Club Nights vs. Club Days: What We’ve Lost When the Lights Came On

A few years back, I used to hit the club knowing the night was going to be an experience—no phones out, no distractions, just pure energy. Now? It feels like we’re paying rent just to stay and SMHs for the section, bottles, and lighting. Don’t get it twisted—drinks still hit, the lights still sparkle, but something essential changed. Everybody’s reaching for their phones before they even clear their seatbelt, and social media takes over the moment before the beat even drops.

Here’s what I really miss: paying for bottles and sections meant you had skin in the game, presence locked in—now you buy the bottle and half the room’s busy posting it instead of dancing. That dance floor used to get hit—everyone from the 20-somethings to the 30-somethings would move as one. DJs played the music that made you move, not just bop while looking at your phone. Now, the songs are safe, the crowd’s too busy filming memories instead of making them, and the dance floor? It’s mostly a backdrop for an Instagram story.

So yeah, we appreciate the lights and we salute the vibes—but I’ve got no issue saying it: the club has changed. Maybe it’s evolution or maybe we just got older, but sometimes I rewind to those nights where we forgot the world for a few hours and just danced. And frankly? I miss that. – BennettKnows