good use of our time:

The group: 

Girl's reunion!! :)

Individual Glamour Excited Shots:

The fat rolls are intentional... just so you know! 

And a single ladies pic:

I was the only one in the group. 

FINALLY THE MAIN EVENT: 

MISS TAYLOR SWIFT!!!

Soo....

Recap: 

• It was a super fun thing to do. So what if my mom fell asleep, and my two young mother sisters sat down sometimes? It was still ended up being a good time.
• Taylor Swift is actually good live. This isn't even my loyal fan-hood coming out. She legitimately sounded like she could sing! 
• You should not bring young children to these things. The girls in front of us were scared from all the screaming at the beginning. The also fell asleep by the end. So.. I'm not sure how worth it it was for them. But there was a mom that got super into in front of us and would lead the standing when her group of 3 or 4 girls sat down.
• I've found that studying leisure has changed my everyday life.  At the end of the show, I told my sisters and mothers all about Flow, and how for 2 hours Taylor Swift brought together 14,000 people. We were all one in listening, watching, and enjoying the experience. Then we would trickle back out into the world into our various lives and homes.  It was so awesome to me how much leisure can bring people together in just 2 hours.. even if it doesn't keep us together.. The main idea is that leisure breaks down barriers, which is so neat.
• Her band members/dancers are so talented. They displayed talent on multiple instruments and types of dance. I felt very untalented. 
• I left feeling very inspired. Which is a little embarrassing to admit, but for reals she is awesome. I just felt like -- she had a dream. A BIG HUGE dream and she made it happen. She's like a modern day success story. I felt like my dreams were too small after I left there -- but I'm back to reality now!

We left the concert and went back to Dawn's house. Bryan, Aubrey, and Camilla were all sleeping peacefully. We girl's finished with a round of ice-cream. And then I finished off my girl's night with a sleep over at Dawn's house -- complete with nursing interruption in the middle of the night! Ha. 

Even though my mother ended up spending tons of money on car problems, a rental car, and the tickets themselves, she seemed to have a good time, and I'm just happy we got to have them here even if it was just for a day! I think my mom was happy in the end too because she finished the night by saying "So what're we doing next year?" Apparently our girl reunions will be a yearly event -- sorry men of the Lewis fam.. you'll have to plan your own thing! 

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ THIS PART!

Now the next part of the post -- is really for my own benefit and none of yours. I just really want to remember what she did with all her songs.

1. Mine 

 --- I don't remember this one all that well except that there was a freaky puppet show graphic going on in the background. It was very distracting.

2. Sparks Fly 

---This is what she started the concert with -- complete with firework / sparky things and awesome lighting effects! 

3. Back to December 

-- This was done later on in the concert after a costume change. She come on the stage with a piano. She sang all of Back to December and added One Republic's "It's Too Late to Apologize" and her own "You're not Sorry" as a way of giving Taylor Lautner's side of the conversation. It was mad awesome.

4. Speak Now 

-- This was done in the middle of the program. They set up a church setting on stage -- complete with pews and she sang from up above. She did with a sixties vibe and had the cutest little dance 60's dance to go along with it. At the end she left with the groom off the stage -- then ditched the groom somewhere and went to a rotating tree in the back of the room.  

5. Dear John  

-- I know she did it, but I can't remember what she did with it. 

6. Mean 

-- This was just like she did at that awards show. It was after a costume change and they had this dancer doing a tap routine before everyone came on. She popped unto the stage in a very cool way.

7. The Story of Us
-- The only thing I remember about this was that all of her back-up dancers came on stage for the first time and they all danced in angry couple ways -- if that make sense.

8. Enchanted 

-- This was first finale I think. It was one of the BEST SONGS OF THE NIGHT. It started with an instrumental version of the song done on the violin by Caitlin Evanson. She was joined on stage by some pretty awesome ballerinas. Taylor and the male ballerina acted out the song when she finally came on but the other dancers were really really talented at ballet, which was amazing since they were doing all kinds of other stuff the song before. Her dress was beautiful. The song was inspiring and beautiful. It was really one of the coolest parts of the show. 

There's some ballerina in the way -- but this Taylor and the lead male ballerina that acted it out with her.

9. Better Than Revenge 

-- I don't approve of the message or the angriness or the creative name-calling, but as far as songs go -- it's pretty catchy and awesome to watch. She was dressed in red and there was all kinds of angry red light aflashin'. Good times.

10. Haunted 

--This was probably my second favorite song of the night. It's AWESOME. It starts with bells -- like Liberty Bell size bells coming up from under the stage. Taylor, Liz and Caitlin go crazy hitting them dramatically with hammers and it sounds great. Then the bells just keep on rising, song starts and other awesome thing are happening. Then the bells are all the way in the air and BAM -- acrobatic dancer people drop down from the bells... It's SO COOL. Then there are dancing and there dancers on the ground. The music is hitting it's climax and the dancers on the ground somehow get up with the acrobatic dancers. ... It's a sight to see. And then at the very end, Taylor goes down for a costume change underneath one of the bells as it goes down below the stage again...... It's so cool. 

Please note the giant bell that is hiding a dancer! 

11. Last Kiss 

-- This she did from the rotating tree I think. There was a harp playing back on the stage which was really cool addition to the song.

Her rotating tree.

***Also done from the rotating tree: Fearless with a ukelele, and a cover of Neon Trees "Animal," which she did really really well -- when she sang the Neon Trees song the lights of the tree changed to a Neon Blue. Pretty cool you know?

12. Long Live

-- Taylor did this one near the end. She featured each of her band members -- which is appropriate for the song. It was really fun and great. They all came out to the front part of the stage and sang from there. So cute. 

For her finale was off the wall. She came back and sang a couple of songs -- I think one was 'Fifteen.' One was off her bonus tracks, but I suggest you look it up on the Youtube because it's great. It's called 'Ours.' The finale finale was 'Love Story' which WAS AWESOME. She got into a flying balcony and floated over the crowd, while she sang.

 See what I mean about dreaming big -- who thinks of these things and actually gets to do them?

OVERALL -- GREAT SHOW. Buy tickets everyone -- definitely worth it.