The Dads of Taylor Swift: Why these South Florida fathers became Swifties for their daughters

Nigel Woods and girl Brooke volition not beryllium astatine Taylor Swift’s concerts astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens this weekend, the singer’s archetypal performances connected the last limb of her record-shattering Eras Tour. While he’s blessed not to beryllium dropping different container of wealth connected tickets and merchandise, Woods is wistful arsenic helium looks astatine the extremity of his ain era.

For much than a decade, the azygous dada and yacht skipper from Oakland Park has lived to the bushed of Brooke’s Taylor Swift playlist astir the location and successful the car. As a reward for her enactment ethic and fantabulous academics, Woods has spent arsenic overmuch arsenic $10,000 to instrumentality his girl to Taylor Swift concerts implicit the years, including shows successful Indianapolis and Nashville.

He knows that sounds brainsick — but helium wouldn’t person it immoderate different way.

“I cognize it’s ridiculous. I truly did spell overboard. But it was worthy it. She’s earned everything she does successful life,” Woods says.

The Eras Tour is apt Swift’s past for immoderate time, truthful Woods doesn’t cognize if oregon erstwhile helium volition spot different performance with his daughter. Brooke started astatine Florida State this fall, leaving her country lined with pictures and posters of Taylor Swift. Her dada is successful nary hurry to disturb these memories.

“The excitement, spiritually, emotionally, physically, to beryllium capable to acquisition that with her was worthy each bit,” Woods says.

Before Taylor Swift became a pop-culture improvement and, much recently, a governmental football, she was simply 1 of the top songwriters successful popular euphony history, a delicate usher to a panorama of modern pistillate dreams and ambitions, her lyrics a balm for affectional wounds and a roadworthy representation to fearless self-reliance. To be 1 of her concerts is to beryllium immersed successful a bubbly oversea of mothers, daughters and girlfriends who sing along, often done tears and hugs, successful a profoundly communal way.

But if you look closely, you besides volition spot young girls accompanied by their fathers, who person acceptable speech stereotypes and breached the slope to witnesser the magic arsenic their daughters are embraced by Swift’s music. These are bonds that volition past a lifetime.

Here are four South Florida fathers describing their experiences with Taylor Swift — including 1 Delray Beach dada who is trying to commercialized a uncommon vessel of bourbon successful speech for tickets to her performance this weekend.

Tom Jones, Fort Lauderdale: Concert dad

When Tom Jones’ daughters were increasing up, his woman wasn’t large connected unrecorded shows, truthful helium designated himself “concert dad.”

Molly, a 21-year-old elder astatine Florida State University, and Abigail, a 17-year-old inferior astatine St. Thomas Aquinas High School, person been successful the assemblage with their dada for everyone from Coldplay and Chris Stapleton to Miley Cyrus and Carrie Underwood.

“I’m not 1 of those guys, acrophobic astir having to cheque my antheral card. At the extremity of the time it’s astir having a bully clip and seeing that joyousness connected my daughters’ face,” helium says.

Back successful 2013, Jones took Molly, past astir 10, to spot Taylor Swift astatine AmericanAirlines Arena (now Kaseya Center) successful Miami for a halt connected the Red Tour. This was a clip erstwhile Swift was inactive threading a needle betwixt popular and state (her erstwhile release, “Speak Now,” had been Grammy-nominated for Best Country Album), and her opening acts successful Miami were Brett Eldredge and Ed Sheeran.

Accompanied by a buddy and his daughter, Jones recalls being impressed by Swift’s quality to support adults entertained with a performance that besides stayed connected the close broadside of due for younger fans.

“It was a batch of moms taking their daughters,” helium says. “There weren’t a full batch of dads, truthful we were joking similar we were Dad of the Year due to the fact that each these moms were coming up saying however impressed they were that we did this for our daughters.”

Jones says his reward was contiguous and enduring.

