Chicago was whipped into a Taylor Swift frenzy on Friday as the pop star descended on Soldier Field for the first of three "Eras Tour" performances.
While the concert didn't begin until around 7 p.m., the "Taylor Takeover" got underway several hours earlier for many eager fans.
"I woke up at seven without any alarm," one fan, Annie, said. "I was like today is the day, I get to go see Taylor today. Jumped out of bed and was ready."
One father told NBC Chicago that he tagged along to help drive his girls in and out of the city. While there were a lot of mothers jamming out with their daughters, this father might just get the Dad of the Year award.
"They thought they needed to come," he said. "So, happy birthday."
Fans donned shiny outfits - an ode to the different eras represented in the tour.
"All the sparkles… sparkley," said Kylie, another fan. "You got to do it. Especially if it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity."
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The vibe at Soldier Field was overwhelmingly positive, revolving around some of Swift's biggest hits, sequined clothing and some valuable keepsakes.
"You make a whole bunch of friendship bracelets and you go trade around with everybody," said Maggie Piehl from Aurora. " Really fun, you get to trade bracelets and so fun, positive vibes."
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Many folks were grateful that the wait and hunt for tickets were both finally over.
"I’m very overwhelmed with excitement," said yet another fan, Andrew. "Been waiting so long for this. Getting tickets was such a struggle."
Some people lucked out by getting tickets for not just one night, but multiple.
Sam Christensen told NBC Chicago that while Friday was his first time seeing Taylor Swift, he obtained tickets for Sunday night's concert as well.
We asked, "How did you manage that?"
"I don't know, I just did," he said.
