Eras tour: What’s post-concert amnesia, and why are Taylor Swift fans experiencing it?
The global timeline can now be divided into two distinct periods: the pre-Eras era and the post-Eras era.
After a five-year Taylor Swift touring hiatus painfully endured by Swifties and extended by the COVID-19 pandemic, the worldwide pop sensation is back on the road for the live music event that broke Ticketmaster, ignited a fan uprising and spurred Congress into action: the Eras tour.
Since Swift’s epic stadium tour of the United States began March 17 in Glendale, Ariz., the internet predictably has been flooded with videos, social media posts and memes inspired by the singer-songwriter’s decades-spanning, three-hour-plus set.
On Friday, at the kickoff of her Eras tour, Swift performed a whopping 44 songs from all 10 of her studio albums, parceled out in distinct chapters.
“I don’t know how to process all of this and the way it’s making me feel right now,” the “Lavender Haze” hitmaker told concertgoers on opening night. “I can’t even go into how much I missed you because there’s no way to verbalize it.”
Only the lucky managed to secure tickets to the Eras tour, which features hits from all 10 of Swift’s studio albums. For the millions who didn’t make the cut, there is already a virtually endless amount of content available online to experience the concert event of a lifetime vicariously.
Swift is scheduled to close out her Eras tour with five shows at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium in August.
Taylor Swift has added eight more shows to her Eras stadium tour, including a third L.A.-area show at SoFi Stadium in August to close out U.S. leg.
Speak now or for evermore hold your peace if you are not a fearless Swift lover who has stayed awake for many midnights to support her music, because the rest of this post will be teeming with red-hot viral moments and folklore surrounding the vocalist born in 1989 — and The Times has a reputation for printing shameless Taylor Swift puns. Here are some key takeaways from the Eras tour so far.
When fans reported cases of post-concert amnesia
Shortly after seeing Swift’s Eras tour, several fans say they haven’t been able to remember it all too well.
Multiple attendees have reported experiencing “post-concert amnesia,” or forgetting large parts of the show due to sensory overload.
“Post-concert amnesia is real,” concertgoer Jenna Tocatlian, 25, told Time magazine after attending a Swift show at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
“If I didn’t have the five-minute video that my friend kindly took of me jamming to [the song ‘Better Man’], I probably would have told everyone that it didn’t happen.”
Another concertgoer, 32-year-old Nicole Booz, described the Eras tour as “an out-of-body experience, as though it didn’t really happen.”
“Yet I know it did,” she said, “because my bank account took a $950 hit to cover the ticket.”
Ewan McNay, an associate professor in the department of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany, told Time that what’s happening to Swifties is “not a concert-specific phenomenon.”
“It can happen any time you’re in a highly emotional state,” he explained, citing one’s wedding as another example of an event a person might struggle to remember.
“If you’re slightly on edge, with a little bit of excitement, you’ll actually remember better,” he added. “But too much excitement pushes you over the edge in terms of memory formation, and you’re unable to make memories.”
The more you know!
When Ice Spice made her Eras tour debut
The fandom known as the Spice Cabinet was in for a real treat this weekend when their idol, Ice Spice, joined Swift onstage at MetLife Stadium. The “You Belong With Me” singer recently collaborated with the rising rapper on a surprise remix of the “Midnights” track “Karma.”
“Someone’s here to perform for you,” Swift told the audience. “She’s from the Bronx, so we’re gonna treat this like it’s a hometown show. Are you ready, Jersey?”
The crowd went wild as Ice Spice rose from a trap door in the stage to perform her verse from the remix.
Controversy around Matty Healy eclipses celebrations of the star-powered ‘Midnights (Deluxe)’ collaboration between Taylor Swift and Ice Spice.
Ice Spice’s Eras tour appearance reignited some debate about Swift’s rumored romance with 1975 frontman Matty Healy, who recently mocked Ice Spice on an episode of the “Adam Friedland Show” podcast.
Healy later (sort of) apologized to Ice Spice during a 1975 concert, characterizing his actions as “joking” behavior that “got misconstrued.”
“I don’t want Ice Spice to think I’m a d—,” he said. “I love you, Ice Spice. I’m so sorry.”
When Aaron Rodgers shook it off
A video of Aaron Rodgers shaking it off at MetLife Stadium went viral on social media over Memorial Day weekend after the incoming New York Jets quarterback was spotted at one of Swift’s concerts in New Jersey.
