It's been going on for what feels like forever, but the time has finally come for The Eras Tour to come to an end. While the internet is littered with theories about the significance of an orange door and what all that means, I can only focus on one thing: Taylor Swift is coming to my city of Indianapolis, and I'm tired of being told I need to appreciate it.
Taylor Swift is an icon, and the city is doing the most to show it is honored to have been chosen as one of the final stops on her iconic tour. That said, I've seen less red carpet rolled out for several presidents than I have for this event. Not that I'm overly patriotic or anything, but there's just this weird energy to her arrival that feels very off to me. I keep being told by the city and Swifties to appreciate this moment and relish in it, and honestly, I'm beyond tired of hearing it. As someone who is only vaguely aware of her music, I can make enough puns to say I'm having trouble "shaking off" her arrival and feel like I'm being raised in an asylum where I can't last another hour for the following reasons.
The Amount Of Tributes To Taylor Swift Around Town Is Borderline Insanity
If you were to visit Indianapolis right now, it'd be impossible to miss that Taylor Swift's arrival in the city is imminent. That's thanks in no small part to the 330-foot image of her displayed on the JW Marriott downtown hotel, which is bonkers. That alone would be plenty to say, "Wow, they may be overdoing it," but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here's just a quick rundown of some of the wild homages to Swift around Indianapolis
- The dinosaur statues outside the Children's Museum have been fitted with bracelets.
- The street names have been changed to names of Taylor Swift's songs.
- Several parties are planned around town that are themed to celebrate the singer.
- Restaurants are changing their menus to offer Eras Tour-themed offerings.
On top of all that, Beech Grove, a city within the Indianapolis metropolitan area, has renamed itself Beech Grove (Taylor's Version). Fun fact: the city recently made a cameo in the trailer for Will & Harper, as they're seen hanging out in the parking lot of the local Wal-Mart. It's a lot, and while the Swifties around the world may love every minute of it, I can't help but feel like I'm being forcefully subjected to it.
A Vast Majority Attending The Final Stop Won't Be From Indianapolis
Obviously I'm not someone who eagerly awaits upcoming Taylor Swift projects, but I'm not vehemently against her. My daughter and niece like her music, and while it's not my jam, I appreciated the idea that people who were fans in the area would get a chance to see the biggest artist in the world and have that memory to look back on.
Then I learned from local Indianapolis reporter Eric Graves that over 89% of ticket-buyers were from outside of the city, so a vast majority of the Swifties here won't even get to see her on any of the three nights she's performing at Lucas Oil Stadium. Business owners and Indianapolis officials are salivating at the revenue of somewhere in the ballpark of 200,000 people coming in to spend money, and that's valid. This event puts a big spotlight on the city, and hopefully convinces others it is worthy of future mega-events.
At the same time, it's depressing to see an event that is so significant to a fandom has effectively been shut out to the local population. It makes it feel more like a highly profitable concert that just happens to take place in Indianapolis and not something for the people of the city at all.
Through No Fault Of Taylor Swift, This Is All Making Me Anti-Taylor Swift
This whole experience has to be like what it feels like during the holiday season if you don't personally celebrate Christmas. Even if you have no interest in it, there's no escaping it every which way you turn. At the beginning of this month, I rolled my eyes at Bill Belichick, who was groaning at seeing Taylor Swift on television. Now, at the end of this month, I get it.
Taylor Swift has not forced me to listen to her music and buy her merch, but because she has such an immense and fiercely loyal fandom, and is a marketable cash cow to companies, it can sometimes feel that way. There's no logical reason I should know that Swifties are expecting a Reputation announcement on this tour because I don't even really know what that means. But because she's mentioned in every local piece of media I consume, it's inescapable.
I'm genuinely someone who best lives by the philosophy of letting others live and not just hating something for the sake of it, but everyone has a breaking point. While it's a celebration for many, I can't help but think my perception of Taylor Swift and her legacy has been irreparably changed by The Eras Tour stopping in Indianapolis, through no fault of her own.
Disliking the hullabaloo and consumerism surrounding the city in wake of T-Swift's arrival basically just has me feeling like a grumpy old man. Granted, I'm not so bitter I'm going to start digging through the videos about her talking about P. Diddy. I should be as jazzed as many others are about this monumental weekend coming up, but instead I'm silently stewing that downtown will be a mess and just waiting for it to be over. I'm not sorry, no no.
The Eras Tour arrives in Indianapolis from November 1st to the 3rd, and it will be the final stop in the United States for the iconic tour. While I may not have an ear to the ground on relevant updates regarding Taylor Swift, there's no shortage of Swifties on the CinemaBlend staff who are, so stick with us for more.
