As difficult as it is to find a ticket to the Super Bowl. Finding a ticket to the Saturday night pre-show would be as equally challenging. ATT sponsored the Super Saturday night show featuring Taylor Swift. The invite-only event was the Pre-Superbowl Party, which many wanted to attend.
Unlike the shows leading up to Saturday, general admission tickets were not for sale. The individuals who attended were either invited by ATT, Taylor Nation or were VIP guests. Simone Biles, Chrissy Teigen, Lea Michele and Tim Tebow were a few of the VIPs at the show. Having been invited, I received the great privilege of seeing Taylor perform at the exclusive show.
A girl from Texas who had won Swiftstakes tickets invited me to be her plus one. It just so happened, that my friend from Florida also received an invitation. So like any sensible fans, we got in the car and drove 15 hours to Houston to see Taylor perform. We were exhausted by the time we arrived. With a little coffee and lots of anticipation, we made it to Saturday night.
While waiting in line, I gathered that aside from the VIPs, many of the people at the venue were not in town for the Super Bowl, but primarily for the Taylor Swift show. Individuals from across the nation came to watch Taylor take the stage at Club Nomadic. The doors opened at 9 pm and Taylor took the stage at 11:30 pm. You could feel the energy in the room when Taylor walked onto the stage. It was electric.
Taylor gave phenomenal performances of songs from 1989, Red, Speak Now and Fearless. Swift also performed an acoustic version of her new single “I Don't Want to Live Forever.” With Zayn absent, she asked her fans to duet with her. Even though there wasn't a surprise guest appearance, there were a few surprise songs. She performed "This is What You Came For" and "Better Man" both songs she has written for other artists during her "break." Whenever I listened to "Better Man" I could always hear Taylor singing it in my head. Getting to see her perform the song live was one of the many highlights from this weekend. The glittering grand piano made an appearance also. When the keys were rolled out the crowd began chanting “All Too Well” like they had previously done at Taylor's Grand Prix show which took place in Austin, TX in 2016. While she didn't perform "All Too Well" at the Austin show, she heard their plea. Taylor is so in tune with her fans. She listens to them. She played "All Too Well" for the overwhelmed crowd in Houston. Of course, Taylor ended the show with her hit "Shake it Off."
Shaking it off was not all Taylor did. Every time Taylor takes the stage she makes an effort to connect with her fans on a personal level. Whether it's a crowd of 9,000 or 60,000, Taylor finds a way. I think this is what makes her fans so drawn to her. I'm convinced it's what makes her fans travel hours and hours to see her perform. I know it to be true for me. She takes interest in them. Saturday night, she joked with a few fans who asked for her sweat towel. She sat on the side of the stage and signed a few autographs; She also asked fans to help her fix the buttons of her Versace outfit. She deeply cares for her fans. Her genuine effort to make her fans happy is truly astounding. By liking their photos on Tumblr, having conversations with them at the show, or simply making eye contact with them while she is on stage, she makes their world a little brighter.
During the show, she let the attendees in on her plans for the future. As far as she knows the Super Saturday Night will be her only show in 2017. As far as new music, we are going to have to wait and see. Taylor did not drop any hints that she would be releasing an album in the near future.
As far as I'm concerned, there was no better way to kick off Superbowl Sunday than with a T. Swift show. I am extremely grateful that I got to be one of the many standing in the crowd. The show was amazing. Taylor was phenomenal, as always. She looked so happy on stage. You can't watch her and think that she was not born to perform. She's a real gem in life and in entertainment.
Images: Instagram