Summoning the Swifties to Downtown Bozeman

The women’s bathroom on the lower floor of the Rialto saw more sequins than ever before. Last Saturday, the beat of Taylor Swift’s “Style” vibrated the walls as concert attendees waited for an open stall and navigated their way around a tight space. Commonly, restrooms do not facilitate conversation, but the vibes were electric in this case. Here, those using the women’s restroom gathered around sinks to reapply makeup and take selfies. Laughter bounced off the walls as friends gathered. 

Last Saturday on Jan. 27, the Rialto on Main Street collaborated with Zephyr Cycling Studio to host Taylor Swift Night, which was performed by Michael Weber, a DJ based out of Los Angeles. Weber is currently on a nationwide tour and stopped in Bozeman for this event. 

“The Rialto team thought this would be a really fun community thing,” Concert and Event Supervisor Noelle Houser said. “There’s a lot of Swifties out there. We thought it would be a fun night to celebrate that and create a space for everyone to gather.”   

Back in the bathroom, while waiting by the hand dryer for her friends, sophomore Anna Waldorf explained how she got into Swift in the first place. “[My earliest memory of Taylor Swift] is probably You Belong With Me, but I didn’t really start getting into Taylor Swift until The Eras Tour when we went together in Denver,” Waldorf said.   

Swift’s The Eras Tour began in March 2023, and according to Guinness World Records, Swift now holds the record for the highest-grossing music tour of all time. “Taylor is on every single one of my playlists; [she has music] for any mood,” Waldorf said.  

Similar to the chaos in the bathroom, the Rialto theater was flooded with well-dressed Swifties. Many sported outfits draped in rhinestones, while some wore flowy purple dresses with cowboy hats. The Rialto features a main stage at the rear end of the hall, with a slightly lowered pit in front. There, Jenni Claseman and Ashton Hardy danced in the front row. 

“We’re actually from Saint George, Utah,” Claseman said. “[We came to Bozeman] because of Michael, the DJ. We know him from the Bop to the Top Tour where he, Lucas Grabeel from High School Musical and Jeffery the DJ all got together, went to venues like this, and played early 2000’s Disney Channel music like High School Musical and Lemonade Mouth. We fell in love with Michael. We went to his 1989 release party in Vegas and so we were like, we have to go support him.” 

The duo also described their deep connection to Swift and her music. 

“We had a friend growing up, who was super into Taylor Swift. I wasn’t yet, but she was super excited for the Red album to come out,” Hardy said. “I hadn’t listened to a full album until Reputation, but I fell in love with it. Her opening night of the Eras Tour — she welcomes the girls, gays and theys. [Taylor] is such a safe person for people like me.”  

On the balcony floor, Belgrade High School seniors, Grace and Lily Stewart, celebrated their 18th birthday with their older sister.  

“Our sister offered to bring us for our birthday,” Grace said. “I used to listen to Taylor on my iPod shuffle [as a kid.]” 

Many concertgoers seemed to have a shared fondness for Swift and the influence of her early music. 

“My earliest memory involves growing up listening to my sister listen to Taylor,” Lily said. “My favorite [era] is Speak Now.” 

With over 102.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Swift has clearly built an extensive fanbase. As demonstrated by the line wrapped around the building before the doors opened, Bozeman is home to quite a few Swifties. They all came to support and dress in their finest Eras Tour outfits and party the night away with other like-minded individuals.