Life is short, time is Swift: Pueblo's Taylor Swift superfans reflect on Colorado concert

Tens of thousands of people swarmed Denver’s Mile High Stadium last weekend to catch musical icon Taylor Swift in concert, which was expected to contribute $140 million to Colorado’s economy.

Swift’s Eras Tour is her first national tour in years — most tickets for the Eras Tour sold out before they went on sale to the general public.

Some of Swift’s top fans — also known as “Swifties” — have been following her musical career throughout the decades, from her debut as a country singer to her evolution as a pop and Americana artist.

The Chieftain spoke with some die-hard Swifties from Pueblo who traveled to Denver to learn about the concert experience and why Taylor Swift is one of their favorite artists.

Jordyn Witte said the concert “felt like home.”

“The section we were in was full of the most energetic, loving, kind people I’ve ever met. Although it was a mad house, it was oddly comforting. We’ve waited a long time for this,” Witte said.

How Pueblo Swifties snagged tickets for the sold-out show

Teri Baros and her sister-in-law, Veronica Ramirez, listened together to Swift’s latest original album, “Midnights,” when it came out in October and decided they had to go to her next concert. Swift’s visit to Denver happened to be the day after Baros’ birthday — “I said, it’s destiny,” Ramirez recalled.

Baros thought she wouldn’t be able to get tickets to the concert after waiting in a virtual Ticketmaster queue for hours without any results. But after quickly logging to check on her status at work, Baros was able to purchase two VIP floor tickets.

“I felt like I won the lottery,” Baros recalled.

Witte has been a fan of Swift since her debut album came out when she was a teenager. She and her husband both were also able to access the pre-sale of tickets and had to wait all day before they could buy some.

Although the seats in the verified pre-sale weren’t cheap — the VIP floor tickets were $899 each — they got a bargain compared with tickets being resold: On the day before the concert, nosebleed seats with obstructed views were going for over $1,000.

Preparing for the concert: friendship bracelets and parking trips

These Swifties said they’ve been keeping track of the tours and songs from social media.

Witte said she would watch all the concerts she could find live on TikTok and would follow updates on surprise songs during the concerts on Friday and Saturday nights.

“We realized early on there’s no way to avoid spoilers, so we were just like, ‘Let’s lean into it,’” Baros said.

Witte said she and her husband drove up a few weekends before the concert to scope out the best places to park at Mile High Stadium.

Fans have been sharing friendship bracelets featuring some of their favorite lyrics to trade with others at Eras Tour concerts around the country, which has spread on social media.

Baros and Ramirez made hundreds of friendship bracelets in the months leading up to the concert. They listened to Swift’s music while they strung together bracelets for everyone at the concert — Baros said she made special bracelets for babies and male Swifties.

“It just seems from the TikToks we've seen like it's such a community. We don't really have that in Pueblo — I don't know many Pueblo Swifties,” Baros said.

Why Taylor Swift is so popular among fans

Baros and Ramirez said they’re close in age to Swift — who's 33 — and have grown up through adulthood with her and her music.

“From every era there's something that's applied to a part in our life,” Baros said.

Ramirez noted that Swift has “taken back what was literally stolen from her” by re-recording and re-releasing earlier albums after a dispute with her former record label.

“As a woman, you’re claiming yourself, you've realized that there's nobody that will hold you back — you're a strong, independent woman. That’s the way I view her,” Ramirez said.

Witte said Swift’s music resonates because she makes good-quality songs with lyrics that are applicable to real life.

“I like her music of course because it's catchy, but it feels like sometimes she just sings right out of things that you have experienced in your life, that you are experiencing in your life, or that you can at least closely relate to,” Witte said.

Anna Lynn Winfrey is a reporter at the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com or on Twitter, @annalynnfrey.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Meet some of Taylor Swift's top fans from Pueblo