Bea here. Today's rant: weird events. Weird rooted in self expression, love for people, and making memories.
The events I remember forever have nothing in common logistics-wise. Different sizes, venues, cities. But every one of them had a host who made one specific, committed decision to make this a once in a lifetime deal. A theme too committed to be ironic. A venue that made no logical sense. A playlist with no business working.
Specificity is the whole move. In the age of algorithms and borrowed taste, my bet is that the most unforgettable experiences we hold onto are the ones that were genuinely, unapologetically specific — and that bravery starts with the host. Remember when tomato dinner parties were trending? Weird. But oh so memorable. I had a blast with my little gazpacho.
The more precisely you can answer "what is this, exactly" — the ~better, ~groovier, ~more unforgettable everything else gets.
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT
After The Afters
After The Afters — Chicago, IL @afterthe.afters
Transforming unexpected places into dance floors, lounges, and soundscapes.
They bring DJ sets to local coffee shops, restaurants, and community spaces — three recurring formats, each with its own vibe. Sips & Spins is cozy and early. Soundbites is intimate and mid-week. Mix & Match is lively and anything-goes.
What makes After the Afters specific: they are not throwing parties in party spaces. They are finding the weird, underutilized corners of your neighborhood and turning them into something alive. Spotlighting local DJs, supporting small businesses. they actually care about who shows up and who's behind the decks.
THE OPEN TAB
rapid-fire roundup of stuff that caught our eye this week.
Americans stopped showing up — and specificity is what brings them back — Derek Thompson's cover story in The Atlantic is the most important thing I've read this year. In-person socializing has dropped over 20% since 2003. People aren't leaving the house for "a fun night out." They're leaving for the R&B-only dance night, the reading party with a curated playlist, the walk with rules. The specificity is the reason to go.
A "reading party" went from 10 friends to six continents — The New York Times profiled Reading Rhythms — not a book club, a reading party. You bring your own book, read for 30 minutes to curated music, then talk to strangers about what you just read. After the NYT piece dropped, people from Sydney to Guadalajara wanted one. The format is absurdly specific. That's the whole reason it worked.
79% of Gen Z wants events that blend interests — NBC News reports that book club events grew 31% on Eventbrite last year, and the fastest-growing formats are the ones nobody would've greenlit in a pitch meeting — read-and-run clubs, wine-tasting book exchanges, craft nights with discussion prompts. The weirder the combo, the faster they fill.
we're thinking about hosting a pie lunch and learn on how to set up meta ads
LAST BITE ⌚︎
Specificity isn't just about your event concept — it can be about the rules you set for the space. Elle Beecher, who runs the viral Board Walks, ATX put it to me perfectly: if there are no rules or guidance for your community, it loses the value. If you stand for everything, you stand for nothing.
The best community rules I've seen aren't "be nice" boilerplate. They're specific enough to tell you exactly what kind of space you're walking into. A few from Elle's community that can serve as examples or inspiration.
#5: Come with insights, not agendas. Please don't sell or promote anything to our community. Help us preserve the magic of this neutral, agenda-free space.
#6: Romance is not in the air. If you think "Huh, the walks might be a good place to find a date"… please think again. We're suckers for romance, but this walk is not the place to speed date.
That level of specificity is what makes people feel safe showing up as themselves. Your event's rules are part of its identity. Write them like you mean them
If you haven't filled out your Pie profile yet — or you set it up once and never looked at it again — this is your nudge.
Each pie user views on avg 8-9 profiles A DAY.
If your’s looks sad, well it is self explanatory. A good description, a photo that, a line about what kind of things you host — it all adds up. Same goes for your event descriptions. The more specific you are about what someone's walking into, the more likely the right people show up. Doesn't have to be long. Just has to be you.
~7,000 total profile views on pie per day on average.
The PCC Team
PCC is a creative community for people who bring others together. Have an idea? reach out to us at [email protected]