Swift brings her star power to H-Town
Taylor Swift tells her sold-out concert fans that Houston “has been historically one of my favorite places to play shows” and noted “it’s where my parents got married.”
Taylor Swift’s charmed life has always seemed a bit like a musical. Seemingly simple country girl pines about lost loves and being an outsider. She gives voice to legions of other girls and becomes the biggest star in the world.
That’s not hyperbole. Swift’s last three albums each sold more than 1 million copies their first week of release. She just picked up the MTV Video Music Award for video of the year. And the 1989 World Tour is selling out arenas most pop stars couldn’t fill.
Swift is no stranger to massive local audiences. Wednesday’s show at Minute Maid Park was her second time selling out the venue. She first did it in 2011 and played Rodeo Houston in 2009.
“Houston has been historically one of my favorite places to play shows, she told the crowd. “Houston is where my parents got married. Houston is where my mom graduated college (from the University of Houston).”
Swift’s mother, Cathy, surveyed the aisles just before the lights went down and pulled a few giddy fans to the front of the house.
The local connection inspired Swift to include a few surprises. She strummed a guitar and soared above the crowd on a raised runway during “Mean,” which she said was a last-minute addition to the setlist.
Much of the show functioned like a major-scale theatrical experience. She glided through opener “Welcome to New York” and “New Romantics” with the panache of a Broadway star and was flanked by male dancers.
“I’m Taylor,” she cooed to the crowd.
She omitted most of her older, country material. Even “Love Story” was reworked in the style of her newer sound.
Every element, even offstage, sparkled. LED bracelets were taped to the seats and lit up in sync with the music. Cotton candy and glittery skirts were abundant in the crowd. There were wigs and tutus and homemade signs playing on song titles.
“Blank Space” and a radically reworked “I Knew You Were Trouble” were sleek, sweaty and echoed Bob Fosse’s “Chicago.” She donned a pink LED dress and pranced in manufactured rain during “How You Get the Girl.” It was a sweet standout.
The brooding “I Know Places” played like a futuristic riff on “Damn Yankees.” Swift made a convincing femme fatale in thigh-high boots and garters.
Swift ran through most of her excellent “1989” album, including hits “Bad Blood” and “Style.” She dug deep, most notably on ballad “Clean.” It’s a gorgeous collaboration with Imogen Heap that suggests Swift’s just getting started channeling her true sound.
Grainy videos of fans dancing to Swift’s music played before she took the stage. Other clips features fans bursting into tears at the arrival of hand-picked gifts, a time known as “Swiftmas.”
Her surprise guest was rapper Wiz Khalifa, singing “See You Again,” one of the biggest songs of the year.
Vance Joy is a thoughtful singer-songwriter, and he did a good job of transmitting the subtlety of his songs in such a big room. His cover of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” underwhelmed, but original “Riptide” was a pleasantly scrappy singalong.
Shawn Mendes, who cultivated a huge following via the Vine video app, delivered an earnest set of acoustic songs. That the biggest cheers came during his cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” suggests he needs time to grow into his own as a performer.