Ultimate nostalgia trip: Debauched European tours for the middle-aged
That's not such an anomaly, either, because there are plenty of artists and bands who enjoyed a brief rush of fame in the '90s or 2000s still touring the world, still playing to adoring audiences of parents who have left their kids with a babysitter for the evening.
The Waifs are playing wineries. The Offspring are doing arena tours. Salt-N-Pepa are on the festival circuit. Hanson are still a going concern. Frenzal Rhomb are coming to an RSL near you. (No shade, I love Frenzal Rhomb.)
I saw '90s skate-punk band Pennywise play recently, and a friend pointed out that everyone who raised their phone in the air to take a video had a photo of their kids as their wallpaper.
All of this points to a peculiarity among Gen X and Millennials. There's a hunger among this ageing cohort for throwback experiences, for blasts from an increasingly distant past. We're still cool, right? We still do all the same things?
That's why we can go to Ministry of Sound gigs that begin at 4pm. We can still play Mario Kart on a new Nintendo. We still consider Back to the Future a good movie.
So … how about we all go on Contiki again?
Hear me out here because this might just be the ultimate revival experience. Gen X-ers and Millennials love reliving moments from their past, so how about an ultra-budget three-week jaunt around Europe to really tap that nostalgia vein?
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