Going out to a club and dancing until 3 a.m. is an early twenties’ right of passage. For many women and queer folks, the ritual usually involves putting on a slightly too tight outfit, wearing heels that just may kill your feet, drinking cheap alcohol without any regard for the next day’s hangover and sleeping in well past noon.
But then the years pile on, and so do responsibilities – careers, partners and kids get in the way. The time for such shenanigans tends to fall by the wayside. Still, shouldn’t those carefree, joy-filled nights of dancing stay on the table, no matter what your age?
That’s where Earlybirds Club is swooping in. The concept, dreamed up 18 months ago in Chicago by friends Laura Baginski and Susie Lee, is a series of dance parties for GenX and Millennial women, trans and nonbinary people, where drinking is optional, you can wear whatever you want (orthopedic sneakers and fanny packs welcome) and leaving well before midnight is encouraged.
Already, the club has spread into multiple cities with sold-out tickets in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Los Angeles, Boston and Providence, R.I. And now, for the first time the party is headed to Philly.
“Philly was our most requested city by people who were contacting us on social media or signing up for our newsletter,” Baginski said. “I don’t know what’s going on in Philly, but women there really need to get down.”
The inaugural Philly party is coming to the city on Saturday, Sept. 6, at Brooklyn Bowl. Dancing starts at 6 and ends at a convenient 10 p.m. The night, Baginski said, is a complete “serotonin boost.”
Earlybirds Club is coming to Philadelphia on September 6. (Photo byMeagan Shuptar)
“As middle-aged women, the majority of our partygoers have a lot on their plate,” she said. “Whether you’re caring for an older parent or a child – or careers can get pretty intense around this time – this is a place where you can let it all go for a few hours and move your body.”
The parties are silly and can have props like bubble guns or themes like prom. Guests can wear anything from sparkly dresses and heels to a simple T-shirt and jeans. You can go alone or in a group. The music is mostly throwbacks from the ‘80s to early aughts.
“We’re trying to kind of conjure up maybe that person you were before all the heavy responsibilities hit you,” Baginski said. “[Songs] from your twenties and songs that you probably know all the lyrics to and should not hesitate to scream them while you’re dancing.”
Think Beyonce, Alanis Morissette and Mary J. Blige. One attendee, Laura Nunn, a 44-year-old educator in Chicago, described the vibe like this:
“I would say it’s kind of like the Era’s Tour meets Lilith Fair meets that kind of unbridled love and support you find in a women’s bathroom … and also with your therapist.”
Getting your groove back
While the label of a middle-aged, female dance party might sound light and frothy, Baginski said she was taken aback by just how cathartic the parties were.
“We originally just thought it would just be a fun time,” she said. “I didn’t really think of it as the dance therapy that it ended up being.”
It turns out that giving women space to just move their bodies freely and without judgment had a deep impact on guests.
“You know, there are a lot of tears at our parties, because moving your body in that way is not something you do every day,” Baginski said.
Holly Beck, a 43-year-old legal aid attorney in Philadelphia, has volunteered to be an ambassador for the city’s party in September. She is not a dancer, nor someone who expected to become so involved. However, she quickly drank the Kool-Aid after attending her first Earlybirds party last March in Brooklyn.
“A lot of things were happening in the country – in the world at that time,” she said, “and I was a little blown away at how cathartic it was to be in a room with a group of women and femmes just being silly and free with each other and nostalgic.”
“There’s all kinds of science about the benefits of movement and singing and being with other people while doing those things, so I don’t know why I was so surprised by what a positive effect it had on me,” she added. “But it’s not just me, but the friends that I went with, we left feeling lighter.”
While men are allowed to buy tickets, this event is not designed for them. Nunn said it’s a safe space to not worry about any “creeps” and let go of self-judgment.
“Growing up in the ‘90s, we saw women in magazines who were pencil thin, heroin chic,” she said. “We have this natural, built-in system of being self-conscious and always judging ourselves.” At the parties, however, she is able to “let go.”
