aside from the economy, as a 29yo people ~my age and younger aren't as interested in drinking. lots of us are cutting back or quitting entirely. and getting people to go out isn't just about offering more non-alcoholic drinks—it's about offering environments that are bearable when you aren't drunk
Totally agree with this.
💯 It took me a decade to learn how to enjoy music events while on LSD despite being surrounded by drunk people. Stayed at home and missed out on all live music between 1996 and 2006 until I mastered the skill.✌️
I was still drinking last I went to a concert, but even then I wanted it to be a sober experience. turns out you don't need any drugs at all to let loose to music you love
and I think at this point, weed bars have missed their window of opportunity. we've passed Peak Weed—the novelty's worn off, people are realising being high kinda sucks, and the weed strength arms race means a lot of people associate weed with the feeling of getting Way Too High
no doubt I've been self-selecting for a different crowd, but it has not been hard at all to find plenty of other folks who are going sober or cutting way back and being more mindful of their drug use in general—and I don't experience the weird pushback a lot of older folks describe experiencing
One of the things I've learned about myself is that I drink much more when a place is too loud because it makes me uncomfortable and I can't relax into conversation, and because I don't like being that person, I don't go out. Whereas in a quieter environment, I'll relax but spend up and linger
this is definitely what I’ve observed when going to see bands made up of people in their 20s - there’s basically never a line for the bar, which is very convenient if (like me) you don’t mind having 1-3 standard drinks on the rare occasion you go out. sucks for Live Nation though I guess