A funny thing happened to Taylor Swift, the “country’’ superstar who played to a sold-out crowd at The Q Thursday night: She grew down. Oh, it’s not that she got shorter – she’s still got that tall, model-thin physique that she’s had basically since she was 13, even if she has filled out a bit and left that gangly stage behind. But that was eons ago, like, at least 10 years! No, what’s happened is that her audience has changed. When Swift first burst onto the scene as a high school kid, she was writing songs that mostly appealed to other high school kids, and the occasional adult, tunes that sounded like they could be excerpts from a yearbook. She and the crowds related because they were the same age. And the reasonable expectation – especially for someone as gifted as Swift – is that she and her fans would mature at the same rate. Eighth-period algebra would segue to junior-year statistics and then to marriage, kids, divorce, drinking … all the happy stuff of the grown-up world. Didn’t happen. Swift, arguably the most powerful woman in Nashville right now, HAS grown up. But her fan base has gone the other way. Quite frankly, it was darn near a Raffi/Nickelodeon crowd who packed The Q. Put it this way: It’s a safe bet that the beer vendors went home with pockets not ******* with tips and commission money. OK, is that a bad thing? No. Not at all. Swift is a fantastic performer, as she proved through two hours of energetic song and dance covering 17 tunes. She is, quite frankly, brilliant, on several levels. First off, the saying is to write what you know, and she sticks to that formula. Second, she has the technical skill to do it. Third, she has the poet’s prowess to convey those thoughts and emotions in an easily relatable way. It’s also clear that she’s a financial genius. . . . or opportunist. If The Q had as many restrooms as it did merch tables Thursday night, there’d never be a line at the ladies room. There’s a reason Forbes put her earnings last year at $57 million. That being said, it’s a little sad that the show at The Q suffered a bit from sound issues. Perhaps part of it is Swift trying to do too much – her vocals during some of the more strenuous dance numbers sometimes became lost, muddied or downright unintelligible. Fortunately, every 13-year-old girl in Ohio was there to sing the lyrics, so nobody missed anything. Swift’s songwriting skills are unquestionable. “State of Grace,’’ “Red,’’ “The Lucky One,’’ “Mean,’’ “I Knew You Were Trouble’’ and especially “All Too Well’’ are exemplary tunes, and she and her crackerjack band – featuring native Clevelander Paul Sidoti on guitar – are among the best Nashville has to offer. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Again’’ is a show-closer for the ages. And her show is a theatrical masterpiece, with sets that change from 19th century carousels to medieval balls to good ol’ circus sideshows featuring stiltwalkers and bewigged “conjoined’’ twins. But for all that, Swift is at her best when she teams that plaintive, expressive voice of hers with a simple guitar and makes the costume changes and “jazz hands’’ routines just sort of a peripheral. They’re entertaining, truly they are. But she is soooooo much more than that. Up-and-comer Ed Sheeran, like Swift a young gun at 22, and Brett Eldredge opened. Sheeran is a gifted British singer-songwriter with tinges of Mumford and Sons driving his acoustic beat-heavy tunes, that feature a voice as sweet as any to come from the United Kingdom.

Originally posted by thediscomonkey A review from Cleveland show. SOURCE This is why I hate Her doing Pop tracks. Because the older audience will not give a hoot about Her. And we all know the fickleness of those kids. Just look at what happened to Bieber. The saddest thing is, She actually is so much better than just Top40 stuffs. Highly talented & intelligent young lady, dumbing it down. [/rant]

Taylor Swift belts out a tune during her sold-out show at The Q on Thursday night.

Johnny, I need to get some rest first. My back can't handle it anymore.





I think fans of Brutally Honest Taylor did not exactly jump the ship. Some of them must have been pissed for being served with bubblegum tracks. Don't get me wrong, WANEGBT was cute as a troll song. And IKYWT sans the shite production, is actually quite dark. Ditto with 22. But when the purpose of Max Martin here only to serve smash singles, it deserves to be second-questioned. What's the motif behind it?

And the fact that She still kept the commercial bullcrap bugs me a bit. One too much endorsement deals. Also I cringe at the updates about new perfume, like.... wtf?

Can't we just keep it cute with the music and only music? Don't you have enough $ already, my Lord?

Sorry for being annoying with multiple rants. I'll go to bed now.

Originally posted by WayTooHonest13 i saw that yesterday. Release SoG ASAP.

Originally posted by rrr13rcc Minesus, yes. I need a live acoustic performance of "The Other Side of the Door" pronto

hai sistren.

Originally posted by Mezik hai sistren.

Hi uglee.

I just can't sleep. Ripe, u on?

Originally posted by thediscomonkey Hi uglee. I just can't sleep. Ripe, u on?

Such a warm welcome, thank you.

Let's discuss serious business, Has anyone e-mailed her label yet in request for Starlight or Red for Single #5?

Originally posted by Mezik hai sistren.

I bet he'll get into club red.