Maybe you’ve heard: Taylor Swift released a new album last week. “The Life of a Showgirl” is advertised as a look into the life of music’s biggest star when she’s not onstage, and several local businesses are getting in on the hype. Magic City Books and Ida Red threw listening parties last week; AMC Theaters hosted a limited theatrical run of “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” which included the premiere of her new music video; even Cain’s Ballroom is celebrating with its own release party for the album.
One local business has been celebrating T-Swift’s work and milestones for the past two-and-a-half years. This week, Duet is bringing back a wine dinner concept that has become one of Tulsa’s hardest dinner reservations to snag. In fact, this one’s already sold out.
The Lore
I remember it all too well. Saturday, April 1, 2023. I was running the registration desk at a work conference, and the first panel was well underway; I had nothing to do. I took the opportunity to doomscroll on Instagram, when I came upon an exciting post.
This was in the early days of the Eras Tour. Swift’s marathon three-and-a-half hour concerts had started a few weeks prior, and videos were going insanely viral on social media. If you didn’t have tickets, you were feeling FOMO. I only began listening to Swift when she released folklore and evermore, so I wasn’t compelled to sign up for a pre-sale code, but when the tour began, with its attendant viral videos, I very quickly regretted that decision.
Desperate to feel some kind of high akin to attending the tour (without the hassle of travel logistics and the stress on my budget or body), I quickly texted a group of Swift fans from work about the dinner. I waited. Before anyone even responded, I called to make the reservation. I knew this would sell out.
The owner answered. When I asked to make a reservation for the Taylor Swift Wine Dinner, she laughed. The post, she told me, was an April Fools joke.