“Let’s Sing Taylor” is the Tribute Show You’ve Been Waiting For
Being a fan of Taylor Swift for almost ten years and having captured her live shows through photography since the Red Tour has given me a deep appreciation for her music and performances. Her career has evolved significantly over the years, recently culminating in the current worldwide Era’s Tour.
With that being said, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to journey out to Asbury Lanes this past weekend to photograph Let’s Sing Taylor, the first tribute show I’ve come across dedicated to the music of Taylor Swift. I’ve been a part of the tribute band scene for a number of years and have witnessed some true to original performances that have felt like they were the original acts they were paying tribute to, sometimes better. Let’s Sing Taylor now joins that list!!!
Prior to the performance, I chatted backstage with the band to get an idea of what to expect from their show. It was here that I learned this was only their third live show. I was extremely intrigued to see how such a new tribute act was going to pull off the hottest act in the world right now.
As I went back into the venue to prepare my gear, the room slowly filled with fans of all ages, and they came ready for a Taylor Swift show. Every era was represented in the audience, as was every demographic. Fathers donned custom Taylor Swift shirts, stating that they were “Swift Dads”, mothers and daughters matched in concert shirts, sparkly cowboy hats and frizzled dresses were sported and of course, the bracelets.
In Era’s Tour fashion, the show started off with Miss Americana and the Heart Break Prince, from the Lover Era. As the band played the intro, the audience made their presence known with screams of joy as the show was beginning. When “Taylor” came out on stage, Asbury Lanes erupted as several hundred fans wailed in unison, echoing the lyrics which would continue for every song for the rest of the night.
Lover turned into Fearless, with three songs being covered: Fearless, You Belong with Me, and Love Story. As lead singer Emily Victoria moved around the stage, she made every effort to interact with the fans, grabbing their (aforementioned) custom made bracelets and shaking as many hands as possible. It’s this interaction and conscious effort to add a personal touch that contribute to the truly engaging experience that often defines tribute shows.
Up next was the Reputation Era, which also brought the night’s first (of many) costume changes, an aspect of the show I was intrigued to see how was going to be pulled off. Lead guitarist Matthew Fernandez charismatically took over the show at this time, and with a voice that was made for radio, he interacted with the fans, keeping them hyped up and entertained.
During other costume changes, we witnessed an incredibly impressive drum solo from percussionist, Leo Freire, expert dancing by the Let’s Sing Taylor backup dancers, and a surprise cover of Harry Styles’ Watermelon Sugar by Matthew Fernandez. Every aspect of the show was seamless from one act to the next.
The costumes themselves immediately transported you to their corresponding “era”. From the sequined sportscoat of Lovers to the black bodysuit of Reputation, the best one though was the Red era, with the “We Are Never Getting Back Together, Like Ever” t-shirt, black hat and red heart shades. The effort into these costumes and the effortlessness of the short costume changes was incredibly well accomplished.
The Eras continued, with four songs from Red, three from Midnights and four from Taylor Swift’s latest rerecorded album, 1989. In total, over 20 songs from seven eras were expertly covered.
Everything about Emily’s performance, from her pitch perfect voice to her masterful stage presence and poses, her facial expressions and most of all, her fan interaction, have me convinced this tribute is going to be around a long time.
Not to be content with a twenty song main set, Emily returned to the stage to finish the night with the energetic Shake It Off, which had the audience screaming and dancing with the same amount of energy as they had when the show started almost two hours earlier.
The full photo set from this show can be found here: Let's Sing Taylor Ardmore Music Hall 8.25.2023 — The Photo Blur
The current Let’s Sing Taylor tour has shows lined up from now through 2024, everywhere from NYC, New England and all the way to the west coast with stops in numerous California cities.
That show schedule can be found here: Shows | Let’s Sing Taylor (letssingtaylor.com). Shows do tend to sell out fast.
Let’s Sing Taylor is represented by ML Presents: ML Presents.
Asbury Lanes is a legendary concert venue, historic landmark, and vintage bowling alley located just two blocks away from the beach in Asbury Park, NJ. They have live concerts featuring both national and local talent, you can bowl with your friends, and visit their diner - offering deliciously creative spins on favorite New Jersey classics!*