She came in like a wrecking ball (of joy).
Don’t worry, I know that’s Miley Cyrus and not Taylor Swift, but the analogy kind of works.
The Eras Tour has come and gone from Toronto, but the reverberations and rewards are still being felt.
I have to be honest when I say I couldn’t sing you a single Taylor Swift song, so I offer these observations as a “not too Swiftie.”
Everything I saw was positive. Toronto looked great, from the signs to the welcoming atmosphere to Rogers Centre itself.
I loved that even the police horses were decorated for the big event.
I applauded when a TV reporter was gifted a friendship bracelet as she did a live stand-up report outside the venue.
But mostly I adored seeing so many women and girls out enjoying a concert together.
There were grandmas, moms and daughters, sisters, friends showing that women can and do support each other. It was such a strong show of girl power.
I know lots of men were in the audience, too, and kudos to them as well.
It was just so nice to see all ages and genders celebrating together. Three hours of non-stop energy.
I loved seeing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his kids dancing.
Former president Bill Clinton and Hillary were there with their daughter and grandchildren.
Countless celebrities also attended, but it was mostly those young, impressionable girls whose eyes were glowing with excitement to see, in person, someone whose music speaks to them.
Did you see the video of the one little girl who got up on stage and stared at Taylor while asking, “are you real?”
How sweet is that?
Swift seems to be a smart cookie. She is in control of her own destiny.
According to Forbes magazine, she's worth $1.6 billion, making her the wealthiest female musician in the world.
I say “good for her.”
And she’s sharing the wealth.
The city of Toronto anticipated an economic boost of more than $282 million and an influx of 500,000 visitors. They couldn’t pay for that kind of publicity and for a change it was all positive.
Except for the expected stories of scalpers ripping people off for fake concert tickets, and that’s awful, I didn’t hear much in the way of any complaints of violence or excessive noise.
Traffic gridlock? For sure, but isn’t that basically always the case?
Local businesses, from gas stations to hotels to restaurants, were raking in the money.
The Toronto Star reported tattoo parlours were deluged with customers.
New Tribe Tattoo and Piercings, on Queen Street, has been in business for 30 years. Owner Dave Wildenboer is quoted as saying: “We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Fans wanted Taylor portraits, song lyrics, tour names and dates.
I just like her vibe. She isn’t afraid to call out bad boyfriends (in song), or wade into politics or speak out on social issues.
Taylor may be the most famous “childless cat lady.”
She’s out in the world spreading joy and good feelings, making fans happy and doing it in the flashiest of costumes.
But going back to that little girl who asked “are you real?”
From everything I have seen, I say yes. I truly think she is.
