Taylor Swift was back at Rupp Arena again for another sell out concert, this time for her Speak Now World Tour. Saturday Night’s Concert kicked off with David Nail. Amongst his short playlist was the award nominated song “Turning Home”. He doesn’t have that rough-and-tough country sound; it’s soulful, more sophisticated. He was a great opening act and really easy to look at!

Next up Needtobreathe, great band! Influenced by Tom Petty and Pearl Jam they really got the crowd moving and wondering, who are these guys and where did they come from? This group really has a unique sound. With songs like “Girl from Tennessee” and “Drive all Night” their sound resembled folk-rock; but with “Oohs and Ahhs” they sounded similar to Kings of Leon. I hope others took some time Sunday morning to download more songs by Needtobreathe; like I did! I appreciated that Taylor Swift picked a group that was a little off the beaten path; It was a nice change of pace to hear a group not-so country opening for a country superstar.

Taylor Swift took the stage with “Sparks Fly” and I had never heard screams so shrill! Little girls all over the world definitely look up to her; and why wouldn’t they when she writes all of her own songs? She’s quite talented; not only can she play the guitar but she played a 12 string guitar, piano and a ukulele. The stage set was also incredible. There were trap doors in the stage floor that the dancers were popping in and out off; she even arose from the ground with her white piano at one point. She moved to the back of the arena and sat on a glowing tree that was suspended from the ceiling; played guitar and sang while it slowly spun. One word to summarize this show: Dramatic. Between the ballet dancers, rope swinging trapeze dancers, back up dancers, actors, her awesome band, and finally travelling across the arena sky in a make-shift balcony where she sang her hit song “Love Story”… there was so much to see.

It was a family-friendly show but fun for those of us in the 25+ age range, too! Taylor’s songs are relatable whether you’re 15 or 45; all of her songs are about new love and heartbreak (and of course “Revenge”)… doesn’t that sum up every girl’s life? There were guys in the audience, too! Whether they were forced to come with girlfriends or daughters, I’d be willing to bet that those guys enjoyed the show, too. It’s easy to see why she can sell out a concert in a matter of minutes. She appears to be humbled by the die-hard fans that make glowing t-shirts and signs and expressed her gratitude to the 16,000 fans that came out. Great show Taylor! Thanks for coming back to Lexington!

Blogged by: Emily Dowd
Photos by: Paul Hooper