That year, Bowen got Swift’s debut album for her birthday, and she’s been talking about the artist to anyone who will listen. Swifts “Eras Tour” in downtown Cincinnati this weekend will be her first time seeing the star live.
Shows are Friday and Saturday at Paycor Stadium. Bowen got seats on the floor with two friends through the Capital One presale.
One of her friends, Dayton tattoo artist Hayley Petkus, has done three Taylor-themed tattoos for Bowen herself.
Bowen’s tattoos include lyrics surrounded by flowers, a girl sitting in a purple cloud to represent the song “Lavender Haze” off of Swift’s most recent album, “Midnights,” and a portrait of Swift as a cowgirl with “Cowboy Like Me” lyrics under it.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
“I didn’t say I wanted it to look like Taylor,” Bowen said. “I said maybe kind of, but I was just thinking like a little cowgirl in an old-timey portrait ... and then I went into the appointment, and Hayley was like, ‘I know you said you didn’t want it to necessarily look like Taylor, but look at what I drew.’”
While Bowen said she may regret the decision one day if Swift has a fall from grace, she really likes the tattoo for now.
Taylor Swift fans aren’t the only people excited the pop superstar is bringing her two-day Eras Tour to Southwest Ohio: Hotels, restaurants and other businesses are preparing for an influx of customers and the economic surge they will bring.
For fans going to the shows, it will be the first opportunity to see the artist live since she toured her second album, “Fearless,” in 2009 and 2010. That was Swift’s first headlining tour, and the last time she made a stop in Cincinnati. On that tour, she performed for a crowd of more than 11,000 for one night at the U.S. Bank Arena, now Heritage Bank Center.
This time around, she’s upgraded to two nights at Paycor Stadium, each of which could set attendance records. Swift has regularly hit more than 70,000 fans per night during her Eras Tour, and already broke the records for single-event attendance in Pittsburgh and Nashville.
Hotel prices are up: Some rooms in Cincinnati that aren’t fully booked for the weekend are listed at more than $1,000 a night, a similar price to other stops along the tour. The show even led the Cincinnati Reds to move the June 30 baseball game start time up two hours, from 7:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m.
According to fortune.com, the Eras Tour could generate up to $4.6 billion in consumer spending throughout the U.S. The Cincinnati Regional Chamber and Visit Cincy are expecting a $92 million impact in southwest Ohio alone.
Swift by the numbers
33: The performer’s age
11: No. 1 albums, including “1989″ and “Fearless” for 11 weeks each
10 billion: Streams on Spotify so far in 2023
9: No. 1 songs, including “Anti-Hero” for 8 weeks
Swift was the first artist to simultaneously occupy the Top 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100
Swift scams
The Ohio Attorney General is warning fans to be skeptical of “too good to be true” offers and provided these tips:
- Buy from reputable businesses rather than individuals
- Avoid using difficult to trace payment methods like gift cards and cryptocurrency
- Research the seller before agreeing to purchase
- Try to pay with a credit card, which offers greater protection
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