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Taylor Swift Sings “Summer of ’69” with Bryan Adams

When your name is Taylor Swift, you don’t just roll into somewhere like Toronto without making it a production.

Like her or lump her, that’s exactly what the Reputation stadium tour is. It apparently needs upwards of 50 semi-trailers to haul around her stage, video screens and giant cobras, the latter props I’m sure freaked out more than a few of Swifty’s ophidiophobic young fans.

Photos by Brandon T. Junkin and Jaimie Milburn

A music writing colleague of mine estimated that between The National at Fort York, Migos mumbling their way through the Veld festival and all the Caribana festivities going on, some 180,000 were attending various concerts in Toronto on August 4th. Taylor Swift knows how to stand out in a crowded environment, that’s for darn sure. My brother Mike was brave enough to take our sister and her two daughters to the second of Swift’s 2-night mini-residency at Rogers Centre. Having gone to some awfully loud shows together over the years (including the FOOs less than a month ago), he told me his “ears did hurt more from little girls than the volume of the music”, and that it was also a “lots of women using men’s rooms kinda night”.

It’s all in good, over-the-top fun though. Despite Swift’s increased pop tart-iness, when it all comes down to it she does know the song is still the thing. So no matter how many bells and whistles are in those trucks to assault the senses, Bryan Adams coming out to randomly duet on his “Summer of ’69” is what everyone will remember. No matter how creepily awkward him twiddling fingers with someone nearly half his age is.

A memorable music experience for those lucky enough to be there. Now the onus is on Swift to do something with RYAN Adams, who of course covered her 1989 in its entirety. Ryan can’t come to the phone right now however, as he’s apparently recording new material. While we all contemplate what would be the ultimate mind-blowing collaboration, please enjoy some more live photos from August 4th at Toronto’s Rogers Centre courtesy of Jaimie Milburn and Michael LeBlanc.

Gilles LeBlanc

Gilles LeBlanc literally fell into “alternative rock” wayyy back at Lollapalooza 1992, where he got caught in his first mosh pit watching some band named Pearl Jam. Since then, he’s spent the better part of his life looking for music to match the liberating rush he felt that day, with a particular chest-beating emphasis on stuff coming out of his native Canada. It took him awhile, but Gilles now writes feverishly about all things that rock (and or roll) through his ROCKthusiast alter ego.

Gilles LeBlanc has 104 posts and counting. See all posts by Gilles LeBlanc

2 thoughts on “Taylor Swift Sings “Summer of ’69” with Bryan Adams

  • This is my third Taylor show (big swiftie in my house) and I have to say the girl puts in a hell of a show. From the massive main stage setup to the satellite stages she always has to get closer to the crowd to the energy she brings to the stage it is a show and a half.

    And was really cool to see Bryan on stage. And kind of neat to see a star as big as Taylor, truly giddy about getting to sing with him.

    Reply
  • Her performance with Bryan Adams completely reeks of the young popstar and old popstar performance in “music and lyrics”

    Reply

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