New Toronto collective wants you to party like it's 1999 with phone-free events

There's a new event collective and apparel brand in Toronto that's trying to teach the city's partygoers how to connect by hosting phone-free parties.

What was it like to party before the internet? It's a question that I, being of the tender age of 25 and only reaching appropriate party age long after my iPhone had already become effectively welded to my right hand, have contemplated often.

No Instagram stories to be posted, no aspiring suitors asking for your Snapchat — just pure, present fun. Imagine that.

Drenched in Gen Z idiosyncrasy as I may appear in making such a confession, I'm not alone.

Toronto brothers Mich and Max Ward, alongside their best friend Christian Williamson, found themselves contemplating a similar question when they made the "somewhat rash decision" to leave their phones in the car for an entire weekend on a father-son fishing trip.

"It felt like we were kids again — fully present, laughing and connecting with the people around us — what we largely attributed to lack of, what we like to call 'little black rectangle anxiety,'" Max tells me. And if that could be the result of a phone-free weekend, just imagine the party potential.

Thus, Before the Internet was born on the mission of helping people connect face-to-face, without two "little black rectangles" getting in the way.

You could call Before the Internet a collective, or you could call it a brand (they dabble in events and apparel equally,) but for Max, Mich, and Christian, the vision has always been bigger than that.

"Our intention is for Before the Internet to be a movement — to bring back the little things; getting out more, conversing with that stranger in an elevator, going up to that person in the coffee shop and shooting your shot, being present in your day-to-day connections, and complimenting a stranger's shirt on the subway," Max tells me.

And it all starts with phone-free events held in Toronto, the United States and even the Bahamas.

Before you panic, the phone-free thing isn't militantly enforced. Upon arriving at the event, you're given a pouch that holds your phone during the party — but no one's going to lock you up if you happen to take it out.

"Everyone at our events is an adult, and so we treat them that way," Max says. 

"If someone wants to snap a quick picture or text a friend, that's totally fine. But that tiny friction — having to unzip the pouch — helps break the habit of reaching for your phone in every awkward moment, or feeling like everything has to be filmed rather than just experienced."

Their first event, called "The Breakfast Club" (get it?) was held in West Palm Beach, Florida this past February, and two weeks later at Parlour in Toronto.

Suffice it to say, the daytime parties, where they served coffee, smoothies and cocktails alongside pouches for attendees to lock away their phones for the time being, were instant hits, and the boys have been off to the races ever since.

Toronto's been seeing a major revolution on the party scene in recent years, with major nightclubs closing their doors and more unique concepts like Before the Internet or The Coffee Party on the rise.

Sure, the new kids on the block get their fair share of criticism for using gimmicks like free coffee or no phones to appeal to Toronto's insatiable hunger for the next big thing, but you can't ignore the fact that people are paying attention. And they're liking it.

For their part, the boys of Before the Internet have already enjoyed some seriously positive attention in the months since launching, despite having only held for events (one in Florida, two in Toronto, and one, most recently, in Nassau) which, Max tells me, is a vote of confidence.

One of the most rewarding experiences since launching the movement, Max says, has been the way that people have been immediately receptive to it, just the way that he, Mich and Christian imagined they would after their own fateful fishing trip.

"Watching people smile, meet new people, and create those core memories and novel experiences that we know people will remember when they’re in old age is completely priceless to us," he tells me.

They've even already attracted imitators, which, contrary to what one may believe, has actually been a rewarding experience in itself.

"One attendee from our first event reached out to say he was so inspired by the concept that he’s starting his own pop-up series to connect his community," Max tells me. "He asked for advice [on] his first time ever hosting, and we were beyond happy to share what we’ve learned. This is exactly what we're trying to push forward, so that was incredible."

Really, the meaning of Before the Internet is Before the Internet took over our lives, but that just doesn't quite have the same ring to it," Max says. 

"We’re trying to make people more conscious of their relationship with technology and how it may impact their social lives."

They've got a full suite of events coming up this spring and summer that you can check out if you, like me, have been curious to know what a phone-free night out would feel like, or even if you are missing the pre-phone party days — every level of technological entrenchment is welcome.

First up, on May 10, they're partnering with Casa Del Rey tequila for their CasaFest music and food festival that's happening under the Gardiner Expressway, followed by their own summer kickoff party on June 14 at Rendezviews. They're even giving blogTO readers 20 per cent off tickets with the code BLOGTO.

"It’s called 'Summer of 69,' and it’s a Woodstock inspired day party, with a bit of our own twist," Max tells me.

"There's going to be live bands, DJs, flower-crown making stations, volleyball, spikeball and more. Of course, our phone-pouches will be handed out upon arrival, and the patio will be stocked with disposable cameras for everyone to snap some pics."

You can keep up with all of Before the Internet's upcoming events by following them on Instagram.