Old people can have fun too
March 13, 2012 9:19 AM Subscribe
Where do people in their late 30s and 40s who have never learned to grow up go to have fun?
I'm in my late 30s. I like to go out with friends and dance, see bands, have a good time. We are all intellectually-minded people, in good health, upper middle class, but we have never really 'grown up'. We are not hedonists, but we do enjoy having a good time once in a while.
In years past, we had gone to multi-day concerts, but the scene has become ever younger. I'm feeling creepy hanging out, dancing, and partying with tweens.
So, where do we go? Are there concerts or destinations geared to our demographic?
I'm in my late 30s. I like to go out with friends and dance, see bands, have a good time. We are all intellectually-minded people, in good health, upper middle class, but we have never really 'grown up'. We are not hedonists, but we do enjoy having a good time once in a while.
In years past, we had gone to multi-day concerts, but the scene has become ever younger. I'm feeling creepy hanging out, dancing, and partying with tweens.
So, where do we go? Are there concerts or destinations geared to our demographic?
You're going to the wrong multi-day concerts. I'm 45, and fit in just fine at the hippie-fests my wife and I go to. We go to a dozen a year, every other weekend in the summer. Some, yes, for sure, are filled with kids, but there are smaller fests that are all us oldsters with fancy campers and nice cots and extensive camp kitchens and all that, an evolution, if you will, from the kind of events you're talking about. There are bands, and jam circles, and barbecue and free breakfast usually. If you brew beer or make wine (and all us middle-aged hippies do), bring some, and you'll make lots of friends.
If you're east coast, especially in the DC area, lemme know, and I'll invite you to one (and more, if you're cool).
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:32 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
If you're east coast, especially in the DC area, lemme know, and I'll invite you to one (and more, if you're cool).
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:32 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
Seconding MrMoonPie, the hippiefests have what you're looking for. But smaller town music festivals are pretty nice too, when they're paired with other events. Smaller venues with up-and-coming acts alongside veterans. (But definitely not the ZZTop/REOSpeedwagon-type retro tour that plays the state fairs.) My small city's Down-by-Downtown music festival is scheduled alongside the Blue Ridge Marathon, for example.* Lots of people come to town who are old enough, and have enough money, that they don't want to sleep in a van down by the river anymore.
*All my links are nicely roadtrippable from DC so if those events are on the MoonPieFamily's itinerary then it's IRL meetup time.
posted by headnsouth at 10:24 AM on March 13, 2012
*All my links are nicely roadtrippable from DC so if those events are on the MoonPieFamily's itinerary then it's IRL meetup time.
posted by headnsouth at 10:24 AM on March 13, 2012
Burning Man.
posted by fshgrl at 10:29 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by fshgrl at 10:29 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
yeah, Burning Man related events are exactly it.
posted by Mars Saxman at 10:33 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by Mars Saxman at 10:33 AM on March 13, 2012
I would go to Disneyland Paris, though not by myself.
posted by tel3path at 10:40 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by tel3path at 10:40 AM on March 13, 2012
Oops, please disregard, I typed impulsively without realizing you're only looking for concerts. I assume parades of people in rubber costumes doesn't do it for you... at least not that kind of rubber costumes.
posted by tel3path at 10:41 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by tel3path at 10:41 AM on March 13, 2012
Pretty much any time in New Orleans, but Jazz Fest and French Quarter Fest in New Orleans are particularly good multi-day music fests that attract a varied crowd, from hippies of all ages to families to hipsters to yuppies/dinks. You didn't mention food, but both have great food available on-site as well as all of New Orleans's restaurants to choose from afterwards.
posted by CheeseLouise at 11:51 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by CheeseLouise at 11:51 AM on March 13, 2012
I'm mid-30s. Seconding ATP, it's a fantastic festival and decidedly non-hippie. Others that might work in that vein are Pitchfork, CMJ, etc. Also, since you have better means, I've found it great to go to festivals in other countries with friends, often getting a group of 20-ish people together for ATP in the UK.
But, when we were tweens those older people like us were still at clubs and shows. We just didn't notice them because it was unimportant to us at the time. Just like most of them don't notice you now. Granted, there are probably more older people going out these days, but that just makes it easier to go imho. I party when I go to festivals or shows, and for the other people who are also there for the music they just don't really care how old you are.
posted by sub-culture at 11:52 AM on March 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
But, when we were tweens those older people like us were still at clubs and shows. We just didn't notice them because it was unimportant to us at the time. Just like most of them don't notice you now. Granted, there are probably more older people going out these days, but that just makes it easier to go imho. I party when I go to festivals or shows, and for the other people who are also there for the music they just don't really care how old you are.
posted by sub-culture at 11:52 AM on March 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
Wilco's Solid Sound Festival would be a good bet. It seemed to draw a wide range, from hipster kids to families with young kids to dudes in their 60s.
posted by susanvance at 12:19 PM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by susanvance at 12:19 PM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by *s at 9:30 AM on March 13, 2012 [1 favorite]