“Long live” the Eras Tour — Direct message WTOP photos of your moviegoing experience this weekend on our Facebook or Instagram and mention where the pictures were taken to potentially be featured on our website and social media platforms.
Are you ready for it? Taylor Swift may not have performed in the D.C. region during the first leg of her Eras Tour, but the concert is coming to a theater near you starting Thursday, after a surprise early release announced on her Instagram Wednesday night.
Fans are swiftly heading to theaters around the D.C. area this weekend for the film’s opening — let the games begin.
A lot going on at the moment
Swift’s film was initially slated for Friday, Oct. 13, and while the original date may spook some — 13 is her lucky number (in correspondence to her birthday: Dec. 13, 1989). It will play in theaters for 13 weeks, which is far longer than most concert movies.
The singer is known for “Easter eggs” with clues to future projects hidden throughout her social media posts and music videos.
The film isn’t the only release on Swift’s calendar this month — she’s also rereleasing her album 1989 (Taylor’s Version) which holds hits like “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off,” which launched her into pop stardom in 2014.
When moviegoing and concertgoing intersect
Though many fans (particularly ones who couldn’t get tickets to the show) are treating the film like a concert, there is some debate within the Swiftie online community over whether theaters hold separate etiquette.
“It depends on what other people are doing, because if other people are trying to enjoy the movie, I would probably sit down and let them enjoy it,” Natalie Hash, 12, said. “But like, if they’re sitting up, and singing, I’ll do that too. I’ll follow the crowd.”
Others are more committed to shaking it off.
“I will be dancing and the people around me are probably going to get pretty annoyed because I will definitely be singing probably pretty loud,” Ada Wavra, 13, said, giggling.
Her mom, Star Wavra, of Warrenton, Virginia, agreed that moviegoers will be singing and dancing along. The two are watching the film opening night in Gainesville.
“It’s a little hard to imagine what that’s going to be like in a movie theater,” Star, 45, said. “I’m wondering what the theater next to us is going to hear because I just have a feeling it’s gonna be very loud and fun and a lot like the concert, especially for the people who didn’t get tickets or haven’t gotten tickets and they want that experience.”
AMC Entertainment is the theatrical distributor of the movie. Of course, the movie will also be playing in its theaters. AMC has put out guidelines for moviegoers on its website.
Those guidelines encourage singing, dancing, making friendship bracelets and taking selfies (but not videos of the screen). But the group is also asking Swifties to “please be respectful of other guests enjoying the concert film or other movies at AMC.”
WTOP has reached out to AMC for comment but didn’t hear back ahead of this article’s publication.
So, how exactly are fans turning a trip to the movies into a concert experience?
Mason jars full of friendship bracelets
Like the concert, fans have been preparing for the show, in part by making friendship bracelets.
That practice came after a lyric in the song “You’re on Your Own, Kid” on Swift’s 2022 “Midnights” album, which calls to the listener to “Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.” The content of these bracelets range from jokes to song lyrics.
Sarah Hash, 41, and her 12-year-old daughter Natalie are watching the concert film on Saturday in Gaithersburg, Maryland. They seem to have contributed to the sudden influx of bead sales — they even set up a “bracelet making station” in their basement.
“For the past few months, I’ve been making a bracelet every single time I’ve gotten home from school,” Natalie told WTOP. “I have Mason jars full of dozens of bracelets to trade at the movie.”
Natalie is a veteran to the bracelet-making game after attending the Eras Tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Sarah on Mother’s Day last spring.
The planning doesn’t end with the bracelets. Many fans are coming in outfits that represent different eras — or albums — and others are wearing replicas.
Sarah thinks the concert and, subsequently, the film have given people an excuse to feel bejeweled.
“I feel like there was just so many years during the pandemic where people just stayed home,” Sarah said. “They just think people didn’t really care what they look like, so it’s so fun to, specifically, get dressed up.”
Natalie is wearing matching shirts with her friend to the movie, reminiscent of what Swift wore while performing her “Red” Era on tour.
One shirt says “A Lot Going On At The Moment” — which is a callback to a similar look she wore in a music video in 2012. The other shirt states “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” which is the title of a popular track from the same album.
The girls will top the outfits off with a black bolo hat, just like Taylor.
Ada will dress in a “sparkly silver outfit” to go as a “Mirrorball,” which is a track off Swift’s pandemic-era album, “folklore.” That album happens to be Ada’s favorite.
Ada and her mom also attended the Eras Show together in Pittsburgh and she’s trying to relive that experience.
“It was the best night of my entire life,” Ada said.
Video of Ada trading bracelets at The Eras Tour (Courtesy Star Wavra).
Who’s Taylor Swift anyway?
The energy of the concert turned Ada into a Swiftie.
“I’m slowly turning my friends into Swifties because I wasn’t one and now, after I went to the Eras Tour, I saw huge joy in loving something,” she said.
Now when people ask her favorite artist, she has a definitive answer.
The Swifties WTOP spoke with exemplify how the singer has appealed to multiple generations since her debut album was released in 2006.
“I didn’t listen to the same music that my parents listened to,” Sarah said. “So it’s been very interesting … both moms and daughters are liking the same artist.”
The two share a Taylor Swift playlist — which they often play while driving Natalie to swim meets.
“There are times where teenagers don’t really want to hang out with their parents,” Sarah said. “So I’m just soaking all of this up so that we can enjoy the same thing and have this in common.”
Car rides have had a similar effect for the Wavras, except Ada’s taste was rubbing off on her mom this time. Now that Star knows more of the words, “I’m really excited to just hear those again and get to sing along and know the words this time.”
