Old friends Laura Baginski and Susie Lee reconnected at their 30th high school reunion a little over a year ago, and as they shared memories about the music they love and the parties they used to go to in their youth, an idea to bring partying back for “ladies who got sh*t to do in the morning” was born. 

Launched last February in Chicago (and now headed to L.A.), their Earlybirds Club is a welcome nightlife option for middle-aged women “like ourselves,” trans and non-binary people. The parties start as early as 6 p.m. and end long before Cinderella loses her shoe. Doors close at 10 p.m.  

“We’ve hosted 10 sold-out events in our hometown of Chicago since our start, each with a capacity of 250-400 people,” Baginski says. “We’ve hit an underserved and unsung nightlife market — professional, city-dwelling women 40+, many of whom are moms, who want to go out and let loose in a safe space and get home at a decent hour.” 

Buoyed by their success in Chicago, they are expanding Earlybirds Club to more cities, including two dates in L.A.: Jan. 10 at The Sardine in San Pedro and Jan. 11 at The Virgil in Silver Lake. A nationwide expansion will follow. 

“As anyone who has been to one of our events will tell you, Earlybirds Club is more than just a dance party,” Baginski says. “It’s a movement that celebrates midlife, makes joy a priority, creates a community and supports one another. Our events are part of a larger trend that brings out into the open the struggles (and joys) of middle age — from Naomi Watts taking away the shame of menopause to Jamie Lee Curtis and Pamela Anderson refusing to conform to beauty standards to media outlets like The Midst and AARP’s The Girlfriend offering a playful and joyous examination of being a middle-aged woman.” 

Follow @earlybirdschicago on Instagram.