Taylor Swift got a ‘rush’ singing at this Boise nightclub. After 22 years, it’s closing

When I wrote about The Buffalo Club opening in 2002, an Idaho Statesman headline called it “a surefire hit.”

And why not?

An 8,000-square-foot country nightclub at 10206 Fairview Ave., it offered everything a Boise cowboy could want. Three separate bars. One in front for shots and socializing. A larger middle room with a stage and dance floor. And for outlaws hiding from the sheriff? A space filled with pool tables in the back.

In 2006, it even had Taylor Swift.

But after 22 years, it’s last call. The Buffalo Club is closing.

In an online message written “with sadness and a sense of changing times,” The Buffalo Club explained that the rest of this week, ending Sunday, would be “our last party nights at the Buff.”

Closures are inevitable. Nightlife scenes evolve. “We can’t say we are surprised,” longtime house band The Saloonatics wrote on Facebook. “Lots of great memories.”

Swift in the house

For a lucky few, the biggest memory is a high-school-age Taylor Swift strumming an acoustic guitar and singing on stage.

Swift stopped at The Buffalo Club during a promotional tour, the sort of gig that involved signing autographs, posing for photos and, crucially, making an impression with local radio bigwigs who might play her single. Typically, this type of show might require a 30-minute performance.

Not in Boise. By the time I got a chance to ask Swift about The Buffalo Club three years later, she was a seasoned 19-year-old headlining sold-out arenas.

“I remember they told me, ‘All right, well, you’re going to play an hour-and-15-minute set tonight,’ ” Swift said, reminiscing by phone. “It was just me and my guitar, and my single wasn’t even out yet, and we didn’t even know what songs were going to go on my album.

“I remember going out there and being a little nervous. But when I got out in front of that crowd, they were so amazing. I kind of reverted to when I was younger, and I played a coffeehouse for a three-hour shift.”

“Things are definitely a lot different now,” Swift added. “But it’s really fun to be able to go out and do an acoustic set in the middle of the show and just be me and a guitar. When you hear people scream, it’s the same rush I got at The Buffalo Club. It’s just a different pitch, and there are a lot more people screaming.”

I’d expect a few more screams at The Buffalo Club on its final night — whenever Swift is shown on TV cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs during the Super Bowl.

Country bar farewells

Swift isn’t the only famous musician who appeared at The Buffalo Club on the way up. Other acts have included Luke Bryan, Miley Cyrus and Big & Rich. There’s a list on the nightclub’s website.

The Buffalo Club’s demise leaves few remaining bar options for country fans in the Boise area. Cowgirls in Kuna also bought the farm recently by rebranding as Nocturno Latin Club & Lounge.

Prior to the late bar owner Russ Purcell opening The Buffalo Club, the space had operated as The Palace.

With its special history, The Buffalo Club will be uniquely missed.

This story was originally published February 9, 2024 at 11:43 AM.