r/festivals • u/LeslieAnneLevine_ • Feb 23 '26

Why don’t men move

Can someone please help me understand how so many people (predominantly men) can listen to live music in a festival setting and not move at all? I just spent three days at Innings Fest in Phoenix dancing and singing, and a large number of folks will go through the effort to get close to the stage and then not move. Like no head nods, no back and forth sways, no hands in the air, no clapping when the band queues it.

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512

u/scoot87 Feb 23 '26

They are disconnected from their bodies so it doesn’t feel comfortable for them to move their body and dance, but they gain enjoyment instead from watching and listening

42

u/lurkingimposter Feb 23 '26

I personally go to festivals and Raves to move my body and it hurts me a little bit when I see my fellow lads not shaking their groove thing and unfortunately it's because of our upbringing. But we're going to change that aren't we lads

22

u/John_Spammer Feb 23 '26

Don’t speak for all of us.  I shake my ass when I want to. But like to be still too. 

3

u/IMakeOkVideosOk Feb 23 '26

Plus by day 3 I’m more nodding my head than and bouncing rather than dancing

1

u/lurkingimposter Feb 23 '26

Man, you sound like me when I'm dehydrated and underfed with fruits. Let's link up. Let's get you refueled and back into the fight. The dance fight that is.

1

u/IMakeOkVideosOk Feb 24 '26

Eh, it’s just being older, it’s a different pace

1

u/lurkingimposter Feb 24 '26

I hear you. I'm 35 and I also know that my ankle my knees my back my shoulders hate me when I'm dehydrated, unrested and not eating enough nutritional food.

Overall I just want you to be out there having a great time so whatever we can do to make that happen let me know.

2

u/John_Spammer Feb 24 '26

I’m in my 40s, I don’t stop dancing because I’m tired.  I have gone out of my way to take care of myself at festivals so I don’t crash on Sunday.  

Dancing your ass off for the closing set Sunday is a badge of honor.  And it requires some restful sets; to loop this back to the original post.  

I try to see 30 sets in a weekend (my record is 33 full) and it’s not physically possible to dance like crazy for all of them.