An image shows Dave McCarthy, 56, of Worcester, Mass., at a Taylor Swift concert in Foxborough, Mass., in 2023. He’s seen from behind, enthusiastically pumping his fist and singing, adorned in a Red Sox visor, a gold sequined bow tie, and a matching blazer. His daughter Kate, 21, smiles at him in the foreground, capturing a moment of pure joy and connection.
Comedian Paul Scheer initially expected to find fathers reluctantly attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Inglewood, California, in 2023. He anticipated seeing a handful of dads begrudgingly chaperoning their daughters.
An audio commentary track is available, featuring the reporter discussing the article.
“I went there expecting these bitter dads, like, ‘I don’t like Taylor Swift,’” Scheer, 50, recalled. “But by Interview 2, I realized I had completely misread the situation.”
Interviewing 50 fathers in the SoFi Stadium parking lot, Scheer, himself a Swiftie and a dad to two boys, unearthed a touching display of parental dedication. He transformed these heartfelt conversations into a short documentary, ‘Swiftie Dads,’ which he shared on YouTube that December.
These fathers often went to great lengths, with some driving for hours just to experience the concert from outside the venue. Many successfully navigated the notoriously difficult online ticket sales. Dressed in themed outfits and adorned with friendship bracelets, their collective motivation was clear: a profound desire to connect with their children.
Images captured from Paul Scheer’s documentary ‘Swiftie Dads’ show various fathers engaging with the concert experience, some in themed attire, highlighting the joyful atmosphere and intergenerational bonding.
Despite ongoing studies indicating that mothers typically shoulder the bulk of unpaid childcare and household responsibilities in heterosexual partnerships, Gen X and millennial fathers are notably more involved in their children’s lives than previous generations. This engagement extends to pop music, where many dads are not just tolerating but genuinely embracing their children’s musical passions.
A perfect example of this trend is Dave McCarthy, 56, from Worcester, Massachusetts. Echoing Scheer’s findings, McCarthy proudly wore his Red Sox visor alongside a dazzling gold sequined bow tie and matching blazer to attend a Taylor Swift concert in Foxborough with his 21-year-old daughter, Kate.
His vibrant outfit was a heartfelt tribute to Swift’s ‘Fearless’ album, a record he and Kate first bonded over when she was just four, singing ‘You Belong With Me’ in their living room.
During the show, McCarthy wholeheartedly belted out lyrics to Swift’s greatest hits, jumping and screaming ‘I’m feeling 22!’ with infectious energy. Kate explained that after years of shared listening, the lyrics had inevitably become ingrained in his memory.
“His enthusiasm is incredibly encouraging,” Kate noted.
Another photo shows Dave McCarthy, sporting his gold sequin jacket, bow tie, and Red Sox visor, proudly posing with his daughter, who is dressed in purple with the number 13 on her hand. This attire was a special nod to Taylor Swift’s ‘Fearless’ era, a cherished memory from when Kate, at age four, would sing ‘You Belong With Me’ with her dad.
McCarthy’s dedication isn’t limited to pop; he also embraces his younger daughter’s love for country music, gladly attending concerts by artists like Zach Bryan (‘He was low-key fire,’ he reported) and Morgan Wallen (‘He was mid’).
“You only get one chance to share these moments with your kids,” McCarthy reflected. “Since they were born, my life has revolved around what they’re doing, and I’ve genuinely cherished every second of it.”
His wife, Liz McCarthy, expressed her deep appreciation, stating she felt “very, very lucky to have Dave be the dad that he is.”
She vividly recalled taking Kate to a One Direction concert years ago, where a father next to them spent the entire show engrossed in a newspaper. “Now, I look at Dave,” she said, “and he’s at these concerts, fully immersed and enjoying himself – sometimes, I think, even more than the girls!”
While intergenerational musical bonding is not new, and many caregivers have long supported young fans, pop music has often been perceived as a predominantly feminine space, particularly for artists with large teen followings. This can sometimes make heterosexual men feel like outsiders. For instance, Taylor Swift’s audience is estimated to be over 70% female, and a recent Billboard survey revealed that 80% of K-pop listeners in the U.S. are also female.