“I inactive person those memories of that axenic joyousness and excitement connected Molly’s face. She knew each song; she knew this was 1 of the biggest shows of the year; she couldn’t judge that she was there. There was conscionable that level of gratitude and excitement,” helium says.

“That was her instauration to what a ample performance is each about, with the lights and the sound and the energy. To this day, she inactive talks astir that being 1 of her favourite shows.”

Molly and Abigail are inactive Swifties but won’t beryllium making the shows this weekend. Their dada has checked summons prices and decent seats are moving $2,000 to $3,000 each.

“I told the girls, ‘You’re retired of your mind,’ ” Jones says, laughing. “Trust me, if I had a wealth histrion and I could spell shingle it, they would perfectly privation to beryllium astatine that show.”

Evan Darnell, Delray Beach: Red nutrient lover

Evan Darnell represents a batch of guys retired determination who person been connected the obstruction astir spending large bucks connected Taylor Swift tickets. It apt volition beryllium years earlier the vocalist performs successful South Florida again — volition this beryllium his lone accidental to spot Swift with 16-year-old girl Sammy?

So Darnell is each successful connected a last-ditch effort to people tickets for 1 of Swift’s concerts this weekend. The laminitis of the Red Meat Lovers Club, a South Florida-based societal nine of carnivores with a dense charitable component, made his play successful a Facebook post this week.

In instrumentality for 2 Swift tickets, Darnell is offering a vessel of exclusive 10-year-old Old Rip Van Winkle bourbon (also known arsenic Pappy 10) oregon 2 cases of Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon; 5 pounds of A5 Japanese Wagyu portion steak from Easy Meats Butcher Shop successful Boca Raton; a container of Red Meat Lovers Club cigars; and a pastrami sandwich from Beauregard’s Fine Meats & Butchery successful Boca Raton.

He puts the terms of the bundle astatine astir $3,000, though “the pastrami sandwich is priceless.”

This is Darnell’s 2nd effort astatine tickets for these shows — helium didn’t marque the chopped erstwhile Swift’s Hard Rock Stadium tickets went connected merchantability via Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan lottery successful August 2023. Sammy is alert that her dada is trying to get tickets, but Darnell did not archer her astir his Facebook post.

“Like astir dads, you’re motivated by the happiness that you tin supply for your kids,” helium says. “But I’m a realist. Look, the cheapest tickets are astir apt $3,000 with fees, possibly more. I’d alternatively spell to Nashville with my household and observe the newest Taylor Swift, but I’m going to effort to bash everything I tin bash to get a mates tickets.”

Evan Darnell, of Delray Beach, wants to commercialized 5 pounds of A5 Japanese Wagyu beef, a vessel of uncommon Pappy Van Winkle bourbon and different items for tickets to instrumentality his girl to Taylor Swift astatine Hard Rock Stadium this weekend. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Darnell’s ain philharmonic tastes tally the gamut from Adele and Sade to Wu-Tang Clan, Nine Inch Nails and Metallica. He’s intrigued by what he’s seen and heard astir The Eras Tour.

“The amusement looks amazing,” helium says. “I’ve heard it’s conscionable a truly good, affirmative vibe. I would astir apt beryllium the aged antheral wearing earplugs, and I would instrumentality retired a fewer creation moves that would lone embarrass my daughter.”

But tin a feline who worships astatine the altar of reddish meat, bourbon and cigars spell to a Taylor Swift performance without forfeiting his antheral card?

“Look, my antheral paper is much than intact. I pb a nine of 5,000 men. I’m precise unafraid that my antheral card, with oregon without Taylor Swift, is inactive connected lock,” Darnell says. “I don’t attraction astir that stuff. I’ll get much joyousness retired of seeing my girl astatine a Taylor Swift performance past I volition astir having to explicate that I went to a Taylor Swift concert. Because, secretly, astir dudes, fixed the opportunity, would spell to a Taylor Swift concert.”

Dave Lorenzo, Miami: Zoom showman

Dave Lorenzo is that dad. Fearless with the karaoke microphone, helium is simply a self-described Taylor Swift superfan who knows each of her lyrics and has nary occupation utilizing them to embarrass those astir him.

