But thankfully, Denver has a handful of spaces where you're almost guaranteed not to run into Taylor Swift fans who are just waiting to pour out long-winded conspiracy theories about the pop star's songs — or maybe you'll run into tons who are in their Reputation era. And you'll probably find us at one of them, to avoid the stakes and torches that come for those who question T-Swift's omniscience. She is a force to be reckoned with, but you probably won't have to reckon with her at any of these Denver spots:
Denver punk trio Egoista played the Crypt, a great bar to avoid Swifties, earlier this year.
Courtesy Egoista
1618 East 17th Avenue
While we awarded the Crypt the 2023 Best of Denver award for Best New Club, this uptown spot's death-inspired atmosphere is sure to ward off the more preppy Taylor Swift fans, who are arguably the most vexing. Take refuge among punk-rock posters and gothic decor while digging into vegan and gluten-free bar food, and maybe even catch a punk or prog-rock concert while you're there. But be warned: Swifties can be into punk rock, too, and some are those disturbing girls who think they're witches after buying an amethyst crystal. So even this spot could be the type of "edgy" venue that fans on the fringe might seek out — to snap a picture for their grid, of course.
Bar Bar
2060 Champa Street
God just may be real, because Bar Bar, aka the Carioca Cafe, secured its cabaret license to resume its live-music offerings (and add drag shows!) ahead of the Eras Tour. We need all the local rock music we can get to drown out the pop. A cash-only dive, Bar Bar may be in the line of fire given its location near guaranteed Swiftie neighborhoods such as RiNo and LoDo, but inside you will be safe, drinking reasonably priced booze and, depending on the night, seeing a badass local band. That's a win.
Black Sky Brewery
490 Santa Fe Drive
This metal brewery is known for its wide selection of brews, live metal concerts and karaoke. Denver punk-scene veteran Maris the Great held an album-release show here in May, and that should be enough to signal that Black Sky is safely Swiftie-free. We don't even want to know what sort of illustrations Maris would conjure up of Taylor Swift if he were to include the pop sensation in his collection of fantasy murders.
Seventh Circle Music Collective
2935 West Seventh Avenue
Taylor Swift fans definitely engage in DIY, creating handmade outfits and friendship bracelets specifically for tours, but the DIY of Seventh Circle Music Collective overrides such summer-camp vibes with its punk-rock ethos. The volunteer-run venue has been staging shows with local bands and national acts such as Agent Orange for more than ten years now, after taking over the spot left by previous DIY bunch Blast-O-Mat. Found near Barnum Park in the industrial Sun Valley neighborhood, it's safe to say that Swifties won't even think to come there.
TRVE Brewing
227 Broadway
Another metal brewery, TRVE has delicious beers and metal music blasting inside its black-painted walls — the perfect safe haven for those who love heavy music and brews. The brewery doesn't have live music, although there are vinyl DJs from time to time, but it does always have a stellar playlist running, as well as fried chicken from Music City Hot Chicken. Taylor Swift may hail from Music City, but the satanic vibes found at TRVE are enough to keep her — and her fans — far away. Or so we hope.
