Taylor Swift tribute artist arrives in Indy alongside Eras Tour INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Kanin Wren has long been a Taylor Swift fan. But the idea to become a tribute artist, touring the country performing Taylor’s songs, was not hers originally. The idea came from a consultant hired to help Wren with her burgeoning career more than two years ago. “At first, I was skeptical of the idea,” said Wren, 18, ahead of her “Taylor Swift Experience” show at the “Taylorween” party at HI-FI Indy. “Being a Taylor Swift fan myself, I know that if somebody were to do a Taylor Swift tribute band, I would want them to do it right.” The Michigan native dove in to the Swift catalog despite the skepticism. The result has been solid ticket sales across the country and nominations for ‘Rising Star of the Year’ and ‘Tribute Artist of the Year’ from the Josie Music Awards, which honor independent musicians. Wren and her band’s Halloween show in Indianapolis happens one day before the real Eras Tour arrives in the city, a unique experience for the cover-songster. “Indy is actually the first (city) we’ve gotten invited to ahead of an Eras tour show,” Wren said. “Not everybody is fortunate enough to get tickets to the Eras Tour. It’s a hot ticket right now.” She also wants to assure Swift savants that her’s is no karaoke show. “I don’t think (fans) expect a live band or someone who is as serious about it as I am. By the second song, you can see that the audience starts to understand that this is a real show, and it’s really nice to see that look of realization wash over the crowd,” said Wren. While Taylor’s version of songs have paid the bills of late for Wren, she says she’ll soon be using part of her gap year between high school and the University of Michigan to showcase her own song skills. “We’re going to offer two shows in 2025 – ‘The Taylor Swift Experience’ and ‘Boots and Bracelets,’ which will showcase more of my original music,” Wren said. “‘Boots and Bracelets’ will be a show with pop and country covers, along with my original music.” Wren also has several singles of original tunes available on streaming services and a new album out soon. Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience will highlight the “Taylorween” show at HI-FI Indy in Fountain Square. Doors open at 6 p.m. Thursday, with the show starting at 7 p.m. More info is available at https://hifiindy.com/event/taylorween.