TAMPA - Midway through her second song Saturday night, a broken string dangled from Taylor Swift's glitter-encrusted guitar.
That string said more about why Taylor Swift is country music's most welcome newcomer than all her awards or her twice-platinum debut album.
The crowd of 2,582 that sold out the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Morsani Hall witnessed an actual live performance, free of special effects, choreography or any sounds other than those being made by Swift and her six-piece band.
That's especially heartening considering Swift's appeal to the teen and tween crowd, one that is consistently fed a diet of cynically pre-packaged entertainment.
Swift, 18, is the real deal.
She wrote or co-wrote every song on her eponymous debut album - recorded when she was 16 - and they are as good as anything Nashville's come up with in recent memory.
Live, though, Swift proved herself beyond any doubt. Stripped of studio polish, her songs still sparkled. She projected confidence but also plenty of enthusiasm.
She performed a few songs solo mid-set, including a charming remake of Rihanna's "Umbrella." The band rejoined her to bring "A Perfectly Good Heart," one of the strongest numbers in the set, to a powerful conclusion.
"Tim McGraw," her debut single, got such a rousing ovation that Swift seemed nearly overwhelmed, continuing to stare wide-eyed into the crowd even as a roadie took her guitar and headset-microphone.
She quickly regained her composure, and a healthy dose of sass, for the next number, "Picture to Burn," a kiss-off to an ex-boyfriend.
Swift's genuineness and lack of affectation were as much a part of the concert's success as her material and performance. Here's hoping the Nashville powers that be keep their hands off and let Swift continue to grow on her own.
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