The Future of Partying

People love getting wild. Young and old, humans like to let loose, have a few drinks and get after it. This whole virus/lockdown has essentially stopped the good times. This cannot last. Unless a nuclear war happens, I don’t think anything can stop people from partying. So, what’s the future of partying?

My guess is that house parties will be making a comeback. House parties are legit. The pregame can certainly be the high point of a night. Additionally, houses are where the after party usually takes place. All that is happening is we are cutting out the middle man; always cut out the middle man.

Some of my fondest high school memories come from having people over while my mom was gone for the weekend. Staying up late, being in charge of the playlist, random people showing up, the unknow of what will happen next all within the safety of your own home. Especially if you live with some privacy or out in the country so people can’t shame you for having people over, the future is house parties with lots of hand sanitizer, temperature checks and no sharing of the house funnel. 

My second guess is the future of partying might be another high school staple: bush parties. Being outside seems to limit the risk so why not build a fire, set up a tent and start raging. This takes a bit more planning but the payoff is greater. A return to bush parties and camping would be welcomed on my end. There are many positives in not going to a traditional bar. If you stopped to think about it, there are many downsides:

Standing in line

Inadequate DJ

Terrible drinks

Expensive cover
Bouncers

Too many dudes

Too loud

Too crowed

Negative bathroom scent

Random flights

Disco balls

Unfortunately, no longer true Leo.

Also, we are interacting with humans who you probably don’t have that much in common with. However, if you have yourself a small group of friends and they tell their small group of friends, everyone at this party will be loosely connected which gives you a strong starting off point. Also, the drinking games would be in full force which are mostly frowned upon in regular bar settings.

The more I think about this, clubs and bars being temporarily closed might not be a terrible thing. Yes, it’s bad for people who work in that industry. However, there are just too many clubs and bars that are not exceptional; this should narrow the field to the establishments worth saving.

I’m not saying that you should throw your own underground rave tonight but the future of partying is something worse considering. My personal opinion is that this virus is staying in our lives for the foreseeable future. I think in 10 years people will still be dying from this virus but we will learn to live with it and some type of social distancing and mask wearing will become more prevalent in cultures all over the world.

A quick internet search shows that a lot of DJ’s are having online concerts or performances. I haven’t taken part in that mostly because it sounds pretty tame but it’s good that people are being creative and trying to make the best of it. Zoom drinks and Houseparty app are also modern alternatives.

Another potential solution I've read about is before entering an outdoor music festival, people would have to show a negative Covid test to be allowed to enter. While this wouldn’t 100% keep infections to zero, it has potential to allow people to get back to some type of normal during the summer months.

I just read this from The Guardian: "The police also report that "corona speakeasies" have been springing up in the city, where owners of closed bars have taped up the windows and locked the doors, only allowing in guests who have registered or who deliver a specific knock on the door." I feel like the sexiness of going to a speakeasy in 2020 is eliminated with a side effect being potentially killing your stepmother who lives in the attic.

It also seems like many places in Europe are having secret raves or beach parties. When researching parting during quarantine, almost all of the articles were from Europe. Partying is more engrained into their cultures I suppose and a virus that could kill their grandparents sure won’t stop them from posting up and sending out the vibe. Places in England are focusing on areas with patios to have disposable menus, hand sanitizer, different entrance and exits as well as all orders going through an app which might be the future of going out in North America in 2021 and beyond.

I was just speaking to a friend in Shanghai and he said that it is back to partying like it was 2019. Bars and clubs are open; bartenders pouring shots into customers’ mouths; dancing and overall tomfoolery. The only new wrinkle is everyone is wearing a mask when you line up, having your temperature taken before you enter and leaving your phone number when you enter. Proceed to get wild. Sign me up.

I feel bad for people who have just turned 19 or are in their prime partying years. Memories are being stolen from them and while there are more serious concerns about what is happening, it’s still an experience that they are currently being robbed of. Luckily for me, my going out days are on the decline and I haven’t had anything to drink in a month and barely noticed. I hope that we can all find a way to be together and enjoy ourselves soon in whatever context is safest for everyone.

”We’re going streaking!”