Taylor Swift, who has a hit song called “Midnight Rain,” lived up to the billing Sunday night at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Even though storms delayed her downtown concert until after 10, the mega-star didn’t cancel. Rather she played in a torrential downpour until well after 1 am.
While many artists would have called it a night and canceled, Swift showed why she is the biggest star in music as she powered through more than two hours to the delight of soaked fans.
It didn’t look good initially, as one hour ahead of the scheduled concert time, announcements appeared on big screens and social media warning attendees to shelter in place or stay in their cars if they had not gone inside yet. That warning remained from around 5:30 until around 9:45. That is generally a death blow for a concert, as artists tend not to want to get wet nor stick around that long with busy travel schedules they have.
The 70,000 or so that remained were treated to a memorable experience. As the rain came down in buckets, Swift said:
“It’s officially a rain show,” the “Shake It Off” composer told the crowd when the skies opened up during her performance. But rather than ending the concert early, Swift kept playing and making jokes.
“This is something we’re all doing together. It’s like such a bonding experience,” she said during the “Red” portion of her “Eras”-themed show. “We’re all gonna leave here tonight looking like we just went through five car washes… People will be like, ‘Where were you? Several wars?’ And you’re like, ‘No, I just went to the Eras Tour. It’s fine.’”
WELL. We had our first rain show of The Eras Tour. And it was SO MUCH FUN. The dancers, band, crowd and I all pretty much turned into little kids joyfully jumping in puddles all night. I wanted to thank the crowd again for waiting for the weather to clear. And my amazing crew for… pic.twitter.com/OqdtiQaGhU
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 9, 2023
As the clock approached 1 a.m., Swift brought out a surprise guest and continued playing.
At almost 1 a.m. Swift began her “surprise songs” portion of the performance, Variety noted. The National singer Aaron Dessner joined Swift onstage to perform the “Midnights” bonus track “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve.” He was soaking wet as well.
“You guys have been through a lot tonight,” Swift told the crowd. “We all look like we were sprayed by a garden hose. We all look like river otters.”
It is rare these days that a performer will give everything they have to their fans, regardless of the circumstances. The industry is littered with artists that are only interested in cashing a paycheck and getting out of town. Backing tracks, lip-syncing, and substance abuse are far too common and affect live performances too often. When a young superstar like Swift defies the weather and gives everything she has to her fans, even the haters must give it up. You may not like her type of music, but the commitment is undeniable.
At the end of the show, Swift instructed fans to “make some noise for my phenomenal dancers who danced in the rain for you all night. … The fact that you stayed for us, that you gave us everything you had — we love you so much, Nashville. We will never forget this night.”
Fans in attendance will always remember that concert for the weather and for Taylor Swift.
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