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THE NARRATIVE ARC
What a 67-Year-Old Techno Duo Taught Me About ‘Acting My Age’ Last Weekend
You’re never too old. Just ask these guys
Our house is never without music. My phone is the only one that connects to our old-school stereo, so I play resident DJ most nights.
Moods reflected by tunes.
One night, not so long ago, I played my go-to techno band. Underworld. Two 67-year-old British men making electronic music to split your head open. Have done for 30 years.
I dance around the living room. Say — as I always do — I’d love to see them live. I look at their site. Perhaps they’re touring.
They are. Lisbon — just three hours from home — in a few weeks.
But I wonder. Am I too old to go to gigs like this anymore? Sweaty, intense techno gigs. Dropped beats and hands in the air.
I’m 40. Isn’t my life supposed to be a whirlwind of feeds, diapers and extreme exhaustion by now? This is what faces many of my similarly aged friends. Not dancing in warehouses as if it were 20 years ago.
I wanted children. Couldn’t have them. Now I’m living a life completely different from the one I thought I would have.
