As soon as I heard that Los Angeles-based group Club 90s would be hosting a \u201cHeated RivalRave\u201d at The Observatory North Park, time stopped and the world spun. I immediately phoned my friends with a statement of conviction so intense it has yet to be paralleled: \u201cWe\u2019re going to the cottage.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no debate about it: The steamy sports drama series \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d became an unprecedented global phenomenon entering 2026. Skating past the competition, the show and its creators have revived a level of celebrity not seen since the \u201990s, reminding us all that queer romance needs more attention. And the attention has been astonishing: take Wolf Parade\u2019s \u201cI\u2019ll Believe in Anything,\u201d Hudson Williams\u2019 Wonderland photoshoot<\/a>, and Connor Storrie\u2019s whimsical YouTube archive<\/a> as three examples. TikTok, understandably, blew up with heartfelt tributes, thirst traps, and fancams of the show. It should come as no surprise that the rave reviews for our Hollanov superstars translated quite well onto the dance floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the explosion of communally-created iconography fuming from TikTok search engines, Club 90s found ample opportunity to jumpstart a worldwide club tour. Cleverly named the \u201cHeated RivalRave,\u201d the lights are turned down low while a high-energy DJ broadcasts \u201cHockeyTok\u201d to a fanatic crowd. It\u2019s like scrolling through your TikTok For You page, but in the company of other fans with a high dose of sensory overload to top it off in the best way possible.<\/p>\n Thankfully, Club 90s made a pit stop here in San Diego at The Observatory on Feb. 6. Snatching up the tickets was no easy endeavor; \u201cHeated RivalRave\u201d tickets sold out in under five minutes when they went on sale in January. But fret no further, dear reader: The party will be back at The Observatory on Feb. 20, 21, and 27 for every heated rival who missed the first one.<\/p>\n When the big day arrived, my watching buddies and I were more than ready. After heading inside the venue and capturing a few pictures, my friends and I snaked our way through the pit to get a full view of the stage. Suddenly, the room went dark, and the words \u201cWelcome to the Cottage\u201d flashed across the center screen. DJ Mikey Luj\u00e1n strutted out to Kesha\u2019s \u201cBlow\u201d in a fur-coated hockey jersey; in the words of Kesha herself, \u201cThis place about to blow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Colorful lights reflected off of everyone\u2019s wide eyes as a nearly extraterrestrial ambience beamed the entire room up into a collective craze. Everyone let loose to the booming soundtrack and jumped in synchrony to the overhead projections that showed fancams of our favorite \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d characters.<\/p>\n Loud, bombastic songs like \u201cToxic\u201d by Britney Spears and \u201cGuess\u201d by Charli xcx featuring Billie Eilish started the night. Then, some slower ballads like Paramore\u2019s \u201cThe Only Exception\u201d had everyone swaying like an ocean tide. We all, of course, started freaking out when \u201cHockeyTok\u201d classics like \u201cRock Me\u201d by One Direction and \u201cAll the Things She Said\u201d performed by Harrison sounded through the speakers. Hearing \u201cRasputin \u2013 Club Mix\u201d by Boney M. and G. Mart fill the space was a highlight for me; the song backed a fan-favorite Ilya Rozanov edit<\/a> and got everyone dancing, following a \u201cJust Dance\u201d sequence on the screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n