Warm Up with Midlife Crisis & the Alimony Horns
Since 1988, Rick, Randal, Joe, Chris, Bruce, Ed, Larry, and Pete of Midlife Crisis & the Alimony Horns have been giving Pacific Northwest crowds something to dance about with their mix of unique, popular and recognizable music. And on January 15th and 16th, they’ll be gracing Swinomish Casino’s Main Stage for two nights of big sound and big fun.
But where did the idea of the “midlife crisis” come from, anyway?
Midlife Crisis: A Band and an Idea
The MLC&AH have played hundreds of venues in the US and Canada, but the Evergreen state is truly their home. For more than 25 years, this band has been delighting Northwest audiences, headlining for acts like Foghat and drawing big crowds at the Mt. Baker Rhythm and Blues Festival.
However, even with their lengthy career, the notion of the “midlife crisis” pre-dates the band by a couple of decades.
First coined by Canadian psychoanalyst Elliott Jaques in 1965, the idea of the midlife crisis was fairly simple: That between the ages of about 45 and 70, a human being experiences both great transitions and many physical changes, which can bring about complicated emotions and, sometimes, questionable decisions. In the face of aging, Jaques posited, middle-aged adults tended to react strongly and, sometimes, rebelliously.
What’s Really Behind the Crisis?
While it’s largely viewed as a universal experience now—the midlife crisis has become such a part of pop psychology that few even question it—there’s little data to support that a midlife crisis is actually a necessary or even common psychological phenomenon.
In one study of reported midlife crises, just 8% of respondents said that their behaviors of emotions were really tied to aging—others noted that they were actually responding to life events, like a divorce, retirement, or other big change.
Critics of the midlife crisis theory have noted that middle age is actually a time of prosperity, success, and fulfillment for many people—especially those who take time out to enjoy their life by taking part in activities which make them happy, and remind them how much life they really have to live.
Even if you don’t believe in the idea of a midlife crisis, there’s one piece of empirical data that can’t be argued with: That Midlife Crisis and the Alimony Horns will be lighting up the Swinomish Casino Main Stage this month, and that if you’re looking for a way to warm up this winter, there’s no better place to be.
