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Photo Exclusive: Grownup Taylor Swift Fans Flock to Los Angeles Concert Tour Finale

AARP caught up with some seasoned Swifties during the last leg of her ‘Eras Tour’


She’s not just for teenage girls. People of all ages have caught on to the hype that is superstar and musical sensation Taylor Swift. The 33-year-old pop star recently finished the last leg of her “Eras Tour” with six stops at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The three-hour concerts included a set of 44 songs from different “eras” of Swift’s discography. AARP caught up with some older Swifties outside the stadium from Aug. 4 to 8 to ask them about their first concert memories and what brought them to “The Eras Tour” and to snap pictures of their bright, sparkly outfits that not “Only the Young” can pull off.

Amber Tellez (right), 46, and her daughter Charlotte Mitchell (left) are from Monrovia, California. Tellez, whose first concert was New Kids on the Block, logged on during a professional training class to get the Taylor Swift tickets for her daughter as a Christmas present. They are wearing Taylor Swift T-shirts and plenty of friendship bracelets. 

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Debbie Holt, 62, whose first concert was Journey, attended “The Eras Tour” with her four daughters and daughter-in-law. Holt’s daughter got the tickets online. “I would have told her to spend more money. I had no idea. She only spent $100 on each ticket. I would have spent lots more money than that.”

Matt Pobst, 43, who won tickets to his first concert, 311, over the radio in the late ’90s, went to “The Eras Tour” with his daughter Taylor. She convinced her father to shave and bedazzle his head for the concert. They’re both wearing jewels. 

Kim Hightower, 61, (center) says her first concert was KC and the Sunshine Band. She went to “The Eras Tour” with her daughters Kendall (left) and Lyndsey (right). Kim admires Swift’s work ethic, commenting, “She works hard. She writes her own songs. She plays. She is good to the fans. She donates. It’s her work ethic.”

(From left) Peyton, 13, Shenee, 44, and Bryan Morgan , 46, are from Sacramento, California. “The Eras Tour” stop in Los Angeles was Shenee and Bryan’s third Taylor Swift concert and their daughter’s very first concert.

​Friends Kathleen Holtzer (left), 48, and Keri Evilsizor (right), 50, were sorority sisters at California Polytechnic State University. They recall seeing Toad the Wet Sprocket together. They went to “The Eras Tour” with their children (not pictured). 

Tisha K, 50, wears a bejeweled crown, pink hair and a dress reminiscent of Swift’s “Lover” era. Tisha, who goes by “TeamSparkle” on Instagram, bought the VIP package and remembers seeing Duran Duran in the fifth grade at the Fabulous Forum in L.A.

Pink-clad husband and wife James, 53, and Keri Noonan, 47, went to “The Eras Tour” together. Keri has been a fan of Swift since she saw the young artist sing her song “Tim McGraw,” off her self-titled debut album, to McGraw himself. James’ first concert was New Kids on the Block, and Keri’s was Pitbull. The couple said they’re avid concertgoers and have seen Blake Shelton seven times. 

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Jenny Ho, 53, has seen Swift 10 times and has been a fan since the release of the singer’s Red album. Ho loves Swift’s songwriting and says, “It’s like poetry.” She remembers seeing her first concert, the Police, in Honolulu, her hometown. 

Misti Cole, 45, of Bakersfield, California, and her rescue pig, Fanci, listened to the Swift concert outside while Cole’s daughter was inside the stadium. Cole’s first concert was the Grateful Dead, and she said she is also a fan of country music, particularly Reba McEntire, whose 1990 song “Fancy” inspired her pet’s name. 

Friends Theresa Henry-Alvarez (left), 51, and Warren McArthur (right), 60, attended with their daughters and friends. Alvarez wore a dress resembling Swift’s Midnights era, and McArthur donned a “Junior Jewels” T-shirt, just like Swift did in her “You Belong With Me” music video. “We’re definitely fans,” Alvarez said. “She is what you would want your daughters to emulate. She’s a good human being.” 

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Megan Parma (left), 46, and her daughter Kennedy (right), 10, were dressed in black outfits accessorized with sparkly shoes, gold stars and gold heart earrings. The look was mostly inspired by Swift’s Midnights album, but they pulled ideas from the entirety of Swift’s discography.

Married couple Michelle (left), 50, and Rebecca Skoor (right), 42, tested their luck that night. The ticketless couple in sparkly outfits could not convince their two children (7 and 10) to come with them. They hoped to buy tickets from resellers at the last minute, once the concert started and prices were expected to drop. “We’ll be the hype crew. We bring the bling. We’ll buy a ticket once it starts. Or we won’t. We’ll go to dinner. We’ll be here for the vibe,” Rebecca said. 

(From left): Christy Tew, 63, Connie Pittaro, 61, Julie Klaus, 67, and Mary Raser, 62, wore pink cowboy hats decorated with feathers and sparkles and said the younger concertgoers exchanged friendship bracelets with them.  

Alison E. Edwards, 70, holds a sign that says, “We need 2 tix.” She recalled being a teenager and seeing some of her first concerts — Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago and Elton John. “Well, you know, back in the day, we used to go to places and put up a sign and get tickets, right? Of course, these days it’s different with Ticketmaster and StubHub. ... So I was just saying to my daughter, you know, the whole logistics of this may have really changed. I mean ... a few years ago, this would always work,” she said, referring to her sign. “And you can’t get tickets. And I’m not going to pay $500 a ticket. So I just said, let’s go, let’s go. If nothing else, we’ll have a great adventure.”

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