Where Taylor Swift Should Go in Denver If She Comes for the Broncos Game: 1989 Edition

With the Kansas City Chiefs heading to Denver to play the Broncos on Sunday, October 29, rumors are swirling that Taylor Swift might be heading to the Mile High City, too.

Swift, who just released 1989 (Taylor’s Version) — a re-recording of the 2014 album that cemented her as a pop-music goddess — has been seeing Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. When the teams faced off two weeks ago in Kansas City, she was in attendance.

The Chiefs beat the Broncos 19-8 that night, making it nine Swift albums now — five new records and four re-records — since the lowly stallions bested their KC division rivals.

Last time they did so was during Swift’s 1989 Tour back in 2015.

Swift embarks on the international leg of her record-setting Eras Tour on November 9, so this game is one of her last two chances to root for Kelce in person this season, and Denver’s Swifties are abuzz with the idea that she will be in attendance.

So we have compiled some suggestions for where "Mother" should go in Denver other than the Broncos game (which, if we’re being realistic, is probably going to either be a snoozefest or a blowout), with one activity allotted for each song on 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which came out Friday, October 27.

Welcome to New York: the Greenwich
3258 Larimer Street
Swift’s sugar-sweet love song for the Big Apple is pretty place-specific. There aren't a lot of spots in Denver that feel like the Big Apple, but the Greenwich is giving its all. The New American restaurant is a tribute to Greenwich Village, from the decor to the food to the mood.

Blank Space: SMASH*IT Breakroom
790 West Evans Avenue
Nothing says Blank Space like a rage room. Swift’s satirical anthem calls out the media for its portrayal of her as a serial dater and a “girl who's crazy but seductive but glamorous but nuts but manipulative," as she told GQ in 2015.

“Oh, my God, look at that face/You look like my next mistake/Love's a game, wanna play?” Swift sings. Take that energy to SMASH*IT Breakroom and destroy some stuff.

Style: Strawberry Mountain
825 Santa Fe Drive
“The winner of a 2023 Best of Denver award for Best Thrift Store, Strawberry Mountain is a buy, sell and trade shop that carries all eras of clothing, and yes, it is as cute as the name implies,” Julianna O’Clair wrote in a Westword list of Denver’s best vintage and thrift stores. We can think of no better place for Swift to get her style on.
Out of the Woods: Forney Museum of Transportation
4303 Brighton Boulevard
Swifites are notorious for their out-of-the-box theories ,and this is one of their wildest: They believe Taylor Swift and Harry Styles committed vehicular manslaughter together during their brief relationship and reference it in many of their songs, prominently "Out of the Woods."

“Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? Twenty stitches in the hospital room,” Swift sings.

To stay on theme, she can learn about the history of transportation at this Denver museum.

All You Had to Do Was Stay: Denver Cat Company
3929 Tennyson Street
Swift is a notorious cat lover, so we know she can’t come to Denver without visiting Denver Cat Company. "All You Had to Do Was Stay" exemplifies the regret we expect she will feel when she leaves without adopting one of the precious felines.

Shake it Off: Empower Field at Mile High
1701 Bryant Street
One of Swift's most popular and most hated songs, “Shake It Off” is about ignoring the haters. It could also be about football.

“Players gonna play, play, play, play, play,” it says.

Either way, the Broncos will probably need to shake off the disappointment after they lose once again to the Chiefs. But if they somehow pull off the upset, Kelce will definitely need some advice on moving past a low moment.

I Wish You Would: Shotgun Willie’s
490 South Colorado Boulevard, Glendale
The theme of this song is 2 a.m., and in Denver, the city is all closed up by then, as the last last call is at 2 a.m. But the separate bar attached to Shotgun Willie’s strip club can actually serve alcohol until 4:00 a.m. thanks to a state law allowing local governments to let businesses in common consumption areas serve alcohol late at night. If Swift wants to live out the “I Wish You Would” fantasy of doing stuff at 2 a.m., she needs to ditch Denver.

Bad Blood: The Crypt
1618 East 17th Avenue
Before Swift came to the Mile High City for two nights of her Eras Tour, Westword suggested places people could go to avoid Swifties. This is Swift’s chance to prove them wrong.

