Taylor Swift mania has hit a fever pitch here in Nashville.
The pop star is in town for a sold-out three night run at Nissan Stadium, and it seems like the rest of the world is in Music City this weekend too. Roads are closed, hotels are booked solid, and locals not going to the concert are doing their best to avoid downtown for the next 5 days.
Just for fun I decided to look last night to see how much hotels were running for the weekend, and the cheapest one I could find was an Econo Lodge twenty minutes away from Nissan Stadium…for $450 per night.
Insanity.
There are Taylor Swift-themed karaokes planned at bars around Nashville, restaurants are hosting Taylor Swift brunches, and multiple bars are advertising pre-show parties. I even saw somebody who wasn’t able to get a ticket to the show ask about setting up outside the stadium to listen.
Taylor Swift fans are hardcore.
And it seems even some of Nashville’s tiniest fans are getting in on the excitement.
WZTV here in Nashville shared photos of some of the babies in the NICU at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital dressed as Taylor Swift album covers up in honor of this weekend’s concerts.
In a statement filled with Taylor Swift puns from the hospital to WZTV, Ascension Saint Thomas explained how it all came about, revealing that the idea started when two NICU nurses who also happened to be hardcore Swifties decided to dress the babies up for “Taylor Swift week.”
“It all started when NICU nurses Olivia Horne and Allison Harris were working a night shift at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown with respiratory therapist Leah Landa. The hardcore “Swifties” were passing the time by talking about their favorite Taylor songs, what they’re hoping she would play at the Nashville shows, what they’re wearing to the concerts, etc.
Then at MIDNIGHT, Olivia said, “I just had the BEST idea! Why don’t we do the Eras costumes for Swift Week in Nashville when she tours here?”
THAT’S WHEN they all knew they were on to a great idea! It would provide so much HAPPINESS to the families in the NICU and the 22 staff members of the unit who are attending Taylor’s shows. Not to mention the entire Nashville community, which holds such a special place to Taylor.
The nurses immediately started envisioning what every Era’s costume would look like and which baby’s personality would best match each one. They knew they would come up with every STYLE. These 10 Eras costumes were not only BEJEWELED but also GORGEOUS.”
And along with babies to represent each “era,” there’s even one for Taylor Swift’s frequent collaborator Ed Sheeran:
The babies featured in these photos represent each Taylor Swift album: Speak Now, Reputation, Red, 1989, Midnight, Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Fearless, and Debut.
The nurses also included THE MAN of the unit, their oldest patient and LOVER boy to all, Ed Sheeran, Taylor’s long-time best bud and collaborator, complete with tattoo sleeves and RED hair.
Our NICU Babies are FEARLESS, and we are so thrilled they have A PLACE IN THIS WORLD!”
Seems like just about everybody is in the Taylor Swift spirit for this weekend’s shows.
As for me? I guess I’m a little bit of a Stray Dog, because I’ll be home listening to the new Justin Moore album all weekend after it drops on Friday.
