Clubbing, Then and Now

Here we are in the month of June, and already it’s been a great summer. My wife and I have been hanging out on the weekends, enjoying time together. 

This past weekend, we both decided to try something different and go someplace for happy hour that we’ve never been to. After checking some websites, we found out that one of our favorite area bands, So Watt, was playing happy hour at The Headliner in Neptune. 

Now, it’s not that I’ve never been to The Headliner, but the last time I can recall going there was around 30 years ago. I was with a couple of guys from my summer job at Monmouth Park Race Track, watching a Jersey Shore Basketball League (JSBL) game, then afterwards, we all went inside the club for a beer or two. 

It was pretty exciting. The DJ was spinning the dance hits of the day, and everyone was out having a good time. I remember seeing a lot of couples out on the dance floor, people my age at the time (around 22 or 23). I didn’t see too many people older than me there. I wasn’t dating anyone at the time (not that I was looking for love there to begin with), so I only stayed for a round or two and headed home. 

So now fast forward thirty years. My wife and I walk into the place with an open mind, not knowing what to expect on what the crowd was like or which one of our friends might be there. 

Lo and behold, most of the people there were around our age (50-55) or maybe slightly younger. I was happy about that. . .the fact that we wouldn't be hanging out with mostly twenty- or thirty-somethings. There was a mix of couples and single people just enjoying themselves and having a good time with each other. 

But then we began people-watching, and there were some things that gave us both some good chuckle material. For example, a few guys probably around my age (maybe even older) were out on the dance floor, trying to sneak a dance in with some women who I’m guessing were flying solo that evening. Then there were the women who looked like they were in their 40’s and 50’s but dressed like they were in their 20’s. 

Finally, there was this one guy wasted beyond belief who was doing “the dance”. . .gyrating up and down along one of the outdoor canvas support poles like a male stripper, showing off his best dance moves and pit stains to any women who was in the same condition that he was in and who might be interested in going home with him. 

Simply hilarious. My wife and I just stared at all the sights that we saw in utter amazement, had a good hearty laugh or two, deemed these people “misfits of science”, and continued listening and dancing to all the great tunes the band was playing. So Watt was on fire that night. Along the way, we saw a bunch of friends from Long Branch and Ocean Township and played catch-up. I ran into a few guys who I work with in Eatontown, and I also ran into a woman who I went to high school with whom I hadn’t seen in about 15 years or so. 

All told, it was a great night. I got to relax and unwind after a hard week of work, listen to some great music, and left with the same woman who I arrived with. 

What can I say? Some guys have all the luck. . . 

(The entire Jersey Shore Retro Blogography can be found at http://longbranch.patch.com/blogs/kevin-cieris-blog .You can also follow Kevin Cieri's blog on Twitter @jsretro).