In the clip, Rodgers can be seen busting a move as Swift performs her “1989” anthem “Shake It Off.” The football pro attended the concert with “Top Gun: Maverick” star Miles Teller and Teller’s wife, Keleigh Teller.
“Taylor Time,” Rodgers captioned an Instagram photo from inside the stadium before the show began.
Rodgers and Teller weren’t the only famous faces in the crowd at Metlife. Seated next to the athlete and the actor was “Ant-Man” star Paul Rudd.
Elsewhere in the audience, recently reunited couple Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello were seen canoodling under a tent. Another celebrity couple, Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse, were also in attendance — according to a star-studded backstage photo of Swift posing with them, Rodgers, the Tellers and “Ozark” alum Julia Garner.
When she performed in the rain ... again
Two weeks after weathering a storm in Nashville, Swift performed another rainy show in Foxborough, Mass. — and loved every second of it.
“Last night we all danced together in the rain for THE ENTIRE 3.5 HOUR SHOW in foxy Foxborough MA!!” Swift tweeted.
“We’ve had rain shows at Gillette Stadium before but this was a full on deluge that never let up, I just want to thank that iconic crowd!! Love you so much you have no idea.”
Despite the gloomy conditions, Swift radiated joy during the show, telling the soaking-wet audience, “I’ve just never been this happy in my life — in all aspects of my life — ever before.
“I just wanna thank you for being a part of that,” she continued. “I don’t know. It’s not just the tour ... my life finally feels like it makes sense.”
While many have attributed Swift’s happiness to her rumored new romance with Matty Healy, the “Lover” artist has not confirmed they are dating and did not mention the 1975 frontman onstage.
Swift and Healy reportedly began seeing each other shortly after she broke up with Joe Alwyn, her boyfriend of six years. Some fans have expressed disappointment that Swift is now linked to Healy, who recently came under fire for comments he made on the “Adam Friedland Show” podcast.
Healy has since appeared onstage and in the crowd during the Eras tour.
“She’s truly happy for the first time in her life while many of her fans are hurting because of her,” one person replied to footage from the Foxborough concert. “Not the taylor I thought I knew.”
“she’s so weird for saying this considering the situation that’s happening,” another person tweeted. “she thinks everyone is hating on her ‘happiness’ like girl no… you just revealed your true character and morals.”
When Swift got a visit from some of her littlest muses
During the Philadelphia leg of her Eras tour, Swift paid heartfelt tribute to three of her littlest muses.
Before performing the fan-favorite “Folklore” track “Betty,” Swift gave a shout-out to the young children of her famous pals Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. The singer incorporated the names of all three of the couple’s daughters into the song when she co-wrote it years ago.
“Fun fact: I actually named the characters after real people in my life who I love more than anything,” Swift told the crowd that night. “Their names are James, Inez and Betty.”
At one point in the show, Swift also appeared to mouth hello from the stage to James (8) and Inez (6), who attended the concert with their mom. Swift was later spotted leaving the venue alongside Lively and her oldest daughters.
When lightning struck Nashville
Concertgoers experienced a real case of “Midnight Rain” after a lightning storm delayed Swift’s final show at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium for hours. According to Variety, the singer didn’t take the stage until past 10 p.m. and wrapped the concert around 1:30 a.m. the next day.
What’s more: The storm didn’t stop, and Swift performed much of her set to a drenched crowd of tired but loyal fans amid a torrential downpour. Wiping her wet, curly hair out of her eyes, Swift remarked onstage that rain always falls on “the most worthy of crowds.”
“The rain show only chooses a crowd that can handle a rain show. Don’t you agree?” Swift said as the audience cheered in agreement.
“We also never, ever, ever forget rain shows. ... This is something we’re all doing together. It’s such a bonding experience. We have this for life, just so you know. We’re all gonna leave here tonight looking like we’ve just been whipped through five car washes. ... It’s fine. This is normal.”
When Matty Healy showed up in a skeleton costume
Swifties nearly lost their minds on May 6 when Matty Healy joined opening act Phoebe Bridgers onstage in Nashville amid rumors that Healy and Swift are dating.
Fans began to speculate that the “Chocolate” artist and the “Back to December” singer were an item after Swift and her boyfriend of six years, Joe Alwyn, recently broke up.
To make things even spicier: Healy reportedly kissed Bridgers on the cheek during the latter’s Eras tour set — though it’s unclear if the brief smooch was romantic or friendly.
In true Bridgers fashion, Healy donned a skeleton costume while playing guitar as a temporary member of the “Punisher” artist’s band in Nashville. Healy and Bridgers were also spotted together in the crowd, rocking out to Swift’s performance of the “1989” track “Shake It Off.”
