Available right now on Netflix is a recording of one of Taylor Swift’s concerts from her Reputation Stadium Tour. Being a fan of her music, I will say that I have watched the entire performance. This is the closest I have gotten to attending one of her concerts.

I have, however, heard her perform live.

There were no fancy costumes, no dancers, no pyrotechnics, and she wasn’t singing any of her own music. She was just starting to become a successful singer and people were beginning to learn her name, but her fame had not yet reached the level it is at today.

It was April 5, 2007 and shortly after the release of her debut album, she returned to her hometown to perform the National Anthem before a Reading Phillies game.

At the time, I was not all that familiar with her music and the little I knew about her came from friends and the local paper. I had only heard one or two of her songs up to that point so I think I was more intrigued to hear her sing than I was excited.

The organization put a lot of work into promoting her appearance in the months leading up to that night. It was a big deal around the ballpark and the community and it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement.

The night started like any other night at the deck. We got the stand ready to go, counted everything, and then hung out watching batting practice. Once gates opened, we were busy with customers and not much thought was given to what was going on in the pregame. It was busy that night, but whether that was because of Taylor Swift or because it was a nice night, I honestly don’t know.

We were busy enough with customers that we almost didn’t realize when the National Anthem had begun. It took someone hearing singing and us noticing everyone on the deck had gotten quiet to make us realize the game was about to begin. I remember my job that night was nachos and ice cream so I was not busy at the time the anthem was sung. I stepped outside the stand to get a better listen and because of where the deck is positioned, I could also see her up on the video board.

She did a nice job and I remember enjoying the fact that she didn’t try to do anything fancy; she just played her guitar and sang the song. There was a huge cheer for her after she finished, she thanked the crowd, walked off the field, and the game proceeded as normal.

While it was a cool experience and one that everyone still talks about, I think if at the time we had known how popular she was about to become it would have made it that much more exciting.

And even though it was a simple performance that she may or may not remember, I can still honestly say that I have heard Taylor Swift perform live.

Confessional: Have you had the opportunity to hear a musician you like perform live? What did you think?