<p>It is almost Halloween, and the young crowd is getting ready for the weekend full of fun and partying. After seeing some TV ads featuring people dancing, I jokingly said to DH, “Honey, would you like to go out this weekend and have some fun just like we used to? Maybe dance a little…” H raised his eybrows, “Nobody goes out out to dance at our age! Maybe ballroom or salsa lessons… There are NO places for dancing for old ferts like us.” It has been more than twenty years since I set my foot on a dance floor. Out of curiosity, I googled a few local hot spots. It does look like old folks like us are not welcome there. Please tell me - what do other people over 40 do when they “go out”? Does “going out” after a certain age means having a dinner and watching a movie or a show early enough to be in bed by 10 pm? I have no desire to go “clubbing”, I’m just curious.</p>
<p>BB - We have a good friend who used to play in a cover band (in fact, he posts here on CC from time to time), but the band, well, disbanded about a year ago. In fact, Halloween last year was their last gig. I was a true and loyal fan - loved all the music they played. They would play at local restaurants that also had separate bars, typically, so nicer places as opposed to dives. We’d usually meet up with other mutual friends and stay for at least a set or two; I almost always drove separately because I could always last longer and was never ready to leave when H or our friends were. A few times I stayed for all three sets. </p>
<p>Anyway, at most of these places, at some point in the evening, someone would get up and start dancing. Sometimes just a handful or so, and sometimes more than that (the most I probably ever saw was a dozen or so, but the dance floors were never very big at these places). However, almost everyone that danced was from our generation… but the music they played was music that our generation likes, with a good mix of some modern stuff, so most of the audience members were our age.</p>
<p>So I’d look for some nicer non-chain restaurants that advertise live cover bands on Friday or Saturday nights and go check them out. If they’re a decent band, people will get up and dance, and it won’t necessarily be the bumping and grinding the younger generation is into. It’s relatively clean and lots of fun.</p>
<p>Well we live in Ballard 
( where we have lived since before it was trendy- thank you very much)</p>
<p>The roadhouse ( highway 99 blues club) has a dance floor and some good music.
I am not sure what you mean by " clubbing", but H & I , often will go out to hear local live music ( & I will also go out by myself, especially if it is in the neighborhood- and I go to hear certain bands)
( I think of “clubbing” as when I was * much younger* and my friends from the hair salon would go out to " discos"- and we would go different places depending on the mood and what the music was like- but now I go to a " club" and stay put- the whole thing is much different- the Tractor is by far my favorite- but I also go to the Sunset- Neumos by myself & to the Showbox w H)</p>
<p>Halloween is pretty big this year with celebrations happening on Saturday, leaving time to hand out candy on Sunday.
While I admit I like to be home by midnight- there is a lot to do- depending on what kind of music you like.
I mostly like Americana/rock- & we are going to the Tractor for Halloween with Queen & Ramones tribute bands ([If</a> you know the Friels- Dick & Sharon]( <a href=“http://www.seattlemag.com/0p184b18be247/king-of-charitable-auctions-dick-friel-passes-away/]If”>http://www.seattlemag.com/0p184b18be247/king-of-charitable-auctions-dick-friel-passes-away/) - their two boys are pretty decent local musicians & very entertaining- the Halloqueen thing is for the holiday)
plus- " special guests"
I love special guests ;)</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies - maybe I will win my bet with DH (who is solidly asleep on the couch with his laptop in his lap, the cat on his chest, and the KING5 news blasting from the TV screen). EK, that’s what I meant by “clubbing” - the wild disco stuff (oh, the good old days, lol!)</p>
<p>I have to admit that I’ve become a bit self-conscious about becoming one of “the old folks dancing to groovy songs” whom I remember from even my youngest days. You know, when mom and dad or grandma got up to disco or twist or whatever. But having said that, I still enjoy dancing the old dances plus trying my hand at new stuff. I realize it looks less appropriate as I get older, but what the heck.</p>
<p>I also enjoy ballroom dancing, including disco, salsa and merengue. We also go out zydeco dancing. I feel more comfortable and more graceful doing those types of dances, but I do need to improve. We used to be members of a beach club where we would enjoy their dinner dances and we still attend occasionally as guests. We find clubs or dance halls that cater to all ages, and I am a member of a very active Meetup salsa group that sponsors a few dances a week.</p>
<p>Did I mention I love to go out dancing.</p>
<p>We’re going to a Spearhead concert tonight, and I’m looking forward to standing and dancing throughout it.</p>
<p>Dancing sometimes occurs spontaneously at extended family get-togethers–we tend toward the Rockabilly end of the spectrum. The most extended dancing I’ve done in the last few years have been at my SIL’s funeral, and then the annual fundraiser event held in her name in Ann Arbor. </p>
<p>If we’re at a bar with an Americana/bluegrass/rock/rockabilly band, we might dance, and most others who are there will tend toward our age range or people who like people in our age range. 
But I’ll confess I don’t get out that often anymore.</p>
<p>Google contra dancing. There is lots of opportunities for contra dancing in our community. It’s mostly middle-aged folks that go.</p>
<p>Was going to mention contra dancing, though more regimented than you might want. Lots of grey hair in that crowd around here. </p>
<p>I think lack of dance is counter productive to healthy aging. So good for the soul, the joints, the relationships, the weight, you name it. Around here we have neighborhood festivals where many dance of all ages, but that’s just summer. But I’ve never found a male half that will dance with me, so have to be selective as to place in other seasons. As in, forget about it. If you’ve a willing partner, get out there and enjoy! Start a trend if needed!</p>
<p>H and I went to see Ringo and his All-Star Band in July. When the band started playing “our” song, I got up and danced a little, which DH did not appreciate, “You are blocking the view for the people behind us!” Honey, did you seriously think people came here to enjoy the “view” of a bunch of geezers playng old tunes? 