In addition to Healy, Bridgers’ Boygenius bandmates — Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus — also made an appearance during her opening set, which included the trio’s song “Cool About It.”
When Swift revealed her next album
The Nashville crowd went wild on May 5 when Swift revealed onstage that her next studio album will be a re-recording of her 2010 record “Speak Now.” Out July 7, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” will mark Swift’s third re-recorded album (following her versions of “Fearless” and “Red”) on the singer’s quest to redo her entire back catalog.
“I’ve been planning something for a while,” Swift said Friday as the audience collectively shrieked in anticipation.
“You know how I love to plan things, and you know how I love to surprise you with things that I’ve been planning ... It’s my love language with you. I plot, I scheme, I plan and then I get to tell you about it. So I think rather than me speaking about it, I thought I would just show you.”
Swift proceeded to perform an acoustic version of the popular “Speak Now” track “Sparks Fly” as the artwork for her forthcoming album appeared on the screen behind her. After the concert, the musician confirmed that six previously unreleased songs “from the vault” will also appear on the forthcoming record.
“I first made ‘Speak Now,’ completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20,” Swift tweeted on May 5.
“The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing … and living to speak about it.”
When Swift cut her hand
Swift was performing at Houston’s NRG Stadium over the weekend when fans noticed a bloody gash on her hand and expressed concern for the “Love Story” hitmaker on social media.
On Monday, Swift explained via Twitter that the injury occurred when she took a tumble backstage.
“For those asking how I cut my hand, I’m totally fine and it was my fault completely — tripped on my dress hem and fell in the dark backstage while running to a quick change — braced my fall with my palm,” she wrote.
“It was all very Mercury in retrograde coded. Don’t worry about me I’m gooooood.”
True to form, the “Cruel Summer” artist shook it off and kept going without so much as a bandage to cover the fresh wound.
When Swift seemed to assure fans she was OK after Alwyn split
At one of Swift’s Tampa shows, a fan reportedly held up a sign bearing a simple message: “You OK?”
The concertgoer was apparently alluding to the singer’s recent breakup with her actor boyfriend of six years, Joe Alwyn. Though Swift hasn’t commented publicly on the split, she reacted to the sign by giving the fan an emphatic thumbs up from the stage — signaling to some worried Swifties that she is all right following their separation.
Though the words on the sign aren’t visible in a viral TikTok video of the moment, the TikTok user filled in the gaps by captioning the clip, “I dont think ill ever get over the fact that someone held up a sign ‘you ok?’ And taylor responding with a [thumbs-up emoji].”
“This is actually so comforting to watch after more than a week of being concerned about her,” @taylenarare tweeted. “Her little smile afterwards makes it even 10 times better.”
“this brings me so much joy,” tweeted @swiftievamps. “i’m glad she’s okay.”
However, others interpreted the thumbs up differently and shamed people for reading too much into Swift’s gestures and personal life.
“This is the most unserious thumbs up I’ve ever seen,” tweeted @tays_dreamgirl.
“Stop trying to analyse her guys her personal feelings are not a puzzle for us to solve,” tweeted @tiedwithaswift.
“she looks like she’s responding to a man who just told her to smile more,” tweeted @meanlore.
When she encountered a wardrobe malfunction
At another Tampa performance, Swift encountered a minor hiccup when the garter on her left leg began to fall off during the “Midnights” portion of her set.
In footage from the show, Swift notices the issue while performing “Lavender Haze,” finishes the song and then solicits help from her backup singers, who dutifully and quickly remove the garment from her thigh as she transitions into the next number without missing a beat.
“I love her,” @doublezercs tweeted. “Such a pro.”
“she is such a pro!!” echoed @FridayApparel15. “gives it all for her fans. the mental strength to push through and keep going and make it fun. she deserves allllllllllll the praise and billions for this tour!!”
When Billy Joel and fam showed up in Tampa
Billy Joel wins the No. 1 dad award for attending one of Swift’s Tampa concerts with his wife and young daughters.
On Instagram, the musician posted a video of his kids rocking out to Swift’s performance of the “Reputation” track “...Ready For It?” at Raymond James Stadium.
A sweet photo of Joel and fam posing with Swift backstage has also been making the rounds on social media.
“Rockin’ into our new ‘era,’” Joel captioned his Instagram post, “thank you @Taylorswift we loved the show!”
