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Taylor Swift Rides Her reputation Tour Into Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville

This review will be a bit different than most. We will certainly discuss the massive production that Taylor Swift brought to our Commonwealth, but first, I want to talk a bit about how my entire idea for this review just wasn’t going to say what needs to be said and I’ll tell you the exact moment when that happened.

Having seen some of the largest pop artists going, I fully expected all the bells, whistles, pyro and dancers. What I really didn’t grasp was just how much Taylor Swift actually means to her fans. From age 3 to age 70, I saw their hearts in their eyes. Each of them had that loving, caring look that your Grandmother gives you. You know the one. The one where her eyes seem to smile from the love and pride she has for you.

I have seen similar love at shows like Lady Gaga and P!nk, but this one was different. The only other artist that I can adequately compare this show to is Elvis Presley, maybe The Beatles. I wasn’t alive to see Elvis or the Beatles, but I have watched many concerts and documentaries about them both. Taylor Swift has that kind of worship and love from her fans and I think I finally understand why.

In the world we live in, it seems as if no one is who they say they are. Celebrity scandals and ideological ideas seemingly plague many people who are viewed as heroes or role models. Taylor Swift is exactly who she says she is and she has mastered the art of social media to give her fans enough access that they feel personally invested in her and her career.

Taylor is sweet, compassionate, talented, beautiful and even self-confessed goofy at times. She is a good role model and a deserved hero, especially for young ladies. There are way more male stars out there than female stars, that’s just the world we live in, but Taylor Swift is where she is in her career because she deserves it.

I had the pleasure of riding to this show and experiencing the love and admiration for Taylor with my young cousin. Iris is about to enter fourth grade and she is definitely a Swiftie. Much like seeing Disney World through my son’s eyes, I saw Taylor Swift through the eyes of Iris Nevaeh and thousands just like her.

This is a bold statement, but after seeing this show, I think that Taylor Swift is one of the most important people on our planet. People need role models, especially strong female ones and very few come close to being as influential as Taylor and her music.

Now, about that show. Shew! What a massive production. The set was 110 feet high and the stages sprawled across the entire floor of the stadium. At least 60 feet of that 110 were video screens. Yes, screens. The two larger screens were angled in a v-shape with two smaller video boards on the sides for folks with a somewhat limited view.

Around 9 pm, those massive video screens slid apart to reveal a small tunnel that housed Taylor Swift. This is where the Elvis and The Beatles comparisons really start. I saw folks crying tears of joy. I saw folks dancing their hearts out. I saw soooo many young ladies empowered by Taylor, her music and her strength. For me, that was the moment where my entire idea for this article changed and became what you are now reading.

We all know that her production is and will likely always be massive. With a production this size, so many things have to happen as a coordinated effort, that setlist changes are incredibly difficult. So you can easily find what songs she sang from a quick google search. I could tell you all about the massive cobras, or the fountain, or the hot air balloon that delivered her to the stage at the other end of the stadium, or I could break down how the show was split up into separate acts, or how beautiful all the bracelets were as they illuminated every face and were synched to the music, or a multitude of other details, but I don’t need to. For this article, highlighting her importance as a role model outweighs anything I could ever say about the show itself. In truth, all I need to tell you is that whether you love Taylor or hate Taylor, if you witness what I did, you will respect the hell out of her. I know I do.

Taylor Swift reputation Tour Dates:

DATE

CITY

VENUE

July 7

Columbus, OH

Ohio Stadium

July 10

Washington, DC

FedEx Field

July 14

Philadelphia, PA

Lincoln Financial Field

July 17

Cleveland, OH

First Energy Stadium

July 21

East Rutherford, NJ

MetLife Stadium

July 28

Foxborough, MA

Gillette Stadium

August 4

Toronto, ON

Rogers Centre

August 7

Pittsburgh, PA

Heinz Field

August 11

Atlanta, GA

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

August 14

Tampa, FL

Raymond James Stadium

August 18

Miami, FL

Hard Rock Stadium

August 25

Nashville, TN

Nissan Stadium

August 28

Detroit, MI

Ford Field

September 1

Minneapolis, MN

U.S. Bank Stadium

September 8

Kansas City, MO

Arrowhead Stadium

September 15

Indianapolis, IN

Lucas Oil Stadium

September18

St. Louis, MO

The Dome at America’s Center

September 22

New Orleans, LA

Mercedes-Benz Superdome

September 29

Houston, TX

NRG Stadium

October 6

Arlington, TX

AT&T Stadium