I wasn’t alive when the Beatles came to the U.S. in the 1960s but I’ve seen some video clips of fervent fans aching for a glimpse of the famous foursome.
The Beatles tour in 1964 was the stuff of legends. It spanned the U.S. in just a month with the band playing show after show after show, earning tons of money along the way.
“Perhaps no musical act before or since will ever rival the Beatles on their groundbreaking tour of 1964,” wrote Chuck Gunderson in 2014 around the 50th anniversary of the tour.
But nearly 60 years later, Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is not just topping the Beatles’ legendary run — it is utterly smashing it. And now Canada will get its turn to show its stuff in 2024.
Before Swift announced her six shows in Toronto, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau practically begged the star to come.
“I know places in Canada would love to have you. So, don’t make it another cruel summer,” Trudeau posted in response to Swift on the X platform, formerly called Twitter.
While Trudeau is probably just like the rest of us — that is, a true Swiftie at heart — there’s also the added economic benefit of a concert of her calibre. A guest on the Vassy Kapelos Show on Wednesday, Aug. 9, said an estimated 31 million people signed up for tickets for the Toronto shows, which is just over 75% of Canada’s population.
Yet Trudeau’s fandom is also an example of how Swift’s music and shows are connecting with fans across generations. Anyone from about the age of five onward can probably find joy through her songs.
That bandwagon effect is even hitting Squamish, which to be frank doesn’t usually hop on the popular trends. Believe me when I say that people here are talking about Taylor, myself included, and hoping for a chance to see her perform. My partner is even hoping for a second chance to see her. (Shh, don’t tell anyone.)
Swift’s U.S. leg of the tour topped $1 billion dollars in gross ticket sales. Stadiums topped attendance records. A small earthquake happened in Seattle during one of her performances. Other celebrities are clamouring for a view of the pop star.
A phenomenon like this is honestly unseen and unheard of before, and it seems unlikely to end anytime soon as Swift ‘can’t stop, won’t stop moving’ across the globe.
There are so many unique factors that amalgamated at the same time to make the tour become such a monocultural event. But there are so many smarter people than me waiting to distill those influences into think pieces and books and documentaries that I won’t bore you now.
But make no mistake that whether you live in 撸奶社区or Toronto or literally anywhere else, this is Taylor Swift’s world.
And we’re riding shotgun with our hair undone in the front seat of her car.