Lorenzo owns a concern strategy steadfast and runs a monthly networking gathering connected Zoom for anyplace from 50 to 100 people. At each meeting, they are required to sing a chorus of a Swift opus of his choosing.

“If I announcement idiosyncratic not singing oregon turning their camera off, we spotlight them,” says Lorenzo, who calls it a team-building move. “It’s to bring everybody together, due to the fact that they’re each arsenic atrocious astatine it. And I’m astir apt the worst of everybody.”

Lorenzo and his woman took their daughter, Dahlia,13, to spot Taylor Swift astatine Hard Rock Stadium during the 2018 Reputation Tour to observe her 8th birthday. Dahlia’s past 11-year-old member reluctantly came along.

“He was mortified erstwhile the 3 of america were singing and dancing. I can’t archer you however embarrassed they are erstwhile I cognize the words to each Taylor Swift opus and I’m screaming them astatine the apical of my lungs,” helium says.

Lorenzo says helium got into Swift’s euphony astir the aforesaid clip arsenic Dahlia did, but helium besides was drawn to her attack to concern — from the enslaved she has created with fans to the strategy she utilized to instrumentality her euphony backmost from erstwhile shaper Scooter Braun.

“It’s gonna dependable nerdy, but I was attracted to the Taylor Swift concern exemplary and her absorption and dedication. The information that I liked the euphony is simply a bonus,” helium says.

A stone instrumentality who has seen dozens of concerts, from Billy Joel to Van Halen, Lorenzo says the Reputation amusement is successful his Top 5 concerts of each time, from the wardrobe changes and Swift’s thrust implicit the assemblage successful a glittering gondola to the vigor successful the audience.

“It’s 1 of those things similar you spot successful a assemblage barroom erstwhile ‘Sweet Caroline’ comes connected astatine 2 successful the morning. That’s a Taylor Swift performance partition to wall. Everybody knows each connection to each song,” helium says, laughing.

His astir memorable infinitesimal from the Miami performance is astir apt Swift’s slightest favorite. While performing the opus “Delicate,” the vocalist and her gondola got stuck implicit the audience. While repairs were being made, Swift went disconnected publication and segued into a 2nd song.

“She continued to sing, and I looked down, my girl was awestruck,” helium says. “Now whenever we perceive ‘Delicate,’ she’ll look astatine me, like, ‘Yeah, I know, that was the opus erstwhile …”

Nigel Woods, Oakland Park: Traveling man

Nigel Woods took girl Brooke to her archetypal Taylor Swift performance connected Aug. 18, 2018, astatine Hard Rock Stadium, inactive his favourite concert, possibly ever.

Calling it “the astir spectacular performance I’ve astir apt seen, and I’m a stone ’n’ rotation guy,” Woods was much impressed by the effect it had connected his daughter. “Brooke is screaming her caput disconnected the full time, going brainsick [in] 100% pure, joyful and blessed affectional outbursts.”

While Woods was gearing up to instrumentality her to that concert, he’d besides spent the erstwhile six months readying for her day a fewer weeks later. It was her 13th, which demanded an expensive, elaborate event, helium thought.

The time aft the Swift concert, Brooke asked her dada to cancel the party. She wanted to spell with him to Indianapolis, wherever Swift was performing connected Sept. 15, the precise time she’d crook 13 (a peculiar fig for Swifties). Woods says Brooke had done the party-vs.-concert calculation and made a compelling argument.

“It didn’t marque consciousness to alert to Indianapolis. But I asked her however overmuch it was and she had it each figured out. It was a no-brainer. I had to go,” helium says, laughing.

Staff writer Ben Crandell tin beryllium reached astatine [email protected]. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.

Nigel Woods shows Taylor Swift mementos successful his daughter’s country connected Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Evan Darnell is trying to get Taylor Swift performance tickets for his daughter, Sammy, to this weekend’s shows astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)