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CONCERT REVIEW: Taylor Swift wows Detroit crowd

by Bryan Hughes

Posted: 03.28.2010 at 2:21 PM

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Taylor Swift & Kellie Pickler entertained a sold out crowd at the Palace of Auburn Hills, March 27, 2010. / Karen Petzold

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Read more: Entertainment, Taylor Swift, Kellie Pickler, Concert, Tour, Palace of Auburn Hills, Detriot, Michigan

If you, as a teen or pre-teen girl and in some cases a boy, are having a hard time in life or things just aren't fair...you've got a friend in Taylor Swift. It was a night that included the abandonment of reality for the young crowd and one of the largest karaoke sing-a-long's I've ever heard.

As the lights went down and the show began, the screams were deafening. It was an electricity that you wouldn't even begin to expect but this was not your typical crowd. She opened the show with her band uniform that was more glamorous than any one you could ever find at a local band hall. You Belong With Me is that song that you would expect half, if not all of the crowd to be able to connect with. These girls all long for the boy that the head cheerleader is always able to attach to her arm. For us "normal" ones, we just can't seem to catch that elusive one and even if not the case, we seem to be experiencing it all hand in hand this night. She moved on to other songs in what was a 2 hour set of Fearless, 15, Tim McGraw and an interesting version of Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River. (This writer actually remembers seeing Tim McGraw in concert at a dusty, indoor rodeo when he had only one hit with 'Indian Outlaw'.)

She talks of experience growing up and how she wasn't necessarily part of the in-crowd. We know that's not the case now, with sightings and photographic evidence of Taylor Lautner at her side. This concert was something of a fairy tale with the stage transitioning from a high school hallway, to a castle/princess setting, to a starry night and even an interview set with Hoda Kotb of the Today Show. From a technical standpoint, kudos to the designers and the mixing of the instruments and her voice was nearly perfect. If there was anything we can be sure of, it's this: we're transported to a different world when Taylor hits the stage.

The perceived humility, which is repeated each show on the circuit with nearly exact precision, seems amazingly genuine. She's able to bask in the glow of the screams and cheers each time she has a chance to stop and thank the crowd. She showed up in the back of The Palace, to many fans surprise, and followed that up by traipsing through the crowd back to the stage. I timed both of these little jaunts, each taking nearly 3 and 1/2 minutes. While it was long for most of us, It was intimate for the fans and that's what keeps them faithful. She even asked if they would go to CBS.com and vote for her as the ACM Entertainer of the Year, I'm sure other country artists are doing this too. This is the only crowd that has immediate access to their web-ready phones and can text with such ferocity. If the voting had been open, she would have won last night...hands down.

Having near me her mother as the show was starting, you can tell this is a family affair. There's nothing that's not overseen or not intimately dealt with that won't have a mother's touch on this tour. Girls were crying while even seeing Taylor's mom, Andrea. She told me she's a sucker for letting these girls come backstage afterward during the "Tea Party". Some of the privileged fans, who are selected in-house before and during the show, know this happens and nearly beg her for the chance...crying just might get you back there. Robert Allen, who is with 13 Management, and overseeing most of this experience says he's never seen anything like it. Having been in the industry for more than 30 years, he said that he toured with Ozzy and other rock acts who have legions of dedicated fans. He says Taylor's fans are different as they know every single word to every single song she's recorded. This includes the ones that haven't been played on local radio stations. I can confirm this, my ears can bleed this truth but it's worth seeing the incredible smiles on the young faces.

If you want to be a hit with your children, buy a ticket NOW and take them to see Taylor Swift and her opening act, Kellie Pickler. If you want a good show, she'll provide it for you as the innocence of youth is something that we can all smile about, knowing that tougher challenges are just down the road.

Taylor and company, you've got a thumbs up here.

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