By Joseph Bernstein, New York Times | Every Friday night from September to May, at an off-campus nightclub in this thriving college town, a group of die-hard music fans gathers to dance to some of the most devoted live bands in southeast Michigan. There are women in skintight red dresses, long-haired men sucking down bottles of beer and couples flirting in the alcove outside the bathrooms.
In fact, just one thing distinguishes the crowd from nearly any other rock ’n’ roll show in a small city in America: Almost everyone is over 65.
OK, two things: The show always starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m., in time to get to bed at a reasonable hour.
The party’s official name is “Ann Arbor Happy Hour at Live,” but many people call it “Geezer Happy Hour,” “Geezer Dance Party,” or just “Geezers.” It’s organized by Randy Tessier, a 72-year-old University of Michigan lecturer and writing instructor who has played in rock and jazz bands since he moved to the city in 1972, back when it was a patchouli-scented center of American counterculture.
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At 9 p.m., the band finished with “Gimme Some Lovin’” by the Spencer Davis Group. By 9:30 p.m. most of the revelers had left, hugging and kissing on the way out the door. Some were headed to Zal Gaz Grotto, an old Masonic social club on the west side of the city, where the dancing would continue until 11 p.m. But not Mr. Tessier. On stage, his band was breaking down its equipment. The player-coach looked jubilant but exhausted.
“I’ve been married three times,” said Mr. Tessier. “I learned a long time ago to go straight home.”
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We need to start this in Colorado! Read the full story here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/style/ann-arbor-geezer-happy-hour.html
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Photo: I Might be Old But
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It’s the Coolest Rock Show in Ann Arbor. And Almost Everyone There Is Over 65
