The last time I went out to a local bar, I spent most of the evening with a sore neck, straining to hear what my friends were saying over the blaring noise of an over-amped sound system.
Since I've turned 21, this kind of occurrence has become pretty common -- leaving a club reeking of cigarette smoke and with a scratchy throat more often than I do with a semblance of a beer buzz.
Usually, if it's not the music that puts a damper on the evening, it's the person beside me who finds it necessary to make 20 calls on his cell phone or the drunk who's trying unsuccessfully to make a pass.
So when I heard about a new kind of party catching on in New York City, I was a bit intrigued. It's called the Quiet Party, where talking above a whisper is forbidden, cell phones are banned and the music is brought to a halt.
The main form of communication at these parties is via notes -- most scrawled out on paper tablecloths or index cards -- or hushed conversations.
Sound pretty boring? I agree it may be a bit extreme if you're wanting to let loose for the night, but think for a minute about the kind of invitation that could come out of such an introspective party.
If you're a guy making eyes with a girl you've spotted on the other side of the room, you could save yourself an embarrassing, tongue-tied introduction by first introducing yourself with a note.
If you can remember to jot down a line of poetry or two, even better. Maybe she'll at least peg you as an intelligent drunk. Who knows ... your chances of scoring for the night could vastly improve.
That being said, the idea for these quiet parties belongs to artist Paul Rebhan, who hosted the first Quiet Party in New York City last fall.
In an interview last November with the New York Post, Rebhan said, "A few weeks ago, I was out partying with some friends, and it was just so loud that we were screaming at each other. That's why we came up with this idea."
As crazy as it may seem, I think Rebhan is on to something. All over the country, similar "quiet" parties are cropping up and the Quiet Party Web site (www.quietparty.com) lists details for the first international Quiet Party in Beijing next month.
While I don't think such non-talking establishments will become the kind of place where everybody knows your name, I do think it would be neat to pay one of them a visit.
Think about it ... not having to put up with loud drunks, not having to listen to the grating sounds of Top 40 tunes and not having to scream when you speak to the person beside you. Such a place sounds like a welcome relief on the days when all I want is for my headache to go away instead of intensify as the night wears on.
I believe more bars should consider catering to these quieter crowds. After all, if we can show up at sports bars, gay bars, karaoke bars and single bars, then why shouldn't a place where mum is the word be next?
Write to Gail at glkoch@bsu.edu
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