Go live out your punk-rock dreams and enjoy the great food menu!

Wildest Dreams: Casa Bonita
6715 W Colfax Avenue
Although the legendary pink palace is still wait list-only to get in, we suspect an exception could be made for Swift. Getting into the reincarnated space has been many people’s wildest dream this year, and if Swift brings Kelce along, they may just end up married (which may or may not have happened to Westword food editor Molly Martin on her recent visit). How You Get the Girl: Bastien’s
3503 East Colfax Avenue
This is another suggestion for the Swift-Kelce duo to hit together. “How You Get the Girl” isn’t just about getting the girl, but also about reminding her how much you adore her after (and making up for mistakes you make along the way).

Travis, here’s our advice: Take Taylor to Bastien’s, which is intimate and delicious and the oldest family-run restaurant still in the same location in the city. Now, that’s commitment!

This Love: Bar Red
437 West Colfax Avenue
This album has several references to ghosts, but one of the best comes in “This Love.”

“Your kiss, my cheek/I watched you leave/Your smile, my ghost/I fell to my knees,” Swift croons.

Denver has many haunted bars, and Bar Red tops the list.

I Know Places: Lakeview Lounge
2375 Sheridan Boulevard, Edgewater
We’ll keep this one simple. “I Know Places” has dive bar vibes, and there’s no better dive bar than Lakeview Lounge.

Clean: Denver Botanic Gardens
1007 York Street
Unfortunately, it’s shaping up to be a frigid day on Sunday, October 29. But if Taylor is up for a chilly journey, she should head to the Denver Botanic Gardens. “Clean” is one of her most emotional songs, and the gardens offer many lovely places to shed some tears. Plus, it fits with the nature motif.

“The drought was the very worst/When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst,” Swift sings.

Not to worry: there’s still plenty of life at the York Street gardens.
Wonderland: Spookedelia at the Spectra Art Space
1836 South Broadway
Swift’s Alice in Wonderland-themed love story unravels in "Wonderland". The obvious place to go is Meow Wolf, but that would take way too long considering her short time-frame. Instead, we recommend the local immersive art experience Spookedelia, which is smaller and cooler than Meow Wolf while giving all the psychedelic vibes you could possibly want.

You Are in Love: The Bardo
238 South Broadway, Denver
This coffee spot won Westword’s 2023 award for Best Late Night Coffee Shop. "In You Are in Love", Swift references “coffee at midnight,” so hopefully this spot will satisfy her craving.

New Romantics: Disco Pig
1414 Larimer Street
“New Romantics” is a high-energy anthem for going out with your friends and having a blast.

“We’re too busy dancing to get knocked off our feet,” Swift sings.

Disco Pig is a great spot to get your groove on.

Slut!: Death & Co.
1280 25th Street
Slut! honestly gives more of an ellipses vibe than its titular exclamation point suggests, but it’s an anthem for people's desire to be sad and look hot at the same time. There’s no better place than Death & Co. for that.

The upscale New York bar outpost is the perfect fit for 1989.

Say Don’t Go: Call Your Mother
1291 Pearl Street and 3880 Tennyson Street
Much like “Say Don’t Go”, when Call Your Mother first opened on Tennyson in May, it became an instant classic. It has already added a second location in Capitol Hill that opened this month. We predict “Say Don’t Go” will go down as one of Swift's best vault songs — the extra additions she adds to her re-recordings. Same goes for Call Your Mother; once you try one of their bagels, you’ll wonder how you lived so long without it.

Now That We Don’t Talk: Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Branch Library
498 Irving Street
Libraries are meant to be quiet, and if you’re not talking anymore, they’re a perfect fit.

The Corky Gonzales library branch is gorgeous and right by Empower Field, so Swift can easily make her way over.

Suburban Legends: Arvada’s Olde Town Square
5726 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard
Arvada is a Denver suburb that’s close by and has an adorable town square. If Swift wants to get her suburb on, this is definitely the place.

Is It Over Now?: Landmark Tattooing
609 East 13th Avenue
This song is pretty obviously about Styles. We suggest Taylor head out and get a tattoo of her own since Styles has so many. Reclaim it, queen. Plus, then you’ll always have something to remember Denver by.