However, a growing number of fathers are moving beyond simply sharing their own musical tastes. They are now embracing a reciprocal relationship where their children’s preferences actively shape their own. By immersing themselves in these concerts and listening to music often centered on themes of girlhood, many dads are gaining invaluable insights into their daughters’ lives.
Augustine Sedgewick, historian and author of ‘Fatherhood: A History of Love and Power,’ points out that fathers engaging in leisure activities with their children only became common after World War II. He also highlights how the rise of social media has bridged generational gaps in music, allowing parents to more easily stay current with their children’s trends.
“Enjoying singing and dancing shouldn’t be confined by gender or seen as childish,” Dr. Sedgewick asserts. “Perhaps dads and kids sharing music can help challenge the often artificial and incorrect gendered labels placed on music, art, and culture.”
This trend isn’t exclusive to Taylor Swift fans; many fathers are fearlessly diving into their children’s pop obsessions.
For example, at the 2025 U.S. Open, tennis star Novak Djokovic, 38, celebrated his daughter Tara’s eighth birthday by performing the ‘Soda Pop’ dance from the animated musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ right on the court.
A photo shows Novak Djokovic on the tennis court, wearing black, looking up and making a drinking gesture with his hand while holding a racket. The blurred crowd in the background suggests a public event. This performance of the ‘Soda Pop’ dance from ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ was a special birthday tribute to his daughter at the 2025 U.S. Open.
During a post-match news conference, Djokovic humorously mentioned, “She’s going to rate me tomorrow because she told me how to dance.” He added, “We are at home doing different choreographies, and this is one of them.”
Ryan Senegal, 44, from Manteca, California, shares a similar bond with his 9-year-old daughter, Sabine, over ‘KPop Demon Hunters.’ They’ve watched the film countless times, its soundtrack is their go-to for car rides, and for Halloween, they even donned matching costumes. Sabine became the pop star Zoe, while Ryan transformed into the demon Mystery Saja (purple wig included) and, on another occasion, the blue feline Derpy.
Senegal revealed that his own father’s struggle with addiction and absence during his childhood profoundly influenced his parenting style. “That shaped how I am as a parent,” he stated. “I don’t care about embarrassing myself. People might say, ‘Oh, that’s cringe.’ But I don’t care. My daughter likes it.”
A TikTok still captures Ryan Senegal in his Mystery Saja costume—all black with a face-covering purple wig—alongside his daughter Sabine, also in a costume and wig as Zoe. This image highlights their shared enthusiasm for ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ a film they’ve watched countless times, influencing their Halloween choices.
Anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, author of ‘Father Time,’ suggests that these shared experiences offer physiological benefits for both fathers and their children.
“Caring fosters more caring, creating a reciprocal bond,” Dr. Hrdy explained. “This intimacy impacts your endocrine system; higher oxytocin levels lead to stronger bonding and potentially a longer lifespan.”
Christian Lopez, 51, from Carmel, Indiana, spent his daughter Zadie’s 15th birthday at Lollapalooza in Chicago, waiting all day with his wife, Leslie Lupton, and daughters Zadie, 15, and Darien, 12, to see Olivia Rodrigo. When Rodrigo began ‘Pretty Isn’t Pretty,’ her poignant ballad on body image and beauty standards, the crowd, including Lopez, was moved to tears.
A viral TikTok video shows Lopez initially nodding along to the song from behind his daughters. However, as the powerful lyrics about skipping meals and using makeup to hide insecurities resonated, his gaze swept over his weeping daughters and the other girls in the audience, his expression shifting to one of deep empathy and concern.
A TikTok video embedded in the article showcases Christian Lopez at the Olivia Rodrigo concert, reacting emotionally to the song ‘Pretty Isn’t Pretty’ with his daughters.
The Lopez family prioritizes attending concerts together, and Christian noted that the Olivia Rodrigo show significantly deepened his understanding of his children.
“We are incredibly involved in their lives – managing travel, sports, homework, everything,” Lopez explained. “Yet, to see my 12-year-old screaming and crying about not feeling pretty in the mirror made me wonder, ‘Am I failing as a parent?’”
He then shared his message to his daughters: “I told them, ‘When you feel those moments, you need to feel comfortable coming to us and telling us. It’s always an open door.’”
Audio produced by Tally Abecassis.