OKAY SO I actually live in Arizona (Era-zona) and was stupidly lucky to get tickets to opening night(s) on 3/17 and 3/18; here are my feelings and photos (I guess spoilers if you don’t want to see / hear about the tour) 

my seats on night one were 400 level side stage view so I just vibed and took the majority of my (200+) photos on night 2, where I was sitting in the lower bowl. this is my PSA that if you are going to concerts where you aren’t going to be “at barricade” or front row, invest in a good digital camera. As “good” as iPhones are, nothing will beat a camera with a super-duper zoom, you will leave with photos that look like they were taken from five feet away 

FOR STARTERS, Gayle and Paramore were amazing. I grew up listening to and going to Paramore shows so I was super stoked to see them again IN A STADIUM. Despite what social media might tell you, the crowd was really receptive to Paramore on both nights, and Hayley is a freaking master of the stage 

NOW, MISS TAYLOR put on a THREE HOUR SET and believe me when I say it is a visually stunning, highly produced show. I can’t wait for the BTS to confirm her and her team planned this for years. Her work/effort shows and really cements her place as a PERFORMER in her PRIME. Between the light up bracelets making patterns to specific songs to the light up stage responding to her footsteps to the pre-recorded visuals on the mainstage screen... UGH

an attempt to organize my thoughts / reactions (followed by a photo dump):

the overwhelming realization half-way into cruel summer that I was one of the first (of 70,000 people) to hear it live and would hear so many more newly live songs that evening

THE FACT she had different colored outfits between night one and two made me so excited 

me feeling silly for thinking she’d play different songs from different eras like OF COURSE each era/album gets it’s own mini-set, DUH 

SHOCKED she only played one song off Speak Now (Enchanted)

the songs she chose for evermore? EXCUSE ME? MARJORIE?!! Taylor chose emotional violence by having it on the regular set list; I was speechless 

same for folklore; playing august into illicit affairs? EMOTIONAL DAMAGE

so there’s going to be a ‘surprise song’ played acoustically every night on tour. AWESOME. What does she play night one? MIRRORBALL (we were blessed) 

THEN on night two, realizing it isn’t just the acoustic song that is the surprise song but the piano is too! STATE OF GRACE? - big emotions, especially when she softly said “sing with me” before the bridge

the audience collectively gasping when she DIVES INTO THE STAGE and ‘swims’ back to the main stage?!?!?!

VIGILANTE SHIT CABARET INSPIRED CHAIR DANCE?  

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION HIGHLIGHTS: 

all too well 10 min : FUCK THE PATRIARCHY 

the man: (when everyone believes you) WHATS THAT LIKE?!

delicate: 123 LETS GO BITCH

champagne problems: WHAT A SHAME SHE’S FUCKED IN THE HEAD

cruel summer: HE LOOKS UP GRINNING LIKE A DEVIL

almost every bridge of every song had the audience scream singing, tbh