The rain and fog was no match for the hordes of plaid shirts and cowboy hats that flooded Hartford’s XL Center for Taylor Swift’s “Speak Now” concert Wednesday night.
After a quick opening set, regal red curtains opened and Swift emerged to a roar of applause from the nearly sold-out crowd. Fans boasting glow sticks and light-up signs cried out for Swift who, in her gold-fringed mini dress and cowgirl boots, smiled adoringly back.
Basking in the glow of the spotlight, Swift revealed a trail of lyrics down her left arm and a lucky “13” drawn onto her right hand. She shared a few thoughts with the crowd about her tour before jumping right into the first three songs.
Armed with a red guitar and Cirque du Soleil-inspired dancers, she quickly had the audience singing along to songs like “Mine” and “Story of Us.” It wasn’t until Swift exited the stage following a performance of her first single, “Our Song,” that the crowds stopped to breathe and take in all of the excitement.
The calm did not last for long. Swift soon returned to the stage amidst a cloud of metallic confetti, dressed in a powder blue ball gown and perched at a white piano. The entire XL center buzzed as Swift began a seamless mash-up of One Republic’s “Apologize” and her own track, “Back to December.” She continued to power through the set, complete with plenty of eye-catching costume changes and intimate chats with the audience.
Swift connected to her fans with relatable songs about last kisses, first love, breakups, and following dreams. If the echo of the crowd singing along wasn’t enough, a wave of screams overcame the arena when Swift walked through the audience to an illuminated white tree, where she sang to 360 degrees of cheering fans. She even performed a medley of Train’s “Hey Soul Sister,” Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” and her own, “Fearless.”
Swift gave the crowd a well-rounded show, easily transitioning from up-tempo, romantic tracks to “Haunted,” a ballad about lost love. Her dancers added depth to the scene as they performed flips and spins while suspended midair above the stage. The show even included colorful pyrotechnics that poured sparks just feet from where Swift stood with her guitar.
For the last few songs in her set, Swift donned an ethereal nude dress and a sparkling white acoustic guitar. She settled atop a plush sofa and eased into the crowd-pleasing “Fifteen,” while a slideshow of band mates as teenagers played behind her.
Not to be outdone by the elaborate scene from earlier in the show, Swift mounted a moving balcony for her finale performance of “Love Story.” Camera flashes followed the 21-year-old starlet as she hovered through the audience, singing the hit single through every section of the cheering arena.
If Hartford’s turnout was any indication of Swift’s ability to attract loyal fans, then the all-American recording artist is in good shape for the rest of her tour. She showed her many levels of songwriting and humility, and gave the young audience a solid vocal performance.
Swift’s “Speak Now” tour features various opening acts and continues through late November. The next stop for the country-style sensation is the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts this Saturday night.