Watching the Eras Tour film was nothing short of a truly cinematic experience. It was more than that even. As we walked in, we immediately saw all sorts of things that showed just how passionate the community was there in Falmouth. Posters for the film were everywhere, along with a photo opportunity and Taylor Swift music playing in the lobby. We enjoyed lounging in the leather, reclining seats of the Falmouth movie theatre, with Taylor Swift’s music in our ears and a high-quality film of the Los Angeles Eras Tour concert, complete with Eras-themed popcorn buckets, and cups. The best part, though, was how the audience made the real Taylor Swift experience come alive right in the theatre. There was friendship bracelet trading, there was singing, and plenty of viewers even danced in the aisles. We have never experienced a movie quite like this. As we settled down in row E5, buzzing with excitement, two very kind women came over to us offering to trade bracelets. They showed us the bracelets almost covering their wrists. Each one was strung with colorful beads of all different shapes and sizes. Each one was unique to a Taylor Swift album or song. The feeling of a stranger offering an item to us was unfamiliar, but we trusted the tradition and traded our bracelets eagerly.
After the two women went back to their seats, we were left with new bracelets, not only symbolizing our favorite albums, but also the kindness of those two people, and the memories we would make that night with each other and even people we had never met before.
Taylor Swift started the concert with a few songs from Lover. Some of the songs included Cruel Summer and The Man. The sets on the stage in LA were well designed and had incredible attention to detail, not to mention the backup dancers and singers overflowing with talent.
As we looked around the movie theatre, we noticed a few people singing along, but later, people started filling in the space behind the seats to dance. By the album Red, we decided to join in on the fun. We filed past the people in our row, careful not to block their view, and made our way towards the back. The choice to move back there was one we did not regret. We had so much fun dancing and laughing and sharing smiles with strangers when the best songs came on. A younger girl was sitting with a sketchpad, illuminated by the isle light, bobbing her head along, and quietly drawing. There were mother-daughter pairs and big groups of friends.
Some people just watched the screen as if they were seeing a normal movie, balancing popcorn on their laps as they swayed to the music. The people in the theatre were experiencing the movie in different ways, but we were all enjoying it the same. The movie, after 2 hours and 45 minutes and an incredible 44 songs, came to an end. The credits appeared on the screen as the lights turned up and the song Long Live began to play.
Singing along, we gathered our things and shuffled out of our row. We stopped to say goodbye to the people who gave us their bracelets. They waved, with the sweetest smiles on their faces. As we left the theatre, thrust into cold autumn air, we could not stop talking about what we had just experienced. Our moms enjoyed the film as well and had much to contribute to the conversation. The four of us agreed that viewing the Eras Tour film was worth every penny. And even if it wasn’t the real thing, the incredible film and fans captured a piece of that magic, making it an experience of our wildest dreams and a time we will never forget.
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