At 18 years old I was fully clubbing in nyc, armed with nothing but chutzpah and a fake ID. Sound factory, tunnel, Limelight, Exit. Tons of gay clubs too. Was it my “scene” in the end? No. Was I glad I did it? HELL YES. Where else can you drink cheap tequila sunrises and act a fool till 4 am, basically anonymously? Nowhere! Do it while you can! If I drank tequila sunrises until 4 am now I’d be DEAD! 💀
In my day, it was all about coke. If you had it or had access to it, you were the hottest guy in the club. I worked at the biggest talent agency in the world. Friday at 3 pm, the party started, office doors were closed but everybody knew what was going on. The festivities lasted until Sunday am when we all had to read scripts. Monday am everything was back to normal. There was no fear of ANYTHING. BTW Sex w/out love is a meaningless, empty experience BUT as meaningless, empty experiences go, it's the best
There were two day hangovers, severe anxiety when you "came down" from the high. Waking up in a strange bed with someone who has more ink than skin and you have no idea who they are or where you are...it was GREAT!!
Aman amen amen amen amen amen!! I can't agree with this more strongly. Go out and do stuff!! Honestly! I wasn't even a big clubber (I'd get dragged along with the Sopranos kids every once in a while) but the idea of leaving the house and finding out what the night has in store for you might be COMPLETELY different from what you had in mind is super super important. Bad decisions sometimes leads to good things. And vice versa. Here's to messier lives. At least in your 20s. It's important.
I was never into the club scene, but I am attending an ecstatic dance party tonight and am hoping for some of these same vibes you mentioned, but with more spirituality and less drunkenness. We are sorely in need of more time moving our bodies freely around other humans, and of sharing our humanity.
I actually have a perspective on this... I'm a Nerd, so, growing up, I didn't have a "social life"; my Fridays - and every other day - were spent with a good book or an episode of Battlestar Galactica; but I am, nonetheless, deeply concerned about Gen-Z not having any kind of meaningful social outlet.
Growing up in super rural midwest we had to DRIVE like 50 minutes to the nearest quasi-town to dance, but it was so fun and perfect. the boys?? the girls?? the wearing-your-club-clothes-under-hoodies-and-sweats so your parents didn't know!?!?! i don't even think we tried to drink, we tried to be the best dumb dancing girls we could be. Replicating this in frat house basements, and then in Adam's Morgan in the first few years of working in DC... you're right it was freaking magical. And, honestly?? the science of connection and feeling euphoric is out there - I work for the former SG of California and one of the ways we can diffuse stress is to feel connection with our friends and move our bodies. so basically science says we NEED to get on these dance floors!!
First off, I want to say that this post made me so happy. I love everything you write and say, but this was such an awesome departure from the inescapable shitstorm of American politics and horrendous social justice and human rights violations you importantly cover so often. I thoroughly enjoyed this nostalgic piece of work, so thank you so much for this one!
I once had a great night at a club in Providence, Rhode Island when I was in the Navy stationed in “Rotten” Groton, Connecticut. As a respectable, but admittedly boyish, group of 20ish Navy dudes, we were always trying to go where the action was whenever we got free time away from the boat. I’m sure it’s hard to believe, considering the reputation of most U.S. military men, but we really were the non-creepy, non-invasive, just want to have fun and maybe get lucky type of fellas.
I met a nice lady and we had a great time dancing, drinking, and even talking a bit (or at least trying to among the way too loud music and chatter at the smoke pit.)
When it was time for us to leave when the club closed, I called her a cab (yes, an actual cab and not an Uber or Lyft). Before she got in, after we exchanged numbers, she gave me a kiss and said, “You’re gonna call me right? Good… because I’ll find youuu.” Her face and voice as she said the last part was EXACTLY like Isla Fisher when she says it to Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers (she even looked a bit like her!) I was awestruck because to this day that’s my favorite comedy of all time and that’s one of my favorite scenes. It didn’t end up progressing past a couple casual dates and hook ups because of course I was moving around all the time and a steady relationship for a guy stationed on a submarine was really tough to come by.
The whole night represented the exact vibez you described in this post and that wonderfully hilarious ending put the icing on the cake of that clubbing excursion.
Thanks again for the wonderful nostalgia and I love what you do and represent, Liz!
Oh man, I miss it. There is nothing NOTHING like a good night out dancing. And the flirting, dear god it was epic. So much silly. No matter what club I was in, I would always go up to the DJ and ask them to play Britney. Thanks for the flashback.
We need to hit the dance floors more often!!! As Gen z, millenials, boomers - everyone!!! Best stress reliever there is. And also let’s “coat check” our phones.
what’s your favorite clubbing memory
At 18 years old I was fully clubbing in nyc, armed with nothing but chutzpah and a fake ID. Sound factory, tunnel, Limelight, Exit. Tons of gay clubs too. Was it my “scene” in the end? No. Was I glad I did it? HELL YES. Where else can you drink cheap tequila sunrises and act a fool till 4 am, basically anonymously? Nowhere! Do it while you can! If I drank tequila sunrises until 4 am now I’d be DEAD! 💀
making fake id’s was SO FUN
my friend worked in the ID room at Pace which was my alma mater...VERY convenient. And that was before they were scanning for the real deal!
