When Taylor Swift announced the Eras Tour in 2022, I knew I wanted to go. The moment the verified fan portal opened I registered and waited for over two hours. My mom also registered for different shows hoping to increase our odds of getting a code. She started looking at hotels and travel plans, while I scheduled my week so that when the tickets went on sale, I would be ready.
Sadly, all of that planning and excitement quickly turned to disappointment. Neither of us got a code. I went to band practice that day and listened to everyone talk about how excited they were to get codes and which shows they were going to get tickets for. When asked which show I was going to, I optimistically responded that I was hoping to get something in the general sale since I didn’t receive a code… but I’m sure we all know how the general sale turned out (it didn’t happen, for those who didn’t know.)
The tour dates close to me came and went. Taylor announced 2024 tour dates in the U.S. and I couldn’t get a presale code for those either. I eventually accepted the fact that I was going to have to experience this tour solely through TikTok and that was okay.
That was until she announced that there would be a concert film!
I marked my calendar and started looking forward to the movie’s release. I learned all about the popcorn buckets and cups being sold. I knew the movie was being released on a football game weekend, and that I wouldn’t be able to go until Sunday of the release weekend. Nevertheless, I planned.
The lead-up to the movie stressed me out. Since I couldn’t go to the tour and get merch, I wanted to get whatever was available for this movie. Social media has this way of causing panic that makes getting things sold in limited quantities hard. Despite not being able to see the movie until Sunday, I was getting one of those popcorn buckets, no matter what it took.
The AMC Theater here in Tallahassee opens around noon each day. I was there at 1:30 p.m. on opening day to collect my bucket. There was no one there at this hour, so it was a super easy process. The few people that were there were either seeing the movie or trying to get the buckets. I walked out of the theater with everything AMC was selling. Thankfully I didn’t have to fill the popcorn bucket right then, and I was able to wait until I actually saw the movie!
The day I watched the movie finally arrived. I finally got to experience The Eras Tour on something larger than a phone screen. The movie was playing every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. I didn’t have an exact time I wanted to go but the moment I clicked the 2:15 p.m. showing, I knew it was the one for me. Why this particular showing, you may ask? The theater was empty. No one had bought a ticket yet.
I waited until the last minute to buy a ticket so I could almost guarantee that I would get the theater to myself. As I stood in line to get my snacks, I saw the sign that said they were sold out of all the cups and buckets. I felt like a crazy person for coming two days earlier to get mine, but I didn’t feel too crazy after seeing that sign.
I got my pink popcorn bucket filled, put a Coke Icee in my cup, and made my way to my private showing. As the trailers played, it set in that I was really going to get this large room to myself. I was so excited. I could sing and dance and run up and down the aisles if that’s what I wanted.
I got to take pictures and videos throughout the movie. I danced and sang my heart out. It felt like I was at a live concert at times. It also felt like this movie was made for those of us who didn’t get to experience the show in person. I got to see all the little moments that took place during the show, like the dancers’ outfits, the graphics on the screen, and even some of the songs that were never posted on TikTok. It was my first time experiencing more than half of the show.
There were songs cut out of the movie but I didn’t care. I got to see almost the entire show, so missing a few songs didn’t hurt me. I was able to experience some of the joy that all the people I saw attend the tour got to experience. Seeing something live and seeing it on a screen are very different experiences, but I’ll take seeing it this way over never experiencing this tour.
If you haven’t made the decision to go see this concert movie, do it! Find the showing that most appeals to you, whether it’s a packed house or a private showing. The Eras Tour will probably go down in history as one of the biggest tours of this decade. Not everyone was able to experience it in person, but this movie makes it possible for everyone to enjoy this cultural moment.
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