LOL! Old or not, Ringo and his buddies still knocked our socks off with their music!</p>
<p>So, went to above-referenced Spearhead concert last night, danced up a storm, got to hug Michael Franti, who put on a fantastic show which was heavily interactive, then went to kids’ favorite local pub for a drink before the old folks went home–mediocre loud bar band playing, but D and I rocked out for one song at midnight (as her birthday began) dancing to a cover of “Let’s go Crazy.” H, D’sBF, and S politely watched and drank their beer–great fun!</p>
<p>wow garland you have more energy than me- I am just hoping I can stay awake till midnight- the club we are going to is sold out & I am even thinking of driving the few blocks ( it is a little over a mile) e case it is pouring when we get done ( but I doubt I will)- but I will be a punk who uses an umbrella :o</p>
<p>EK–I’m still in recovery today after last night. I can do that about once a year!</p>
<p>H and I danced at a bar a few weeks ago. We both loved it! Doesn’t happen too often through…Not something we seek out, kindof spontaneous.
ps I’m 54 , H is 53.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who posted! I read some of the posts to DH and was quite shocked to hear his reply, “Wow. I thought that folks who have one foot in the grave do not party. It looks like we need to fix this situation ASAP! If you find a party we can crash, I’ll take you out dancing tonight” Of course, “I” had to find us a place that (i) was not sold out; (ii) would not require us to drive to the middle of the city (H is anti-urbanite). I called a couple of local bars that advertised Halloween parties, picked one that sounded reasonable, and off we went. What a huge disappointment it turned out to be - the place was tiny (and that’s an uderstatement), packed with people (because they advertised heavily), and the music was ten times as loud as most people could handle (do they think that people over 40 are deaf? ;)). Off we went to drive around like a couple of college kids looking for a party to crash! After another disappointing experience, we gave up, and decided to stop someplace quiet just to get some food and a couple of dinks. We picked a lounge at a local hotel that was still open at that late hour. Wow, little did we know that we would end up at the most awesome party we’ve been to in ages! It was very refreshing to see a bunch of middle-aged techies having more fun than a crowd of high schoolers. One older gentleman (really, he looked like he was 70 years old) and his lady even tried to imitate freak-dancing, LOL! “Tried” being the key word here. Many partiers wore costumes, and the band playing mostly R&B and pop tunes was awesome. Now DH thinks we need to do this more often. :eek: I hope my old legs can handle it!
I hope that CC parents had at least some fun (or will have fun) this weekend! Happy Halloween! :)</p>
<p>Let me save y’all a lot of time: white heterosexual guys don’t like to dance. Those that pretend to like it have ulterior motives.</p>
<p>Glad you found a party!
We had a great time- and there were a ton of people our age ( sold out show)- the doors didnt even open till a little before 9- but I was the first one there! that * never happens*
[Star</a> Anna and the Laughing Dogs are Bringing the Ramones Back to Life on Oct. 30 - Seattle Music - Reverb](<a href=“http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/10/star_anna_and_the_laughing_dog.php]Star”>http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/10/star_anna_and_the_laughing_dog.php)</p>
<p>Sean Bates was a hoot as Freddie Mercury- ( they are also playing someplace Dec 4th but I couldn’t tell what he said- maybe the Hard Rock cafe?) & lots of people had interesting costumes- John & Yoko, Kurt & Courtney, the Mario Bros… & at one point Rick Friel encouraged everyone who wanted to sing to get on stage for " Someone to love".</p>
<p>My H doesn’t dance ( I have danced with him once & that was about 30 years ago, before he stopped drinking), but there wasn’t room anyway.( he has said that if there was a dance floor and the music was appropriate for a slow song, he would dance), he didn’t wear a costume either- but I LOVE dressing like a punk. I might do that more often. ( plus I was a lot more comfortable in my Doc Martens than many of the other women who had been wearing heels but by the end of the night were barefoot- on * that* floor? )</p>
<p>My DH has told me twice now that he wants to take some sort of dancing lessons!! Where to begin to find that option?</p>
<p>Well if you are in the Seattle area- this place has gotten lots of positive comments
[Lykes</a> To Dance, Dancing is Fun & Easy to Learn, Classes, Private Lessons, Wedding Officiant, Special Events, Learning to dancing is Fun and Easy to Learn.](<a href=“lykestodance.com”>lykestodance.com)</p>
<p>My husband loves to dance. He doesn’t get nearly as many opportunities as he’d like - we always go to the grad student graduation party at his college and my brother and his wife has an annual dance because they love to dance. They have a great band they hire. There’s always some dancing at our neighborhood block party and we have a neighborhood garage band that has done a dance once. (Unfortunately not all the neighbors liked it - the cops were pretty surprised they were breaking up an old fart party!) There is a local bar that doesn’t have too young a crowd, where people often dance. I don’t like the music at most of the clubs - too much techno.</p>
<p>Mathmom, I think there should be a hyphen between “old” and “fart.” I was pretty grossed out until I figured out what you meant.</p>