Remember Taylor Swift’s First Headlining St. Louis Show

Taylor Swift is obviously one of the biggest celebrities in the world right now, but it didn't used to be that way. I remember the first time she brought her show to St. Louis as a headliner and also have memories of her first appearances in Missouri as an opening act before the rest of the world discovered her talent.

Once upon a time, I was a country radio personality and I lucked into an interview with Taylor Swift in 2006 right after her first single "Tim McGraw" was released. I remember asking her if she thought Tim McGraw should release a song called "Taylor Swift" just to be fair and she politely laughed. I made Taylor Swift laugh...a brush with greatness I suppose. I recall that it wasn't long after that interview before she connected with Brad Paisley and was his opening act in 2007. I can't find confirmation, but it's possible she opened up a May 10, 2007 Brad Paisley concert at the UMB Bank Pavilion in St. Louis, Missouri, was part of his Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour.

The first confirmed Taylor Swift concert as a headliner happened on April 25, 2009 when she performed at what was then known as the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Here's the setlist from that first show.

Here's another song from that first St. Louis show that was captured by a fan. The quality's not great, but keep in mind this was 2009 before great phone cameras were common.

Taylor Swift quickly ascended to super-stardom and now her concerts are held in stadiums instead of arenas. Her marriage last week to Travis Kelce had to be held at Madison Square Garden to contain the crowds. However, there are many in Missouri that still remember the early days when she opened for Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts. If you're part of that crowd, you can say you remember Taylor Swift before she was a superstar.