When coming back to campus after winter break, there were many things I expected. A new class schedule, a permanent chill in the air, and a hope for a productive and fulfilling academic semester. What I didn’t expect, though, was to walk back onto campus with an obsession for a Canadian TV show about two hockey players navigating the world of sports, identity, and most importantly, love.
And it seemed that everyone else in my social circle had, too.
Our collective obsession had sprouted from- you guessed it- the overnight sensation that is “Heated Rivalry” and its entire media discourse. From the plot itself, to the show’s messages, and even the cast who brought the show to life, there was simply so much to discuss and even more to love. And as my roommate, Lana, and I began sharing TikToks with each other regarding the show, we stumbled upon something we knew we needed to experience together.
Enter the Club 90s “Heated Rivalrave”; a touring, clubbing experience that displays fan edits of our favorite show on every screen available while encouraging the audience to dance the night away. As soon as we learned that this was indeed a thing, we decided we would go someday. And as soon as dates were announced for Boston, we decided that someday would be January 31st.
After a bone-chilling trek to Boston’s House of Blues, Lana, my hometown friend Julia, and I made our way inside the venue, and the raw energy in the place immediately warmed us right back up. We found our way to the upstairs mezzanine, and while there were people already crowding the balconies, our view of the screens gave us just as much hype as the people in the pit.
Alongside countless other fans, we were able to be the first to see the newest “Heated Rivalry” edits that had yet to grace our FYPs, and they were possibly everything we could have wanted and more. Edits including queer couples from other beloved pieces of media were also played throughout the night, shining light on not only Shane and Ilya’s love story, but also the pieces of queer media that have made waves over the last few years.
And through it all, we of course danced and sang along to every song we knew. Some were more emotional than others, causing a few teary gazes in the crowd, but the energy was still electric regardless of the somber edits.
While the entire evening was incredible, my favorite part of the night was a surprise for the entire crowd, when the DJ and host of the event announced to all of us that Connor Storrie would be hosting Saturday Night Live in a matter of weeks. Needless to say, screaming and madness ensued, and the news truly made my evening.
This experience was truly life changing for not only being my very first rave, but also a worthwhile immersion into fandom culture. Being able to see how many lives “Heated Rivalry” touched just in the venue alone was truly daunting, and the world can only hope that its momentum will continue until the highly anticipated season two, for which I will be readily tuning in.