Taylor Swift has once again brought up the National’s Aaron Dessner during the Surprise Songs portion of her latest Eras show. Dessner joined Swift onstage in Pittsburgh last night (June 17) to play piano for a live debut of the folklore track “Seven.”
The Pittsburgh stop was Dessner’s third unannounced appearance on the tour. He previously joined Swift in Nashville in May for the live debut of “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” and also appeared in Tampa in April to play “The Great War.”
“A lot of you know who this man is right here,” Swift said Saturday night in her introduction of Dessner (of course also known for his work as a founder of The National), eliciting a roar of applause. “This is what I would categorize as a soulmate collaborator. He’s the most incredible musician, instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, and without him, folklore wouldn’t have happened.”
Swift also took a minute to praise the “amazing fathers” in the crowd who brought their kids to the show and wished them a Happy Father’s Day. She included Dessner in her speech, calling him a “great dad,” before turning the conversation to her own father.
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“I was thinking about the song we were gonna play because I actually – I’m not trying to brag – I have a really, really incredible dad, like hasn’t missed a show type of dad. … The song we’re gonna play has to do with having really fond memories of childhood, and growing up in Pennsylvania.”
Dessner and Swift have had a long working relationship. He co-wrote and co-produced Swift’s 2020 albums folklore and evermore and last year, contributed to Midnights. In addition to Dessner, other special guests on the Eras Tour have included Jack Antonoff, Marcus Mumford, Maren Morris, and Ice Spice. Phoebe Bridgers has also appeared with Swift on several dates where she opened.
