Live Review and Photo Gallery: Taylor Swift • Night 3 • Soldier Field • Chicago

Brassneck | June 6, 2023

Taylor Swift

Soldier Field

Chicago, IL

June 4, 2023

Review by Riley Vernon. Photos: Aubrey and Riley Vernon

Just when you think she’s peaked, Taylor Swift keeps climbing. The global powerhouse dazzled Soldier Field by wrapping up the final night of three sold-out Chicago shows on her highly anticipated “Eras Tour.” It’s been a long time coming after Swift not only broke records in single-day ticket sales and pre-sale registration — but Ticketmaster’s website. In one of the most highly anticipated tours in history, Swift delivers in presenting the show of a lifetime.

Since her “Reputation Tour” in 2018, Swift has released six albums. 2019’s Lover was positioned to have a limited-stop worldwide tour, but “Loverfest” succumbed to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Swift spent her quarantine writing 2020 sister albums Folklore and Evermore, taking her career to new heights despite the trying times. 2021 brought Swift’s dually anticipated re-recorded albums Fearless and Red — aptly suffixed as “Taylor’s Version” — both of which outsold their originals. In October 2022, Swift dropped her newest original album, Midnights (3am Edition), in a two-part release. Just when you think a tour could slow her roll, Swift announced the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in the middle of her set last month, scheduled to be released on July 7th. Since then, Swift has released two brand new bonus tracks and two remixed tracks on Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition) while announcing the Latin American leg of The Eras Tour for later this year. There is no stopping Taylor Swift, and this tour is a testament to her undeniable passion and endurance. Swift proves her success incomparable to any artist of her stature, delivering a “greatest hits” run at the currently perceivable height of her career. Within the social frenzy exists a nearly 3.5-hour, 44-song live set that makes even a football stadium feel like an intimate affair.

Soldier Field opened the night with Gracie Abrams, performing for her fifteenth time as an opener for Swift. A stellar artist in her own right, Abrams serenaded an early crowd with five songs, three of which are on her newest album—Good Riddance— released in February. Rounding out the opening acts for Chicago’s Eras Night 3 was the indie-pop trio MUNA. A hometown show for lead singer Katie Gavin, MUNA commanded the arena with infectious energy. Taking their set up, down, and around the catwalk, the group had everyone on their feet. Ending their set with their hit “Silk Chiffon,” MUNA was a fantastic closure to a momentous weekend of opening acts at Soldier Field.

As the time neared 8:00 pm, a ticking clock appeared across every screen in the arena. Lesley Gore’s 1963 hit, “You Don’t Own Me,” roared through the arena as the countdown neared zero. A hazy melody of Swift’s title tracks and previous tour openings leads us into the artist’s shimmering reveal. Opening with “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince,” we were immediately enveloped in the Taylor Swift experience. Spanning 17 years and ten albums, the show takes you on a journey through Swift’s reinventive “eras” as each flashing epoch feeds into the next. With something to satisfy everyone, her set extends from her biggest smash hits to her fan-favorite deep cuts. Embodying her range becomes meaningful to even the casual fan, despite one of the most ambitious, well-rehearsed crowds a concert could offer.

The multifaceted sensation of Swift’s career is flawlessly represented in each era — from world-class visuals, immersive stage design, gleaming costumes and signature flashing colored wristbands for each seat. Complete with an extended stage and strategic choreography, the larger-than-life production of the show threatens to dwarf an artist— but not Taylor. Somehow jumping from the devastating emotional neglect of “Tolerate It” to the sultry potency of “Ready For It…?” Swift manages to be smooth and natural. The organization of each era seems lawless at first glance but works to seamlessly stream together each album and captivate a continuously engaged audience — even if your sore feet and aching back may not recognize it.

In a massive multi-destination tour that only seems to be expanding, Swift still manages to make each show feel special. Shifting costumes and momentary spoken chats with the audience are complimented by Swift’s “Surprise Songs.” Each night, she performs two additional songs from her discography in an acoustic set within the show. Making the decisions in a self-described “imprecise science,” Swift has vowed never to repeat a surprise song on the tour —unless she fumbles or the track is on Midnights. Night one heard 1989 standout “I Wish You Would” and folklore bonus track “the lakes,” for which the artist credited Lake Michigan as her motivator. Night two featured special guest Maren Morris, joining Swift on Fearless (Taylor’s Version) track “You All Over Me [From The Vault]” accompanied by “I Don’t Want To Live Forever” on piano. Stakes were high after an unpredictable weekend of surprise songs, and Swift did not disappoint. Night three wrapped Chicago’s surprise songs with the live debut of “Hits Different,” a Midnights track released on streaming just last week. Despite its freshness, the crowd bellowed each word, completing background vocals for the stripped-back performance. Finishing off on piano was “The Moment I Knew,” a Red bonus track that has Taylor grappling with a no-show lover at her 21st birthday party. A special set of songs for a special audience made even this cosmic show feel like a clandestine meeting.

The Era’s Tour left many audience members likely uttering, “That was the best show I have ever seen,” as they shuffled out of Soldier Field. From the falling snow confetti of “All Too Well” to the glowing fireworks during the closing track “Karma,” the Era’s tour is a moment in time that every audience member will pass down like folk songs. The world moves on but one thing’s for sure: Chicago was enchanted to meet Taylor Swift.

P.S. Taylor, if you’re reading this, I promise I didn’t see you swallow that bug.

Setlist Soldier Field 6/4:

Tour Intro (Lover Era Intro)