Arthur Lulu only loosely considers himself a Swiftie.
At 52, his normal music tastes come from the ‘90s: Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Oasis. It wasn’t until his daughter Matilda became a Taylor Swift fan at age seven that the pop icon became a staple at their Whitby home.
Around the same time, in 2021, Matilda was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a relatively rare kidney disease that can cause blood clots and a weakened immune system. After a round of treatment, the symptoms went away — then came back three times. Each time, Matilda missed at least two weeks of school. As Matilda dealt with the condition in late 2023, Arthur decided to do something special for his daughter.
He spent $1,500 (U.S.) for two tickets to the Eras Tour. He printed one, folded it into a white envelope and placed it atop a typewriter, a reference to Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album. He stuck it in a box and, on Matilda’s ninth birthday on Aug. 31, gave it to his daughter.
“Actually?” Matilda says in a video of the moment, an incredulous smile spreading across her face. “You’re the best dad in the world.” She starts to cry.
On Nov. 23, Arthur and Matilda — whose condition is now under control, Arthur said — will sit together in the crowd at the Rogers Centre alongside tens of thousands of others. There will be mothers and daughters, teenage girls and their friends. And sprinkled among the masses, there will be dads like Arthur, trying to show how much they care with a ticket, a Swift-inspired outfit and a heavy dose of enthusiasm. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime event, the dads say, and the ultimate bonding experience with those they love.
Even if the dads, like Parry Sound’s Dave Weichel, don’t fully know what they’re getting into.
“I will probably be one of the odd ones out and I know that I won’t know all the lyrics to all of the songs,” said Weichel, who is going to the Nov. 22 show with his wife and two daughters.
Weichel, a high school guidance counsellor, considers himself Swiftie-adjacent. He enjoys classic rock, the stuff from the ‘80s that he tunes to in his car. He coaches volleyball and golf and cheers for the New Jersey Devils.
But since his daughters — Hayley, 17, and Camryn, 15 — started listening to music, he’s been steeped in Swift. The whole family entered a contest last August for the chance to buy tickets to the Toronto stop of the Eras Tour, and Weichel’s wife Alissa got lucky.
Weichel is now preparing himself for the big day. He’s been listening to “best of” playlists. “Fortnight” is in heavy rotation because of Weichel’s fondness for Post Malone. But at the Eras Tour, Swift will come second.
“No offence, Taylor,” Weichel said, “I’m looking forward to watching my family as much as I am watching her.”
Brian Wilson is also looking forward to making lasting memories. Wilson, who is from From Athens, Ga., spent more than a year trying to get Eras Tour tickets in the U.S.: in Atlanta in April 2023 and in Nashville the following month. He even bought tickets to a concert in Los Angeles in August 2023 as a surprise for his wife, Mallory, but sold them when they had a scheduling conflict.
Swift is all he’s listened to for the last year and a half. He cancelled his SiriusXM subscription and instead keeps a USB drive with all of Swift’s music in his car.
Wilson and his wife, as well as 17-year-old son Walker and 13-year-old daughter Olivia, got tickets in Toronto through the verified fan sale. They’ll fly in a few days early to visit Niagara Falls, and stay a few days after to catch a Maple Leafs game.
Olivia listens to Swift in the car with Wilson, and asks him what each song is about. In that sense, Swift is a role model to Olivia — one who empowers girls.
“(Olivia can) look at what she’s done and what she’s accomplished and go, ‘Hey, we can start here and we can get there,’” Wilson said. “I don’t think you’re gonna be able to pick a better woman.”
Soon, these dads will be seeing Swift in person and fully embracing their daughters’ passion.
“When your kids find the things they love, support them in it,” said Weichel. “Whether it’s a sport, whether it’s an art or drama club, whether it’s reading or music or whatever. Whatever that healthy outlet is that they find, go for it.”
The dads have already planned their concert outfits: Weichel has a shirt that says, “It’s me, hi, I’m the father, it’s me,” while Lulu will wear a 1989-themed cardigan inspired by rapper Flavor Flav, who wore something similar at last year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Lulu is still working through the entirety of Swift’s catalogue, but “Midnights” is his favourite album and “You’re on Your Own, Kid” is his top song. He appreciates her songwriting and the way her words move him.
He and Matilda will enjoy the full scope of Swift’s discography at the Rogers Centre. His youngest daughter Eleanor, age six, is happy seeing a movie instead.
“I don’t think she understands the magnitude of this concert,” Lulu said, “so ‘Moana 2’ is good for her.”
Swiftie 101: Brush up on all things Taylor
Trying to cram before the big concert? Here’s how to catch up fast.
Essential viewing
“The Eras Tour” concert film, streaming on Disney+, is a go-to — although you may want to avoid watching it before heading to the concert itself. “Miss Americana,” a documentary of Swift’s life and success, provides a peak behind the curtain and is streaming on Netflix.
Essential listening
Anything Swift. She has 14 albums, so take your pick — but “Folklore,” “Evermore,” “The Tortured Poets Department” and “Midnights” are featured prominently in the Eras Tour setlist.
Essential reading
“Heartbreak Is the National Anthem” by Rob Sheffield. As Aisling Murphy wrote in her review for the Star, this study of Swift is not a “sanitized, sycophantic rave,” but a measured tracking of her career and contradictions. The book will be released on Nov. 12.
