Inside Taylor Swift's surprise performance for Tight End University in Nashville
Kane Brown was announced as the final act during a showcase of country singers (and a rap artist) for the Tight Ends and Friends benefit concert on June 24. Tickets sold out to the concert immediately after Swift appeared at a welcome reception at L.A. Jackson on June 23.
Brown performed his hits "Miles on It" and "Like I Love Country Music," before turning to the audience and saying, "I've got something cool I want to do for you guys."
As the crowd cheered, Brown asked the drummer, "Can you play a beat for me?" He picked up a jingle stick to shake, shake, shake it.
"Do y'all care if I bring out a really really really really special guest?" Brown said, lifting his hands into the air. As Swift emerged from the shadows of the stage wing, the audience let loose a roar of excitement heavier than the house band's tempo.
The Eras Tour singer slung a guitar she borrowed from singer Chase Rice over her shoulder, the strings still hot from Rice's performance 20 minutes earlier. Before walking up to the microphone Swift hugged Brown.
"See the one thing tight ends have in common with Nashville musicians is we're all friends, right? So you know, we're up there," Swift told fans, gesturing to the second floor VIP section where she, her boyfriend Travis Kelce, her best friend from childhood Abigail Anderson Berard and Abigail's husband Charles Berard rocked out to musical acts along with 80 NFL tight ends in town for a three-day training event.
"And we're having some drinks," Swift said. "We were thinking like, 'How loud could this place get?'"
The audience unleashed an ear-shattering form of approval and Swift dedicated her smash hit "Shake It Off" to "our favorite players who are going to play, the tight ends."
Immediately a sea of arms holding camera phones shot into the air as the singer in an EB Denim black dress and Versace leather boots jumped into her "1989" chart topper.
"Honestly have you ever seen a tambourine played like this?" Swift asked after the first chorus, gesturing to Brown. "This is fantastic work by Mr. Kane Brown."
Swift — who has been on a musical break for six months following her successful Eras Tour — shared Brown's mic as they belted the final chorus. The high energy performance was her first live show since buying back her masters in May.
She slung the guitar off her shoulder and said, "Will you please give it up for this amazing band who just figured out that we were going to play that three minutes ago."
Then she turned to hug Brown, the backup singers and the instrumentalists before disappearing off stage.
Long live the Eras Tour with our enchanting book
Tight End University was started by San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle in 2021. More than 80 to 90 NFL tight ends descend on Music City from all professional football teams to study film, perform on-field drills and discuss recovery and rehabilitation.
"George has always represented camaraderie over competition," Leigh Taylor Richardson, a spokesperson for the event, told The Tennessean on June 18. "He wants everyone involved and everyone included. A lot of people may be super secretive about what makes them the best, but he wanted to start Tight End University to share his secrets, uplift the tight end position, raise money for charity and put a spotlight on what George says really keeps all tight ends at the top of their game — their wives and girlfriends!"
Kittle enlisted the help of his friends Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen, who have helped him run the event for five years.
The only event open to the public is the benefit concert at Brooklyn Bowl, which sold out immediately after social media was flooded with photos and videos of Swift spending time with Kelce. Fans bought general admission, standing room only tickets for about $35 plus tax not knowing Swift would be in attendance, let alone perform.
Only Jordan Davis, Chase Rice, Sophia Scott and Graham Barham had been announced on social media. Nico Moon and Ernest also performed. All the proceeds from the event go toward three organizations: Kelce's nonprofit 87 and Running, which helps disadvantaged youths; The Heartest Yard, which helps kids with congenital heart disease; and a charity of Kittle's choosing.
Two years ago, attendees raised $800,000. Last year, they raised $900,000. The hope this year is to pass $1 million.
Don't miss any Taylor Swift news; sign up for the free, weekly newsletter This Swift Beat.
Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Inside Taylor Swift's surprise performance for Tight End University
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