On March 18th and 19th, 2013, Taylor Swift came to town and played at the Scottrade Center. The show opened with up and coming Brit artist Ed Sheeran. Sheeran stood alone on the stage with only a guitar, but his vocals and talent were enough to fill the arena. He is probably one of the only British artists whose accent is audible when he sings, and he is extremely strong vocally. He closed his set with the hit “The A Team,” and everyone in the arena sang along.

Finally Taylor Swift, the main act came out. The whole concert was a blur of amazing showmanship and theatrical magic. She frequently changed costumes that were covered with sparkles and sequins. Her costumes were elaborate and well planned, and her set was simple, but with the addition of props such as a giant music box, there was an overall “wow” factor.

There were also some familiar performances such as a practically identical performance to her jaw dropping performance of “I Knew You Were Trouble” from the 2013 Brit Awards. Masked dancers and bright flashing lights that added a dramatic mood to room. Also, she ended the show with a similar performance to her grammy version of the pop anthem “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” The Alice in Wonderland whimsical theme was a creative addition to the finale.

There was also a good mix of upbeat pop songs and more emotional ballads. She sang her most popular songs such as “You Belong With Me” and her most recent hit “22”. Although the pop songs were great to dance to, perhaps the most vulnerable moment of the concert was when she sang “All too Well.” It is about the emotional story of one of her relationships, and everything that happened. She got a little bit emotional, but she held it together to sing the song beautifully. It was nice to see her be so real on stage just sitting at her piano rather than jumping around in an elaborate concert.

One of the most unique performances was her new twist on “Love Story.” It started with creepy music and a large music box on stage. It opened, and several ballet dancers popped out of the box. Finally Swift herself came out, and the dancers filled the stage. Swift was all dolled up in a pale pink floor length gown, and waltzed around with one of the dancers dressed as Romeo. It was a unique twist on the Swift classic.

Overall the concert was an outstanding theatrical show. The performances were outstanding and there was no shortage of talent. No one in the arena left without having a great time.