I’m 23 years (as of July) old and feel that I’ve been on this planet for a long time. Sometimes I even feel that at this age youth begins to wane… but my job constantly proves that idea to be a fallacy, and last weekend’s gig is a prime example. Vicki called me up somewhat last minute to spin some tunes at her 50th birthday party in her Ojai abode. She booked me for 6 hours… which is not common for a birthday party, for starters.
I arrived on that Saturday to a beautiful home in Ojai to get my DJ groove on. Her husband and henchman Jeff had constructed a club/lounge area out of curtains of twinkle lights meant for decorating hedges, cocktail tables covered in white paper for drawing on, and of course outdoor lamps made of concrete post tubing, painted pink, and stuffed with more twinkle lights. It actually looked great, and I’ll probably steal some of their ideas. Anyway, despite the atmosphere, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I played a long set of 60s rock mixed with modern hard rock, and as usual a bit of appropriate current indie rock to prick up the ears. Everyone was very happy with the music mix but there was a good bit of time without a packed dance floor. Then something happened. I’m not sure what song I played, but all of a sudden the dance floor became it’s own life form. So many people were moving that feet spilled beyond the confines of the wooden paneled dancing area. The sound was so loud that my earplugs served little purpose. I saw a dance rendition of “Rock Lobster” that I will forever associate with that song. “Down! Doooooowwwwwnnn! Dowwwwn!” These middle-agers somehow channeled the flowerchild inside them for the next several hours with naught but a sip of spirit to keep them going. The woman pictured in the photo above “giving the horns” is the Energizer bunny incarnate. The experience was nearly religious. A secret ecstatic ritual that outsiders only dream to enjoy confined to this 50th birthday party in the backyard of an Ojai home.
And so I realized: I’m 23. That’s not even half of 50. The life and energy inside this birthday party showed me that even at the age of 50, I’ll still have my youth.
