Music

Taylor Swift Boston-area moments we remember ‘All Too Well’ in honor of her 34th birthday

The singer-songwriter has a long history with New England.

By Laura Emde

December 13, 2023

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New England was enchanted to meet you, Taylor Swift. 

Today, Dec. 13, is the singer-songwriter and TIME magazine’s Person of the Year’s 34th birthday (part of the reason why 13 is her lucky number). The last year has been a successful one for her, performing sold out shows on “The Eras Tour” and breaking records with her concert film and “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

Swift has a long history with New England — she performed at an NFL stadium for the first time at Gillette Stadium, and has gone on to host over a dozen concerts there. Additionally, she also owns a mansion in Rhode Island with a song based on it on Swift’s 2020 album “folklore,” called “the last great american dynasty.”

In honor of Swift’s 34th birthday, we’ve compiled a list of some of her best Boston area moments over the course of her career that we still think about in our “Wildest Dreams.”

Her first performance in Massachusetts

Swift first performed in the Bay State in 2008 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, opening for Rascal Flatts on his “Bob That Head” tour. The date of this performance? Sept. 13. Her love for New England was meant to be.

Her first performance in Boston

Less than a year later on July 31, 2009, Swift performed at TD Garden as the opening act for Keith Urban’s “Escape Together” Tour. Swift herself, however, would never headline TD Garden — you’ll see why below.

Her first concert at an NFL stadium

Playing a stadium for the first time is a big deal for any artist, and Swift’s first stadium concert came early on in her career. For the final U.S. stop for the “Fearless Tour” June 5, 2010, Swift performed for a sold out crowd at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

The rain show at the “Speak Now World Tour”

Swift returned to Gillette Stadium for two nights as part of the “Speak Now World Tour” — the first of which had some less-than-ideal weather. Despite the pouring rain, the show went on, resulting in an iconic performance of fan anthem “Long Live,” which you can watch below.

“The Red Tour” and the “1989 World Tour”

Although these tours weren’t full stadium tours, anyone who saw her in Massachusetts might not have known differently. As she moved into the pop genre, Swift performed at Gillette Stadium for two nights on both the 2013 “Red Tour” and the 2015 “1989 World Tour.”

The first woman to headline Gillette Stadium three nights in a row

When Swift announced the 2018 “Reputation Stadium Tour,” it was her first performance at some NFL stadiums across the country. In Massachusetts, however, Swift was making history — she performed three nights at Gillette Stadium for this tour, making her the first woman to headline the stadium three nights in a row.

The “Lover” tour that never was

After releasing her 2019 album “Lover,” Swift announced she would be embarking on a mini tour called “Lover Fest,” playing only four shows in the United States — two of which were planned to take place at Gillette Stadium July 31 and Aug. 1, 2020. Due to the pandemic, the tour was postponed and eventually canceled.

Her 11th, 12th, and 13th shows at Gillette Stadium

The Eras Tour — better known as the tour that broke Ticketmaster. During the record-breaking tour, Swift performed three concerts at Gillette Stadium in “Foxy Foxborough,” going through all of the eras of her musical career. The third night was a special one, as it was Swift’s 13th performance at Gillette Stadium.

“The rainiest rain show that ever rain showed”

Similarly to the “Speak Now World Tour,” the weather at the second “Eras” concert at Gillette was very, very rainy. However, that didn’t stop Swift or the sold out crowd from having the time of their lives at “the rainiest rain show that ever rain showed.” Her piano took the brunt of it, however, as it played on its own the next night during the surprise songs.