The EnergySolutions Arena is home to the Utah Jazz and is the venue for some of the latest and largest performers that visit Salt Lake City.
But on Friday night, Taylor Swift turned the arena into a time machine that traveled back to 1989.
The seven-time Grammy winner came onstage to ear-splitting cheers and began her show with a performance of “Welcome to New York.”
“There’s probably one thing you should know about me before we start this evening,” Swift said as she greeted the crowd between songs. “I was born in 1989.”
Swift was momentarily tripped up by technical difficulties during “Blank Space,” but she quickly regained her equilibrium. There were no other technical problems during the concert.
She later told the crowd how much she had looked forward to performing in Utah again. A Salt Lake country radio station was one of the earliest to play her music, she said, and it was in Salt Lake that she sold out a theater show for the first time.
The multiplatinum artist is famous not only for her light-hearted love songs and ballads about breakups but also for her stage presence.
She tirelessly worked her way around the stage in sequins and bodysuits, almost always surrounded by a throng of male dancers. Their choreography included props like umbrellas, door frames and giant paper airplanes.
The 1989 World Tour also featured opening act Vance Joy. He warmed up the crowd with seven songs, including his hit “Riptide.”
One of the evening’s highlights was a medley of “Wildest Dreams” and Swift’s 2010 song, “Enchanted.”
Swift gave a nod to other past favorites with a performance of “You Belong with Me,” as well as a remix of “Love Story” and a rock version of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
The concert ended with a pyrotechnic bang during “Shake It Off.” Fireworks went off on the main stage while confetti rained down from above.
The 15,000 fans present seemed to enjoy every step of the ride. If her concert was any indication, Swift is likely to continue selling out shows with each return to Salt Lake City.
