Anyone who walks into one of Buffalo’s “Taylor Swift Nights” will find the same things: glitter, costumes, screams of “f—k the patriarchy,” and a whole lot of dancing.
Most commonly hosted in Buffalo by Rec Room on W. Chippewa Street, these events are full of Swifties. They rose in popularity as COVID-19 restrictions loosened but before artists like Swift were back on tour.
Fans hosted parties at clubs around the world, where Swift’s music guided dance floors through a night of deep-cuts, classics and synth pop magic. Since the start of Swift’s “Eras Tour,” she’s garnered more and more fans, resulting in near-impossible quests to score tickets, and Taylor Swift nights regained popularity.
“The best part is definitely the environment,” Megan DeVantier, a senior nuclear medicine technology major, said. “Over 100 people can be in the same room and scream their hearts out to Taylor Swift for three hours straight with absolutely no judgment.”
DeVantier says that UB should “absolutely” host its own Taylor Swift Night — although she’s “not entirely surprised” that the school hasn’t.
“They usually don’t follow ‘trends’ [or] try to incorporate students’ interests outside of academic life,” DeVantier said. “It’s definitely something the students have to push for.”
Kyle Tsang, director of marketing for the UB Student Association, says that he is “unaware about the logistics” of planning this type of event, but he didn’t rule it out, saying that the SA would “keep it in mind for the time being.”
While the events that happen off campus around the city are exciting, age sometimes gets in the way. Many venues that host these nights, including Rec Room, are 21-plus. If UB were to host a “Taylor Swift Night,” it could include students in the 18-20 crowd.
“It would give us the opportunity to have a fun night with people who like the same music,” Emily McNeill, a junior biomedical engineering major, said.
The arts desk can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com
Josh Pawlik is an assistant arts editor for The Spectrum. His hobbies include playing guitar, working out and reading. He can be found on Instagram @joshpawlik
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
