Feeling 22? Or 9?

In the weeks before Christmas, my co-worker Leahh and I listened to the radio every day for the chance to win tickets to Taylor Swift’s concert on June 2. Poor Leahh…She’d never be caught dead at a Taylor Swift concert (she’s too cool for that!), but she played along and supported me in my endeavor at trying to be “Caller 10” each day when they played the featured song. I did end up as “Caller 1” at one point, but that isn’t Caller 10, is it? :-)And at the end of the week, when I realized that winning them wasn’t going to happen, Ryan and I got online and, at the very moment they went on sale, combined our efforts to nab two prized tickets.  We later learned that the concert sold out within three minutes. Crazy. We paid way more than we intended, and of course there was a $40 processing fee and a $10 online fee, etc., etc. Merry Christmas, Ryley!

And let me tell you…It was all worth it. I know. It was some concert.

Here we are, on our way…. One excited girl! 

Since the concert was going to last past Ryley’s bedtime, we had to make a caffeine stop….

This is where Ryley is so nine. I had let her wear a bit of my lipstick as a “treat.” But the combination of lipstick and frappuccino proved to be too messy for her. I honestly don’t know how she did it. I spent a good five minutes at the lightrail station trying to get the sticky mess off her face. :-) I love that she’s still nine.

As the train pulled up to the Pepsi Center, Ryley was confused and a little disappointed. She had thought Taylor Swift was going to perform in a concert hall, not an arena. That’s when I realized she really had no clue what to expect.

We walked up, and there were girls in Cowboy boots and tutus and red fairy wings. Girls in light-up clothes were holding light-up signs. It was over the top. Lots of pushy mamas. This was definitely the event of the year for some tween girls!

Ryley used the money she’s been saving all spring to buy herself a red t-shirt and a light-up bracelet….

which she promptly changed into as soon as we were inside the venue!

This was a pretty amazing picture of the “tour”…All those semis and buses! The semi-trucks had Taylor’s picture on them. I think this is when I started doubting how much I was going to like the concert….I was getting a “I’m kind of a big deal” vibe. :-)

We totally over-planned and got to our seats way too early.

That gave us plenty of time for Ryley to play with the arena’s red lighting and her iPod’s camera setting:

For me, it was a constant balancing act to save my phone/camera’s battery and memory for the concert itself. And seeing the way Ryley was going wild with hers (taking video of everyone doing “the wave”), I had to be all the more careful with mine. ;-)

There were two opening acts. The first one was a country singer named Joel Crouse. It was ok, but not awesome.

The second one was Ed Sheeran, and oh my goodness, he is amazing. I have to say that he is one of the best “musicians” I’ve ever seen “live.” He is Jason Mraz meets Prince Harry meets Michael Gungor. Super, super talented. I knew I liked his music ahead of time, but I had no idea how impressive he would be. He’s like a one-man band.

We saw him do this live, and it was crazy good: click here.

Then, Taylor Swift!!!! The crowd erupted! Woohoo!!!

Ryley’s very proud of this picture…that she and Taylor are in the pic together! Sweet girl!

This concert was one of the most visually stimulating shows I’ve ever seen…It was sensory overload. Taylor Swift is a great performer, and the show was extremely well-produced. She changed costumes every couple of songs without missing a beat; she changed guitars for every song, it seemed. The stages lifted up into the air, and drummers and background singers were hanging in space. There were dancers in clown costumes, crossing the stage on stilts. Taylor herself flew over the crowd in a special elevated, floating balcony. All of the planning and production fascinates me…the song order and how she got from one stage to the other and back again…the people and man-power and gadgets and costumes….Oh my.

Ryley was overwhelmed, I think, and she just sat there “absorbing” during some of the songs. She was upset that while she had practiced all the songs from the Red album, there were a few that Taylor sang from other albums, and she was not quite as familiar with those. :-) And she was super impressed that Mommy could correctly predict which song was next by the things Taylor would say to introduce them, as well as the opening notes!

Here were some of our favorites…. You can totally hear Ryley singing all the way through “Mean.” ;-) Love it!

Other signs Ryley’s only nine: She was really concerned about her glowing bracelet for a lot of the evening, constantly checking it to make sure it lit up with the beat of the music. She grinned up at me when she recognized a song, waved when Taylor looked up toward our section, and got super sleepy toward the end, leaning into my side. So sweet. And she sang her little heart out!

It was an awesome night, and we had such a blast together! It was a perfect Mommy/daughter bonding experience, and Ryley said it was the most fun she’s had in a long time! Taylor Swift’s music is fun and, for the most part, innocent, and she writes about her feelings… and well, so do I. :-) Girls have lots and lots of feelings, don’t we?

I have to say, the whole thing made me feel a little older than “22,” but Ryley still has a long way to go. Thankfully. :-)