When Aaron Dessner joined the party
The National band member, music producer and Swift collaborator Aaron Dessner joined his longtime pal onstage during her April 14 and 15 concerts in Tampa.
Swift and Dessner both strummed their guitars for an acoustic rendition of the “Midnights (3am Edition)” tune “The Great War” on Friday; while Dessner returned to play piano for the “Folklore” song “Mad Woman” on Saturday — two tracks Dessner helped write and produce.
“Thank you to the unforgettably epic crowds and to @aaron_dessner for coming out to play twice with me, we’ve been dreaming about that for so long!!” Swift tweeted. “So grateful for the memories we’re making on this tour.”
“Playing the Great War for the first time in Tampa....Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine getting to play a song for 80,000 people on acoustic guitar with @taylorswift,” Dessner wrote on Instagram. “eternally grateful for all the music we have made and your friendship The #tstheerastour is the greatest show I’ve ever seen!!!!!”
When Swift encountered some technical difficulties
A portion of the Eras tour set in which Swift usually dives headfirst through a trap door in the stage (see our blurb about the diving stunt below) did not go as planned April 13 in Tampa.
In video footage from the show, the “All Too Well” singer can be seen looking down at the floor and waiting patiently for the green light to jump. After the splash sound effect has already come and gone, Swift appears to jokingly shout, “What the f—,” to the crew below the stage before laughing and completing the dive a little later than intended.
“She handled it like a pro,” tweeted @MiamiChristine.
“help i live for the tour fails,” tweeted @70severmore.
“this show has been so chaotic and I love it,” tweeted @AHAJ_.
When Tampa became Taympa
On April 10, the mayor of Tampa, Fla., rolled out the welcome wagon early for Swift, who is scheduled to play three shows at Raymond James Stadium April 13-15.
In a video posted on Twitter, Mayor Jane Castor attempted to one-up the other Eras tour cities by offering Swift a key to Tampa and inviting her to serve as honorary mayor for a day.
“We know Glendale changed its name, Arlington made a street sign and Vegas illuminated their gateway arches,” Castor said.
“But here in Tampa, we’ve got a reputation to uphold. We want to go bigger. ... Mayor Swift has a nice ring to it. We can’t wait to welcome you and your fans to Tampa — Taylor’s version.”
When Swift added a timely breakup song to her set
Sure, Swift has plenty of breakup songs. But the timing of this particular set-list addition raised eyebrows on social media after reports surfaced that the “Lover” artist and her boyfriend of six years, Joe Alwyn, had called it quits.
On April 8, several outlets reported that the “Willow” singer and the “Favourite” actor had ended things “a few weeks ago.” At her March 31 show in Arlington, Texas, Swift changed the opening number of her “Folklore” act from “Invisible String” (a song about two people destined to be together) to “The 1” (a ballad mourning a past relationship).
Coincidence? Swifties think not.
Multiple outlets have reported that singer Taylor Swift and actor Joe Alwyn have split after six years. Here’s what we know about the breakup.
“We should’ve realized taylor and joe broke up when she switched invisible string on the setlist to the 1,” @MidoriCseh tweeted.
“Her replacing invisible string with the 1??” @phillyphilly_g tweeted. “unfortunately the math is kinda mathing.”
“Changing the setlist from invisible string to the 1,” @N3WR0MANT1CS tweeted. “Oh My God.”
When Swift appeared to emerge from a cleaning cart
The Swiftie sleuths are at it again — and this time, they might have cracked the case.
Not long after the Eras tour began, fans started to speculate on social media that the production crew had been using a giant cleaning-supply cart to smuggle Swift into each venue before showtime.
During the first week of April, a TikTok video of Swift appearing to emerge from said cleaning cart backstage at one of her Arlington shows seemed to confirm the theory.
“we all knew it but it’s so good to see it fully confirmed,” one TikTok user posted along with a crying-laughing emoji.
“Lol y’all need to stop,” another person commented, “now she has to get a new hiding cart.”
“Taylor is going to see this and change it up to fool the next crowds,” a third person wrote, “watch.”
When Selena Gomez and her sister enjoyed a girls’ night out
During her April 1 concert in Arlington, Swift got a sweet visit from bestie Selena Gomez — who hails from Texas — and her 9-year-old sister, Gracie.
The “Only Murders in the Building” star and her little sis arrived at the show in their Eras tour best: Gomez donned a “Folklore”-inspired cardigan while Gracie wore a purple “Speak Now”-esque dress.
In footage from the concert, Swift can be seen handing her black fedora to Gracie in the audience while singing her “Red” anthem “22.”
