That genuinely sounds great even in

Still happens all the time, but few people know about it. The US and Canada have such dead, sterilized cultures that most people aren’t even aware of old time, bluegrass, Quebecois, Métis, or Irish and Cape Breton music beyond thinking they’re just something quirky for a half-dozen rural people. There are public jams in even the biggest cities, and there’s usually at least one person either there or walking by who dances a silly little dance.

Not surprised, in Ireland the Dance Halls Act was literally designed to kill music in people’s homes so that they couldn’t gather in the same way and could only do so while being watched by the English. You kill off community cohesion and you kill off its ability to fight back.

1880?

Their brains weren't pure, they were thoroughly pickled in various distilled liquors. Which since most transportation of the day knew its way back home, that was fine.

Hmm...

I mean why does that seem weird, I could totally see that happening today

I mean, the music is made for that. Some people are still into it!

Check out this one

Cocaine was legal in the United States until 1914…

Imagine being so starved for intellectual stimulation that you'd stand and watch a seven-hour Presidential debate. I might possibly be able to do that today, but I would have eaten my own eyeballs by hour three.

My brain ain't pure but a fiddle and a campfire work for me. Compared to staring at a computer screen my brain will hit that reward signal so hard.

okay but

That could happen even in 2026. Especially if the fiddle player busts out a sick rendition of Devil Went Down to Georgia.

You can dance now, too. This isn't footloose.

Kinda how I felt about a lot of social stuff growing up. I didn't end up getting diagnosed with autism until I was in my 30s. I played football in highschool and just remember feeling really alienated during huddles.

There were kids shaking and almost foaming at the mouth with excitement and I was just standing in the circle thinking "huh the guys are really excited, man blake is really invested in this game", "I don't think I've ever had so much fun I've gotten angry about it?"

I don't understand why that's a surprise, tho have you seen the dance style at the time! I swear it was the birth of krumping, it looks fun as fuck. (Source, some old westerns or something)

I dunno, I'm reading Wintersmith from the Discworld series, and doing that started a whole heap of supernatural trouble!

This isn't wholesome, it's depressing. Gotta put in so much effort into distracting ourselves these days, just to not feel miserable.

Did people hate the fiddle slop back then?

Damn I'm sorry to anyone who can't relate!

Music lost it's ability to make people dance in 1881

I would settle for 56 cable channels, FM Radio, and a Sega Genesis levels of stimulation.

Now I've gotta have 3 screens simultaneously (phone, laptop, and TV) and a 20 oz Red Bull to feel anything

Sounds great to me!

Nowadays, nobody moves a muscle unless the music is not only electrically amplified, EQed and compressed for maximum loudness but also Autotuned. Technology has spoiled us.