What this parent learned at Taylor Swift concert on Eras Tour: Music can bring you closer

One song remained in the Taylor Swift concert in Pittsburgh, and there was zero doubt — I was now a Swiftie.

Following a restroom break, which was unavoidable during a 44-song music marathon, I found myself sprinting through the club level concourse of Acrisure Stadium, my eyes frantically scanning the seating sections until I found mine: 207-208 ... 209-210 … 211-212 … 213-214 … 215-216.

Loyal fanatics of the pop music sensation didn't simply hustle from bathroom breaks to rejoin the glittery spectacle that is a Taylor Swift concert. They raced as if it were an Olympic sport, prodded by yet another hit song or fan favorite and the promise of bright vocals, spotlights cast skyward, video screens, Broadway-worthy stage props, choreographed dancing, costume changes, special effects and more.

I was a Swiftie among Swifties, avoiding a woman who nearly collided with me in her dash back to the show. Swinging open a stadium door, I wove in and out of fans before finding my seat as the superstar sang the final song "Karma" while fireworks exploded above the sprawling stage and catwalk.

My introduction to the cultural phenomenon of Taylor Swift was complete.

Pittsburgh went bonkers over the Grammy-winning musical artist. She set an attendance record of 73,117 fans. Thousands more listened to the June 17 concert outside the stadium.

Earlier in the show, after only two or three songs, the moment washed over me — this was big, really, really big.

Excitedly turning to my wife, 24-year-old niece and teen daughter, I shouted over a thunderous roar of the crowd: "This isn't just the most amazing concert I've ever been to … it's one of the most amazing moments in my life!"

This was a major transformation for a 52-year-old music junkie and fan of classic rock, alternative rock and indie rock. Swift surpassed my expectations and the immense hype of The Eras Tour hundredfold.

But amid the catchy songs and flashy production, something unexpected and profoundly beautiful also happened on a Saturday night in Steelers Country — I became closer with my 17-year-old daughter.

Making a musical connection with Paige was something I had longed for ever since she was old enough to listen to Kidz Bop songs on her CD player.

Now it was happening. From across our seats in section 214, I found myself looking in a mirror at a younger version of myself.

Growing up, I was enthralled with rock stars. Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, David Lee Roth, Axl Rose, Kurt Cobain. Their music, their aura, their personas, their stories fascinated and inspired me while composing the soundtrack of my life as I matured, came of age and set out on my own path.

Now we were fully immersed in this moment together .... experiencing a pop culture moment of the ages. Our version of watching a 1950s Elvis Presley gyrate his hips while girls shrieked hysterically. Or The Beatles performing at Shea Stadium in 1965.

Never before had I witnessed stadium ushers and employees who were as enthusiastic about the concert as the fans. Trading friendship bracelets with concertgoers. Recording the show with their cellphone. Dancing in the aisles.

Never before had I experienced the Taylor Tremor. When the stadium shook and vibrated as fans collectively moved and danced and swayed and stepped. Even bathroom stalls rattled.

Never before had I heard a colossal choir of 73,000 fans sing nearly every word of every song.

And I was losing my mind right alongside them. Transfixed on Taylor herself, my daughter was oblivious to my dancing and grooving and hand movements from a few seats away. "You Need To Calm Down," a hit from the "Lover" album, was the zenith of my zaniness as I belted out the chorus: So, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh ... you need to calm down ... you're being too loud.

It was glorious, it was perfect. And it wasn't me with a buddy at a Black Keys, Guns N' Roses or Smashing Pumpkins concert. I was here with my teenage daughter, living out the greatest Father's Day weekend gift imaginable.

Watching this unfold, feeling the magic of the moment, tears welled in my eyes. I was cherishing a memory before it was even fully formed, one I already knew I would revisit in my mind for the rest of my life.

The girl whom I once held preciously in my hands when she was born premature 2 pounds and 5 ounces was now a teenager bedecked in a cute Swiftie outfit as she recited lyrics.

Recording concert clips on my cellphone, I never turned it toward my daughter. Our most prized moments were unspoken and shared off camera, transcending the glitz and enormity of a stadium concert, somehow reducing a crowd of 73,117 to one father and one daughter and their newfound bond.

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com

On Twitter @ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: What this parent learned at Taylor Swift concert: Music is still magic