The shrieking of anticipation had already begun by 6:30 p.m. The dress code included jean shorts, plaid shirts, loosely curled hair and cowboy boots. Girls, both young and young at heart, waited for Taylor Swift to make them believe in fairy tale endings.
The show began right on time with opening band Gloriana. They started off the girl-fest with "You Said," a song they described as being about “a guy who made promises he could not keep.” Gloriana had a strong performance with clear vocals and perfect harmonies. By the time they finished with "Wild at Heart," they had the audience dancing.
Kellie Pickler, a season five American Idol alumna, followed, wearing fabulous sparkly heels and carrying a matching shiny microphone. She could have been more energetic considering the mood of the event, but the girl can sure sing.
And then the much anticipated moment. The curtain pulled up, revealing Swift and her band, playing "You Belong With Me." The band geek and cheerleader costumes were a nod to the music video. Swift’s uniform ripped away to reveal a trademark sparkly dress amid the roar of thousands of girls.
This was it. Taylor Swift’s first headlining tour had hit Ottawa.
The audience was part of the performance, singing every word of every song with her. Swift’s voice was sincere, as she told stories about boys and life lessons. She was the right mix of dramatic, cheeky, vengeful and bubbly. In short, a performer.
Before starting "Forever and Always," a video clip on the many screens showed Swift in an interview confirming the names of guys in her songs as being real. She answered truthfully why she thought guys would want to date her, knowing that they could be next to appear in a Swift song.
“Well, I guess in that situation, if guys don’t want me to write bad songs about them, they shouldn’t do bad things,” Swift answered.
Swift had a few surprises for the audience up her sleeve, like appearing right in the crowd for "Hey Stephen." Her smile was contagious. Swift pranced around the stage like the superstar she is.
She was encouraging, embracing her status as a role model. For "Fifteen," she picked up her twelve string guitar and talked about her guitar teacher. She said he once told her she would never be able to play one because her “hands would always be too small.” She proved him wrong as she launched into the melody, grinning.
Swift did not hold herself aloof. She handed out hugs liberally and made the audience feel like she was their biggest fan.
At one point she looked out in awe of the audience’s adoration and said, “Ottawa, I hope you know how happy you have made me tonight.”
She took the audience by the hand and pulled them into her world. Fearless.