There is no bigger music star on the planet at the moment than Taylor Swift, so it’s no surprise that tribute acts have sprung up, including San Diego’s Taylor Nation. Though the group is less than a year old, they’ve already become a popular touring attraction with sold-out shows across the country, including dates at The Caverns in Tennessee, Sony Hall in NYC, and Irvine Nights.
Featuring Melody Ebner in the lead role, group founder and musical director David Yuter, and a rotating group of musical all-stars, Taylor Nations next show in the area is at the Pala Casino Event Center on October 26. “The premise of this band was to create a great tribute act for a very demanding market,” said Yuter. “At the time we were starting out there were other Taylor bands coming up, but we didn’t let any of that stop us. We stuck to our roots and came up with all original ideas for our production. Jams,
interludes, costume changes and other elements put our show above the others. I saw a space in the industry that I could operate in and decided togo for it.” Taylor Nation was an instant success, selling out their debut gig at the Garden Amphitheatre in Garden Grove on January 6. “We immediately had about 70 email inquiries the following week and started touring in late March.”
Fans can expect a pretty close replica of Taylor Swift’s sound from their shows. “We play the songs pretty exact,” Yuter said. “I notice that when bands go too far off and try to do their own thing, it takes away from the magic that is the song. We play our songs almost exact, with some improvisational elements. I’ve noticed other bands that try and do too much, and frankly it really is too much. The audience loses attention, and it makes it about the person performing rather than a tribute to the artist themselves. Some people just try too hard.”
Yuter has invested a lot of time in getting the details just right in what is almost a play, as much as it is a concert. “I spent months setting up the production, working 6-8 hours a day in my studio building the show. It still isn’t perfect, but I feel confident playing my production every night in front of thousands of people. We have only had amazing responses, both from the crowd and sound teams,” he said.
It’s noted by Yuter that Taylor Nation covers all of Taylor Swifts musical eras in chronological order. “Our shows are 90 minutes and 120 minutes,” he said “We even play songs from her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department. We have close to 40 songs in our repertoire. The songs that always go over the best are “Karma”, “Shake It Off” and “Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me”. So far, fan response has been “outstanding!” Yuter said. “We are selling out most of our shows around the country and some venues are booking two nights. The fans are everything and are singing along to every single word. They crowd the stage and make us feel amazing while performing.”
Yuter has played with numerous artists over the years, but for him, Taylor Nation is special.
“My favorite thing about this project is making memories for our fans,” he said. “For those who can’t afford $3000 a ticket for the real Taylor Swift, we are providing the next best thing. I love being a tour manager and scheduling fun tours for Melody and all of the musicians and dancers who are a part of this production. This is only growing and the demand is amazing.”
Learn more: https://taylornationband.com
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