ATP! Live Review: Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran - Ford Field Detroit, MI

One of the hottest tours of 2013 has arrived in Detroit and 50,000 Michiganders in attendance at Ford Field couldn't be more excited for Miss Taylor Swift's arrival.

Main support act for the Red tour is none other than British singer/songwriter, Ed Sheeran, who was last in the Motor City earlier this year at the sold out (over 2,000 capacity) Fillmore venue across the street. Sheeran absolutely lit up the home of the Detroit Lions with his spectacular one-man show.

After a six-song set, which included 'Lego House,' 'The A Team' and even a rendition of 'It's So Cold In The D,' it's pretty safe to say that Sheeran has easily won over a legion of new fans with his electrifying performance.


Shortly after as the giant 'Red' neon light raises, the Pennsylvania native arrives on stage (packed with a seven-piece band, 14 backup dancers and plenty of pyro) with, 'State Of Grace.'

"50,000 people have come here to see me sing about my feelings for the next two hours," says Taylor when greeting her army of "lyrically proficient" (as she describes) fans. Everyone is then given a heads up that one color is going to be used predominantly throughout the show, as she describes represents: danger, passion, infatuation, falling in love and anger and while the red lighting may be a photographers defeat to work with, it's the color of victory for the seven-time Grammy winning star after tonight's spectacular display.

Highlights of the night included 10 costume changes, a gothic ballroom setting for, 'I Knew You Were Trouble' and the 'B stage' at the back of the arena, where Swift performed on a small rising/rotating platform, in a grand attempt of turning a high-production stadium show into an intimate performance, only to be accompanied by an acoustic guitar and a red (of course) stool. After belting out a stripped down rendition of 'Ours' and her next single, 'Everything Has Changed,' with Ed Sheeran, Taylor heads back to the main stage to resume the rest of tonight's festivities.


The grand finale of tonight's display is a high-scale carnivalesque performance of, 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,' which included gold fireworks, confetti and Swift dressed as the ring master (of course).

As the constant debate of high prices for concert tickets still being a discussion point, is the (up to under $100) price tag worth it? You're paying for the glitz and glamor and production of a stadium show from one of the biggest musicians in the world. While hometown hero Kid Rock is an advocate for low-ticket prices with his upcoming $20 summer tour, fans leave Ford Field tonight, grinning ear to ear with memories which will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and moments like that are priceless.

- Jon Ableson

Ed Sheeran's set list:

Give Me Love
Drunk
Be My Husband (Nina Simone cover)
Lego House
You Need Me, I Don't Need You / It's So Cold In The D (cover)
The A Team

Taylor Swift's set list:

State of Grace
Holy Ground
Red
You Belong With Me (R&B Version)
Lucky One
Mean
Stay Stay Stay
22

'B Stage' Acoustic Set

Ours
Everything Has Changed (with Ed Sheeran)
Begin Again

Sparks Fly
I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well
Love Story
Treacherous
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together