I don’t get to clubs very often. I mean social clubs. I mean business-advancement, social-advancement clubs. In the past week our kids have made school and Scout visits to two of them — the local athletic club and the local university club. I didn’t see anything but small portions of their facilities, but of course just the fact of them put the bug in my ear and made me wonder… What if DIYers had places to get together, to mutual encouragement, and, yes, advancement.
I suppose everyday folk do get together plenty — wherever they like. You and your pals go places and hang out and meet other like-minded folks — nothing more needed. Well, the elites of the land seem to need something more so maybe the everyday types should focus a bit on the mission and see what they can do.
But maybe there’s a stigma here. We wouldn’t want to promote *straining*, would we? Still, indie people don’t necessarily have to gather for low motives. Their clubs would reflect who they were and what they wanted. What’s to worry about? There’s a sustainable approach to culture out there that needs encouragement and would greatly benefit from cooperation.
Yeah, some folks “get together” online — but, whew, something is lacking, namely everything.
The elites know how to synergize and how to create spaces for themselves. Let’s appropriate their methods wherever they might work for us.
I’ve known about classically indie joints worthy of the whole heritage in all the towns I’ve lived in. These would be restaurants and bars — wonderful hangouts. But they just didn’t have that cooperative-advancement function, as I recall. –Though certainly many good things happen(ed) in them.
Offhand, I’m thinking of a few examples of this: the Golden Harvest breakfast place in the Old Town part of Lansing — still going strong and rocking harder anywhere else in town (hands down — check it out). Also, the ex- Del Rio in Ann Arbor and ex- Dot’s Diner in Boulder.
…Of course such places are almost as a rule way underfunded. So maybe it’s just a matter of money. A “club” might need something like a great eatery plus more in the way of hang-out opportunities.
What about the Orange 21 mini-neighborhood in LA?
Maybe there’s something significant out there already that I’m overlooking with this notion. Reminders appreciated.
