Here's an interesting piece on one of the issues with Nashville Nightlife!

Something wonderful has happened....

All of this ranting, raving and writing has worked! Nashville we are making progress together! So this conversation is not going to be about why you don't come out, because you do. This conversation is about segmentation. Now it's about who you want to be around when you go out. It's interesting because as the 30 something year olds enter the entertainment scene or re-enter the scene, I sense a definite feeling of adjustment. It's not the same as it use to be. They are stuck in 2004. I can tell they are used to seeing guys in button up shirts & slacks and women in dresses, to define whether something is "grown up".

I sense a usurping fear and this fear always manifests itself through criticizing and complaining. Listening to this night in and night out, began to make me really self conscious. I am 30. So I kept thinking to myself, I am having the time of my life, maybe there is something wrong with what we are doing or maybe I am different. But a deeper analysis yielded something much deeper. I think these 30 & up people are afraid that they are enjoying themselves too much. I think they have told themselves that the social part of their lives in Nashville is over and, because of a lack of options, have contented themselves with wine night with the girls. I think they are afraid that if they like it, they may come back on a regular basis. And if they start going out on a regular basis, then they won't be upscale or exclusive anymore because upscale and exclusive people don't go out "like that." Upscale and exclusive people only go out every now and then because they don't go to "clubs" or "parties" anymore. But you can catch these same upscale and exclusive people in another city at a "party" or a "club". I thought you don't go to the club no more?

I sense a fear that if these people go out often, they think other people will look down on them. So they have to criticize and complain to give them an excuse not to come back and be ok with it. They have to criticize and complain to give their friends, that want to go out, a reason why they aren't going and hopefully to influence them not to go as well.
I watch people at these events.. and no matter how many people are there or how good the dj is or how exciting the event is, they have to find something to complain about.
And guess what the #1 bullshit complaint is? "These people don't look 30."

What does a 30 year old person look like?

>>>> Moment of silence for you to think about it

What are they wearing? Do they have facial hair? Are they fat? Skinny? What does a 30 year old look like? But here comes the bigger question. Why do you care and why are you sitting around paying so much attention? I had this argument with some women at B.B. Kings the other night after which I realized, people see what they are looking for to reinforce what they want to believe. Im sitting there looking at, at least, 50 people I KNOW are OVER 30 because they are my friends and my brother's friends. My brother is 31 by the way. But she persisted in pointing out all the people who looked 25 and why she didn't know if she was coming back because it was too young! To Young!?
I wrote this whole article about her. I know she was having fun because she got to B.B. Kings at 10pm. (Now mind you, the party started at 10) and she stayed the whole time. At first she didn't want a drink, cause "she don't drink", but then she wanted a drink. At first she didn't dance, "cause she don't dance", then she wanted to dance.
And if you didn't like it so much, what made you stay ALL night. Why couldn't she just admit it?

ADMIT IT! SAY IT! DON'T BE AFRAID!

"I HAD A GOOD TIME AT AN EVENT I WENT TO IN NASHVILLE! THE MUSIC WAS GREAT! THE PEOPLE WERE UPSCALE! THE VENUE WAS NICE! I AM HAPPY I CAME OUT!"

Is that so bad? It's ok. We know it's hard. It's ok to like it..

The Nashville 30 plus group is supposed to be the group that is defining the social and economic climate of the community. But instead, they take their money and ingenuity to other places and complain about "where they live" It’s like waking up everyday driving across town and mowing the lawn of a complete stranger, while not cutting your own.
The purpose of our parties and events is this: If you work hard, you have to play hard. You have to keep you life in balance. These events are not just about shaking your ass in the club, they are about staying current, releasing tension, expressing yourself though what you wear. Feeling good about looking good. When you don't go out on a regular basis, you deprive yourself of all these things. When you release all these things, it sends you back to your working environment refreshed and vigorous.

This idea of what a 30 year old person "looks like" needs to change. Because it's only that way in Nashville. Only in Nashville, is there some idea of what someone "grown and sexy" looks like. I am 30, and at 30 I don't need to be told how to dress or do I want to be told because at 30, how I dress does not determine how I act. At 30 I'm only going to wear slacks if I’m going to church or some political event, not if I am just going to hang out somewhere on a Friday or Saturday night.

So this is what we are going to do. I want everyone who is over 30, to call someone or text someone or email someone who is 30 and older, and invite them out to "Sumthin Live" this Saturday at B.B. Kings. That way, you can guarantee that everyone there will be the type of 30 year olds that you like to see. Furthermore, I want everyone to tell them what to wear. So that they will look like someone who is 30, so when you get there, you can say to yourself, WOW! EVERYONE in HERE LOOKS 30! Then we can move on to something new for you to complain about.

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE, PEACE!