Did 16-year-old Taylor Swift really play at this North Texas pep rally? Here’s the scoop

Long before Taylor Swift became a worldwide phenomenon, she performed at a pep rally at Arlington High School in the mid-aughts.

That is how far she’s come.

It is not unheard of for musicians breaking out to play small rooms. Swift performed in front of students at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, as a 16-year-old in 2006.

Her gig at Arlington High School in November of the same year was sponsored by a local radio station, 99.5 The Wolf, adding to her North Texas mythology.

“I’m pretty sure the Wolf pep rally was her first market appearance, and the May 2007 show at Starplex/Dos Equis Pavilion (opening for Brad Paisley) was her first ticketed event in the market,” a spokesperson at 99.5 The Wolf told the Star-Telegram.

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Swift’s pep rally appearance was first mentioned by a user on Reddit and later confirmed to the Star-Telegram by 99.5 The Wolf. The performance came in the same year she released her self-titled debut album, which would mark the first building block to a megastar career.

One of the most famous entertainers of all time, Swift has taken over the pop-culture zeitgeist for much of her nearly 20-year career, but especially over the last year as she launched her “The Eras Tour” in March 2023 to phenomenal success.

The tour stopped by Arlington for three sold-out shows, with Star-Telegram reporter Mac Engel praising Swift’s energy and showmanship. Swift’s aura only grew as “The Eras Tour” concert film premiered in theaters in October 2023.

Unless you been chilling on a deserted island without a Wi-Fi connection the past year, you’ve read and heard stories about the blossoming romance between Swift and Kansas City Star tight end Travis Kelce. Star-Telegram Sports Editor David Ammenheuser even did the math on how Swift, from a concert in Tokyo, could make the Super Bowl in time to cheer her beau.

Swift’s pep rally concert may have been her first show in North Texas, but it wasn’t her first ticketed event. Here’s what we know about her early career in North Texas:

When was Taylor Swift’s first ticketed North Texas show?

Flashback to the year 2007, when President George W. Bush was in the twilight of his final term and 38-year-old Sammy Sosa played for the Texas Rangers.

The Star-Telegram archive’s first mention of Swift came on May 14, 2007, as part of a concert review by former contributor Malcolm Mayhew.

The concert was part of Brad Paisley’s “Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour” at the then-called Smirnoff Music Centre (now Dos Equis Pavilion) in Dallas on May 12, 2007.

Swift was one of three opening acts for Paisley on the tour, along with Jack Ingram and Kellie Pickler.

At the Dallas show, Swift played songs from her 2006 self-titled debut album such as “Our Song,” “Tim McGraw” and “Tear Drops on My Guitar.” Swift even played a cover of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” according to Setlist.fm.

Swift would return to North Texas a year later on June 21, 2008, as an opener for Rascal Flatts at the then-called Superpages.com Center (now Dos Equis Pavilion). Former Star-Telegram pop music critic Preston Jones wrote the following preview of the show.

Finally, after years of touring while opening for other country music stars, Swift set out on her first tour in 2009.

The “Fearless Tour” was in support of Swift’s second studio album, also titled “Fearless,” which came out in 2008. She stopped by Dallas’ American Airlines Center on Sept. 25, 2009, for a 17-song set.

Swift is still in the midst of her “Eras Tour,” which is currently on its international leg.