DJ Swiftie brings Eras Tour to the NY State Fair

The glitter and buzz of Taylor Swift concerts arrived at the New York State Fair Friday night as fans gathered for a dance party hosted by tribute artist DJ Swiftie. 

Moments before the set, Swifties of all ages dressed in their “Eras-inspired” outfits swarmed the Chevy Court Stage, exchanging friendship bracelets and lining up for an enticing merch stand.

The scene was reminiscent of an Eras Tour concert — the main difference? Many of these Swifties have never been to one.

Nicole Fiello and Jessica Graham from Camden, New York, decided to bring 11-year-old Catherine Graham to the fair this year to experience something she had only ever experienced through a screen. Avid watchers of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour on Disney+, Fiello and Graham shared that they couldn’t afford Eras Tour tickets last year, as ticket prices sold at an average of $1,088.56, according to CNBC. 

Photo by Maxine Wallace

Swifties sing along to every word during the DJ Swiftie set at the New York State Fair.

“I watch a lot of grainy livestreams on TikTok, so this is the closest we can get,” Fiello said. “Life gets so hard; this is like one of the few things that brings me joy.”

Graham, who is currently separating from her husband, expressed that it is important for her to bring her daughter to this kind of event so she can interact with other fans who share her admiration for Swift. 

“It’s very empowering to our daughters to see a woman who has been through some stuff and has used it to make her better,” Graham said.  

Like Graham, Rachel Loux also conveyed the importance of giving her daughter, Maddie, her first-ever Eras-inspired experience, as the family drove all the way from Delaware just to attend the event. 

Photo by Maxine Wallace

DJ Swiftie and his team throw LED light up cowboy hats into a crowd of ecstatic “Swifites” at the New York State Fair.

“We left at 7 o’clock this morning; she missed school today so we would be here in time for the concert,” Loux said. 

The Loux family, who wore customized T-shirts with their favorite Swift lyrics, was among a group of disappointed fans who lost out on the Ticketmaster Eras Tour sale chaos last year.

According to Ticketmaster, the platform’s “verified fan” system could not meet the demand of 3.5 million pre-registered buyers, crashing and leaving about 2 million buyers on a waitlist that, for some, resulted in sold-out tickets. 

A fan-led lawsuit questioned the system’s failure, accusing the company of violating antitrust laws and imposing higher prices on fans. These claims eventually turned into an antitrust investigation led by the Department of Justice into Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, in which the DOJ called for the company’s breakup. 

Still, many fans, like the Loux family, missed out on experiencing the now world-renowned Eras Tour — something that inspired Adam Dobres to adopt the persona DJ Swiftie and create what his website calls “the world’s #1 touring Taylor Swift Inspired DJ.” 

“There’s so many fans that can’t get into the show so I decided, before this tour, to create an experience for people to be able to go to, as close to a show as possible,” he said.

The “experience” begins with an all-too-familiar countdown clock — a move taken straight from the Eras Tour — followed by the opening melody from “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” The excitement builds up as the lyrics “It’s been a long time coming” play, and then, everything goes dark as DJ Swiftie opens with the crowd-electrifying “…Ready for It?”

During the set, DJ Swiftie opted to play complete songs rather than remixes or mashups, acting more as a “hype man” than a DJ. He tossed lit-up cowboy hats, “I love Taylor” flags, T-shirts, and other merch items into the excited, begging crowd. Also, he accompanied fan favorites like “You Belong With Me” and “Cruel Summer” with a vibrant light show and smoke effects that engulfed dancing fans — some of whom stood on the bleachers for the entire hour-and-a-half set.  

Photo by Maxine Wallace

Swifties raise their arms for the chance to catch merch being thrown to them from the stage at the DJ Swiftie set at the New York State Fair.

The event turned out to be more of an elevated party experience than a “concert” per se, providing a space for Swifties to gather and get a taste of what an Eras Tour concert is like. Both DJ Swiftie and audience members agreed that the lively nature of these Taylor Swift-inspired events arises from Swift’s passionate and devoted fandom. 

Jaycelle Palermo and Stephanie Alnutt, two best friends who enjoy going to Taylor Swift tribute events, said that despite not being able to attend a concert yet, they enjoy dressing up and celebrating the artist they have been fans of since their teen years.   

“I think she’s very inspiring to young girls … and now, she’s older, so older women can relate; she’s relatable across the board to a lot of spectrums,” Alnutt said. “So I just think it’s a lot of fun to come out and sing those songs that mean something to you.”