Today you need no introduction to Taylor Swift. Her stardom has soared past the upper echelon of popular music and transcends popular culture from football to politics. But nearly 20 years ago she played a small Michigan university auditorium as a virtual unknown.

It happened in 2008 at Miller Auditorium on the campus of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. WMU's social media marked the anniversary of the show by sharing some blurry early iPhone images.

This was an era when Taylor was known for country music. She had just released her debut album. The Kalamazoo Gazette reported at the time on Taylor Swift's rise to 'Teen Queendom.'

Taylor Swift Performs at Miami Dolphins vs Detroit Lions - November 23, 2006
NFL
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Taylor's rise was spurred by early social media sites like MySpace. Today her early legacy lives on thanks to social media accounts like Taylor Thowbacks who has a bootleg of the Kalamazoo show with a cover of Rihanna's Umbrella.

Top-priced tickets for the show? $40. Quite the bargain looking back, ain't it?

Considering the heights Swift has soared to since the 2008 appearance at WMU, it's likely Southwest Michigan won't be seeing her touring any local venues anytime soon. Smaller cities like Kalamazoo will have to suffice with tribute shows like the one planned for Bell's Eccentric Cafe in April.

Taylor Swift Performs at Miami Dolphins vs Detroit Lions - November 23, 2006
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The photos that accompany this article are from another Michigan appearance during that era: Taylor was a performer at a Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day game in 2006.

Taylor Swift's Best Pictures From Travis Kelce's Super Bowl Season

Taylor Swift's love of the Kansas City Chiefs seems to mirror her love of boyfriend Travis Kelce. At first, she was a little awkward, but by the end of the season, she'd grown passionate for both.

Here are 29 of the best pictures of Swift and her posse from this NFL season and playoffs. There is one more game to go, but it's not clear if she'll make it to the Super Bowl since she has a concert in Tokyo the night before. Either way, watch as her fandom gains confidence and friends.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

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