On her last visit here, Taylor Swift proved that she has more than enough warmth to spread through an entire arena.
On Saturday night at Heinz Field, she had the monumental Springsteen/U2/Chesney-sized challenge of spreading the love to a whole football stadium packed with fans.
That's a lot of pressure for one 21-year-old, but then again, she's been doing this since she was 16. And it helps that she's not only the real deal, but also she stands about 6-foot-2 in boots, making her easier to see from the opposite end zone.
She took the stage to "Sparks Fly" in a short, fringy, gold flapper dress, leaving no doubt as she strutted and skipped across the stage with a broad smile and hair flying that she was happy to be there.
She looked even more striking strapping on a fire-engine red guitar that matched her lipstick for "Mine," sung with real girlish passion and a wagging finger.
Her introduction was sweet.
"I'm Taylor," the Reading, Pa., native said simply.
"I've actually had some pretty good times in the state of Pennsylvania. You know, there was... being born. And learning to play guitar. That was a good one."
Then she recalled singing the National Anthem for the Steelers in this same stadium back when she was still an opening act. "I remember standing on that field and thinking that this many people couldn't be in one place."
Ms. Swift doesn't have the kind of powerful pipes to blow people away with an Anthem, but you can bet she'd remember the words and her sweet, thin, pretty voice is just right for her tightly crafted country-pop or just plain pop songs.
Keeping her tween and teen fans on their feet and screaming calls for a highly theatrical approach to the show, complete with dancers and frequent set and costume changes. "Our Song" and "Mean" were played on a little gazebo like it was a country hoedown, with Ms. Swift on banjo. The lovelorn "Back to December," one of her standouts, was delivered on a white baby grand under a glistening bridge, her eyes all watery.
Angry Taylor, in a red sequined dress, pranced around spewing venom on "Better than Revenge." For "Speak Now," the stage was transformed into a church for a wedding ceremony where she stole away the groom and ran through the crowd to a platform in the middle of the field. There she did a ukulele version of "Fearless" mashed up with Train's "Hey Soul Sister" and Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" and a melancholy "Last Kiss."
Sometimes her song fantasies just spring to life. When she sang "I'm shining like fireworks" on "Dear John" they went off spectacularly behind her while she wailed the chorus. "Enchanted" was a magical ballet on a fairy-tale stage and "Haunted" had witchy dancers falling from bells.
"Love Story" was a dazzling finale with the singer flying over the audience amid glitter and fireworks.
Watching Taylor Swift there's no mystery why she was the one who went from little-known Anthem singer to one of the world's biggest stars. It's not just the catchy, relatable songs spilled from her diary. Or her Cover Girl looks. It's how poised and genuine she is, both on the stage and strolling the crowd grabbing hands and offering hugs.
If she doesn't really love these people who love her and her songs, she's one brilliant actress.
She came with three opening acts: former "American Idol" finalist Danny Gokey, twangy up-and-comer Randy Montana, and Need to Breathe, a Christian alt-rock band from South Carolina.
First Published: June 19, 2011, 6:45 a.m.