In my day, it was all about coke. If you had it or had access to it, you were the hottest guy in the club. I worked at the biggest talent agency in the world. Friday at 3 pm, the party started, office doors were closed but everybody knew what was going on. The festivities lasted until Sunday am when we all had to read scripts. Monday am everything was back to normal. There was no fear of ANYTHING. BTW Sex w/out love is a meaningless, empty experience BUT as meaningless, empty experiences go, it's the best
i need this to be a show!!
There were two day hangovers, severe anxiety when you "came down" from the high. Waking up in a strange bed with someone who has more ink than skin and you have no idea who they are or where you are...it was GREAT!!
WHAT
When i tell this to my teenage kids or their friends they think i'm making it all up.
Aman amen amen amen amen amen!! I can't agree with this more strongly. Go out and do stuff!! Honestly! I wasn't even a big clubber (I'd get dragged along with the Sopranos kids every once in a while) but the idea of leaving the house and finding out what the night has in store for you might be COMPLETELY different from what you had in mind is super super important. Bad decisions sometimes leads to good things. And vice versa. Here's to messier lives. At least in your 20s. It's important.
yes make america messy again!!
I was never into the club scene, but I am attending an ecstatic dance party tonight and am hoping for some of these same vibes you mentioned, but with more spirituality and less drunkenness. We are sorely in need of more time moving our bodies freely around other humans, and of sharing our humanity.
yes!! love this for you have fun!!
I always wanted to go to the club! Maybe 2025 is when I YOLO and finally do!
LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE
I'm scared of crowds and COVID! 😂
exposure therapy!!!
🫶 Now we're talking 😁
Young man, there's no need to feel down
I actually have a perspective on this... I'm a Nerd, so, growing up, I didn't have a "social life"; my Fridays - and every other day - were spent with a good book or an episode of Battlestar Galactica; but I am, nonetheless, deeply concerned about Gen-Z not having any kind of meaningful social outlet.
I feel seen! 🤣😭❤️
Love this o- Thank you!
Growing up in super rural midwest we had to DRIVE like 50 minutes to the nearest quasi-town to dance, but it was so fun and perfect. the boys?? the girls?? the wearing-your-club-clothes-under-hoodies-and-sweats so your parents didn't know!?!?! i don't even think we tried to drink, we tried to be the best dumb dancing girls we could be. Replicating this in frat house basements, and then in Adam's Morgan in the first few years of working in DC... you're right it was freaking magical. And, honestly?? the science of connection and feeling euphoric is out there - I work for the former SG of California and one of the ways we can diffuse stress is to feel connection with our friends and move our bodies. so basically science says we NEED to get on these dance floors!!
First off, I want to say that this post made me so happy. I love everything you write and say, but this was such an awesome departure from the inescapable shitstorm of American politics and horrendous social justice and human rights violations you importantly cover so often. I thoroughly enjoyed this nostalgic piece of work, so thank you so much for this one!
I once had a great night at a club in Providence, Rhode Island when I was in the Navy stationed in “Rotten” Groton, Connecticut. As a respectable, but admittedly boyish, group of 20ish Navy dudes, we were always trying to go where the action was whenever we got free time away from the boat. I’m sure it’s hard to believe, considering the reputation of most U.S. military men, but we really were the non-creepy, non-invasive, just want to have fun and maybe get lucky type of fellas.
I met a nice lady and we had a great time dancing, drinking, and even talking a bit (or at least trying to among the way too loud music and chatter at the smoke pit.)
When it was time for us to leave when the club closed, I called her a cab (yes, an actual cab and not an Uber or Lyft). Before she got in, after we exchanged numbers, she gave me a kiss and said, “You’re gonna call me right? Good… because I’ll find youuu.” Her face and voice as she said the last part was EXACTLY like Isla Fisher when she says it to Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers (she even looked a bit like her!) I was awestruck because to this day that’s my favorite comedy of all time and that’s one of my favorite scenes. It didn’t end up progressing past a couple casual dates and hook ups because of course I was moving around all the time and a steady relationship for a guy stationed on a submarine was really tough to come by.
The whole night represented the exact vibez you described in this post and that wonderfully hilarious ending put the icing on the cake of that clubbing excursion.
Thanks again for the wonderful nostalgia and I love what you do and represent, Liz!
Oh man, I miss it. There is nothing NOTHING like a good night out dancing. And the flirting, dear god it was epic. So much silly. No matter what club I was in, I would always go up to the DJ and ask them to play Britney. Thanks for the flashback.
We need to hit the dance floors more often!!! As Gen z, millenials, boomers - everyone!!! Best stress reliever there is. And also let’s “coat check” our phones.