“Thank you bestie for having me and my sissy transport into your mystical, euphoric and special world,” Gomez captioned an Instagram video of her and her sister enjoying Swift’s live performance of “Delicate.”
“Proud to know you! love you forever and always.”
When Swift performed ‘Cowboy Like Me’ live
At her Las Vegas concert on March 25, Swift performed the “Evermore” song “Cowboy Like Me” with singer Marcus Mumford live for the first time.
The performance ignited a wave of jealousy on social media among fans of the deep-cut track.
“everyone knows that cowboy like me is my favorite song i know for a fact that no one in that stadium listens to it 3 dozen times in a row every day before and after school what is this,” tweeted @hahahahhhahah_.
“the people in the seats right in front of them better understand the weight of what they have been given,” tweeted @igetmystified.
“i don’t like [that] it didn’t happen to ME ... but good for y’all i guess,” tweeted @ivytorch.
When she plugged Lana Del Rey’s new album
Swift took a moment to promote new music from friend and collaborator Lana Del Rey during her March 24 show in Las Vegas. Del Rey released her ninth studio album, “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” the day of the concert.
“I’m going to talk about another artist, but that artist is not here, OK? This is not a bit,” Swift said before giving a shout-out to Del Rey.
“I’m not going to bring somebody out here. You’re stuck with me. We do not have guests at this show. ... I’m not lying to you. I would not do that.”
After plugging Del Rey’s latest record, Swift performed her “Midnights” collab with the singer, “Snow on the Beach,” during the “surprise songs” portion of the show.
“Lana Del Rey put out a new album. ... It’s so good. ... It’s extraordinary, and I just think she’s the best that we have,” Swift told the crowd. “She knows I’m obsessed with her, and she was kind enough to make a song with me.”
When she did the ‘Bejeweled’ TikTok dance
During the “Midnights” stretch of her Glendale show, Swift proved she could still make the whole place shimmer by frolicking around the stage in a sparkly, fringed bodysuit.
While performing the popular track “Bejeweled” on Friday, the artist paid subtle homage to her fans by strutting down the catwalk, twirling and wiggling her fingers. The whimsical move hails from a viral TikTok dance trend started by @mikaelarellano, who reacted in disbelief to Swift executing his choreography in concert.
“SHE DID THE TREND OMG DEAD RIP ME DEAD I DIED,” tweeted @MollyRhapsody.
“NOT THE TIKTOK DANCE,” tweeted @tvoodooirl.
When she dived ... into the stage?
At one point during her Eras tour set, Swift transitions from one song to the next by diving — yes, diving — through a trapdoor in the stage. And fans were not ready for it.
The ambitious stunt requires Swift to plummet headfirst through a narrow opening, while a projection of her swimming through water lights up the stage to complete the illusion. In footage from the concert, fans can be heard gasping and shrieking in shock as the musician leaps into the void.
Here’s a breakdown of every Taylor Swift lyric politicians weaponized at the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Ticketmaster and Live Nation hearing.
“aside from being a 12-time grammy winner, a doctor, a director, one of the most acclaimed songwriter of the music industry, and having a record breaking career in the arts, taylor swift is now searching for that swimming olympic medal, look at that dive,” tweeted @invisibleday.
“Aight I see why she shutdown Ticketmaster,” tweeted @PrinceHAK33M. “This is entertainment.”
Even Olympic swimmer and gold medalist Katie Ledecky waded into the diving discourse, applauding Swift’s “10/10” form.
“Three-hour shows. @taylorswift13 is definitely a distance swimmer,” the athlete tweeted.
When Swift’s hair defied gravity
Sparks flew and Swift’s signature blond locks unexpectedly stole the show March 17 when static electricity caused the Grammy winner’s hair to stick straight up during the “Red” portion of her Glendale set.
A video of “Electro Taylor” belting “I Knew You Were Trouble” has been making the rounds on social media, where fans have been quoting electricity-themed Swift lyrics with abandon.
Taylor Swift has added 17 more shows to her already expanded Eras tour, including two more gigs in Los Angeles, ‘due to unprecedented demand for tickets.’
“i’ve been laughing all day over this,” tweeted @Princess_emm4.
“This is going to be in swifties meme book for years,, oh eras tour youre givin a lot already,” tweeted @archie90551174.
It’s unclear exactly what prompted the phenomenon (one too many fabric-rustling quick changes perhaps?), but there’s no denying that Swift’s performance was electrifying.
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