Review and Photos – Taylor Swift at BC Place, Vancouver, Dec 6 2024
The love between Taylor Swift and her fans was very mutual on the first night of her three concerts in Vancouver. Swift told the sold out BC Place crowd that it was their warmth and energy that inspired her to make Vancouver the last stop on her monumental Eras tour. The fans didn’t disappoint, with many turning up in elaborate costumes and singing along to every song, while dancing with their friends and family.
Early on, Swift demonstrated her sway over the audience by pointing her finger out into the crowd and sweeping it slowly across each section, producing waves of cheering like an orchestra conductor. As she finished performing “Champagne Problems” at the piano near the midpoint of the show, the applause transformed into a raucous ovation that lasted several minutes. At first, Swift stayed seated at the piano, looking touched by the response. Eventually, she scratched her head, as if dumbstruck by how long the cheering was lasting, then took out her earpieces, stood up, and walked downstage, to fully take the moment in.
Some elements have been signature pieces of every Eras show, like the signed fedora that Swift wears, then gives away to a fan during her performance of “22”. On Friday night, she pulled a young girl out of the crowd, gave her a big hug and accepted one of the girl’s many friendship bracelets, before placing the fedora on her head, then giving her another hug and a high five. Fans also look forward to a couple of surprise songs at every show – for Vancouver, Swift performed a mash-up of “Haunted” and “Wonderland” on acoustic guitar, followed by a mash-up of “Never Grow Up” and “The Best Day” on piano.
Save for these occasional surprises, a lot of the pleasure of the show comes from the tightly choreographed setlist now ensconced in the Swiftie canon, along with its accompanying costume changes, set pieces, and dance routines. The flow is structured by album, with pop-heavy releases like Lover and 1989 alternating with the more ballad-laden Folklore and The Tortured Poets Department. As Swift introduced the Folklore section of the show from a cabin-like set, she spoke about working on the album in the early days of the pandemic, unsure whether she’d ever be able to play another concert.
Obviously, Swift did return to performing live, which she told Friday’s audience she considers the most powerful thing she’s ever been able to share with other people. She emphasized that she was the one who wanted to make the Eras setlist and tour as long as they are – at three and a half hours and nearly nine months, respectively. When the tour finally concludes on Sunday night, Swift will have played the show to 10.1 million fans, in 152 stadiums, situated across 51 cities on five different continents.
Gracie Abrams delivered a solid opening set, easily changing between several acoustic and electric guitars to perform singles from her latest album, including “That’s So True”, “Close to You”, and “us.” That last song recently earned Abrams and Swift a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Abrams said the pair composed the track over a drunken dinner-and-songwriting session at Swift’s home. It’s the sort of female friendship folklore that fueled so much of the evening for so many.
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Contributors
Kirk Chantraine
Kirk Chantraine is a Canadian photographer and software developer currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He graduated from Vancouver Film School for 3D Animation in 2004 and has been working in the Visual Effects industry ever since with companies such as Electronic Arts and Disney. Over the last few years Kirk has exhibited his photographic works in San Francisco and Vancouver. A music aficionado and vinyl junkie, Kirk shoots live music and performance at an inhuman pace across North America for Bright Noise , along with landscape and portraiture. If you're buying: gin-and-tonics. He is @kchantraine on socials.
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