Emily Cromwell, 49, is a “frequent flyer” in Chicago, due to her loyal Earlybirds attendance. She feels that the parties are letting her reclaim a part of her youth.
“I spent my twenties as a club kid, so to be able to kind of go back and have that joy and that freedom,” she said. “We’re all there to have a good time. We’re all there to dance and sing along with the music when the songs call for it. And there’s no expectations.”
But even those who never went clubbing can find camaraderie.
“I do love to dance, I suppose,” Nunn said. “I’m not a crazy nightlife person, but in this setting and in that space, I feel really, really accepted, and I get to experience and live a childhood and early twenties that I didn’t have. It’s just this shot of espresso in my life.”
Honoring Susie Lee
Perhaps the healing nature of the parties should not have been such a surprise, given the club’s origin story. Lee and Baginski originally met in high school, but reconnected to form Earlybirds after their class’ 30th reunion. At the time, Lee was battling Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, and wanted to create something that could be an escape — something light, fun and joyous.
”For some people, it’s just a fun night out, and that’s totally fine,” Baginski said. “But for others who are maybe going through some tough stuff, maybe dancing is not first on their list of things they want to do, but once they get there, it’s really stunning how good it can feel, and to be in a supportive room full of women who are egging you on to be ridiculous and move your body in ways that maybe hasn’t seen the light of day since the Clinton administration.”
Unfortunately, Lee did not win her battle against cancer. She passed away last Sunday.
Friends and founders of Earlybirds Club, Laura Baginski and Susie Lee (Photo by Meagan Shuptar)
“She was very public about her cancer diagnosis and everything that she was going through, because she wanted people to see the ugly side of it,” Baginski said. “She didn’t want to be seen as this warrior who always persevered and never had a bad day. She would record herself crying about a diagnosis or a new lesion showing up in a CT scan. She wanted to be very real and that’s really who she is.”
Baginski said that she has been in awe of Lee since high school, and called her friend one of a kind.
“I think so many people around the world were inspired by her to live in an authentic way,” she added. “And Earlybirds is very much about that too.”
And of course, Lee loved attending the parties.
“She danced the best she could for as long as she could go to our parties, to just sit in the chair and move her cane to the beat,” Baginski said. “And she was just funny and beautiful – just absolutely stunning.”
For those who never got to see Lee speak to an Earlybirds crowd, Cromwell said that she could command the room — even when her voice was reduced to a whisper. This week, Earlybirds posted a video of Lee in such a moment to honor her.
“Even in times of shit and despair, there is always room for joy and connection,” she said to cheers. “This is a place where we don’t have to take care of anybody,” she adds. “We have no responsibilities. It’s a place where we remember who the fuck we are. So sing fucking loud. Dance like no one gives a shit, and have a great time.”
Lee is survived by her husband, Duane, and their 14-year-old son. There is a Venmo account to help support her family.
Giving back by going out
Moving forward, Earlybirds will continue to honor Lee’s legacy and spirit.
“When I get up and speak in front of a crowd at every party, I mention her and what an inspiration she is for Earlybirds,” Baginski said. “And how she is just the heart and soul and light of what we do, because it was really her that got this started.”
Earlybirds Club gives 10% of their proceeds to a local nonprofit — Lee’s idea. For the event at Brooklyn Bowl, that money will get donated to Women’s Way, a charity that strives for gender equity through research, advocacy and grants.
General admission tickets are $35.15 and a viewing deck ticket $41.40. Last year, the company donated almost $10,000 to non-profit organizations, and is on track to double that goal this year.
Beck encourages anyone in Philly who is at all curious about the party to check it out.
“If you’re thinking about it, that means this is for you,” she said. “Because this is really for anyone who feels that lack in their life, and could use a few hours of catharsis and connection with a room full of other women and femmes.”
“The world is heavy right now, and there’s a lot happening,” Baginski said. “This is a place where you can let that go and just be in the moment and celebrating female friendships, dancing with your girlfriends and smiling.”