When's the last time you've heard a song that reminded you of your past: a high school dance party, a drive with your best friend or a family member, an ex-girlfriend or boyfriend? Whatever the case may be, music has a way of transporting you back to specific moments that are nostalgic.

That's what I felt when a friend from high school hit me up last weekend asking if I wanted to go to see Sammie. You may not recognize the name given the fact that he was a kid when he came out with one of my favorite #throwback songs, "I Like It." But he was a great example of a heartthrob who young girls pined for as he danced around in his music video. (Google it.)

However, like many child stars, he fell off. Maybe he produced an album or two (last one being "Coming of Age" in 2017) but let's be real, it's hard to come back from who you were and your clout years (maybe even decades) later — especially when you made your bucks as a child star. For the record, it was my friend's birthday and I'd just sent her a text about how I missed her. What choice did I have other than to rally and make it happen. Now for a little background.

When she texted me asking me if I wanted to go, she said:

"So. Minor update. I've found out Sammie (the singer) told me (yes he told ME) he's gonna be at morehead tavern tmrw [sic] night and he said I can hit him up if i come out. I love his music and it'd be dope to meet him. Wanna do that with me? After I do dinner with my family i can head up there if you're down."

Of course, as a friend first and then nightlife writer, my response was, "Lmaooo shut up!!! Howww?" And naturally, she left me hanging and didn't acknowledge why she was communicating with him in anyway shape or form at all. Now I'm certainly interested, even though I'm a prehistoric fan of Sammie.

I clicked the link to the event she sent, and that's when I saw the "event," whatever it was going to be, was at Morehead Tavern. And then I asked myself the question, "As a nightlife writer, WHY don't I know about this venue, or why haven't I been?" At that point, I was feeling inferior. I started Googling where it was with my boyfriend and while the name was familiar, we couldn't place it. *insert nervous vibe*

By the time I convinced her to come to my favorite watering hole, all of my inhibitions had dissipated. We hopped in an Uber after a drink and headed to Morehead Tavern. We walked into the main entrance (which is on the top floor for those who don't know) to an empty bar and we were directed to go back outside and hang a right. *confused*

We walked by a long line of cars, entered a different entryway and then we were standing in front of a window showing our tickets. All I was thinking was, "I'm worried about my white girlfriend being here with just me." I remembered telling the people checking us in, "We've had a couple drinks, but don't let shit pop off and kick us out." They laughed and then she popped her head back in and said, "Yeah, I'm the only splash of vanilla here." *crying laughing emoji* She knew I was running my mouth about that specific topic lol. Damn, that's why I love that girl.

We entered what felt like a small waiting area that was connected to a room with a small bar where we grabbed a drink. Then we walked into the main downstairs area. It was quite spacious compared to the upstairs space, and based on the number of people standing patiently around the stage, it was clear that we were finally in the right place.

It's been a while since we'd seen one another so we caught each other up (and drunk cried) on the events that'd passed while we waited, for what felt like an eternity, on Sammie to walk onto the stage.

When he did, he was accompanied by an entourage *insert eye roll.* My friend turned to me and asked if she should try to go on stage after a few minutes and while I was worried her story about him messaging her wasn't going to get her a pass, I remembered my good old days of nonchalance and minimal inhibitions, "You know what? Go for it. The worst that can happen is he'll act like he doesn't know you. And I'll be here if he does. Just please say excuse me."

And don't you know...he let her on stage?! What. A. Riot. Childhood dreams, met "hoodrat 'tings'" in 2018. He didn't end up performing the "only" song I cared about (at least while I was there, in the hours preceding getting caught up on the tour bus) but to see my girl's face light up on her birthday after meeting Sammie was well worth the new experience.

Last week, I was watching the news — a rare occurrence for this writer because local news stations tend to irk me. However, the boyfriend had left the TV on after watching one of the millions of World Cup soccer matches and the news popped on. I was shocked, for lack of a better word, to hear that a female Uber driver was sexually assaulted by a passenger and then instructed to drop him off at his destination.

Wow. For the longest time, ridesharers have been more concerned about the fact that a driver may do the same thing to them and for some reason, we never thought about the flip side.

A couple years ago, I listened to two separate male coworkers tell me that they experienced a weird coinky dink with a male driving the same car on two separate weekends. Long story short the man in each case pretended to be an Uber driver on nights when they were distracted or unable to double check who they should be riding with.

Fortunately, he didn't end up doing anything to them, however he did convince them to ride home with him to "take out his dog" all while he consumed blow in the front seat.

Last month, we heard multiple accounts of female patrons allegedly being drugged at Rooftop 210 and Suite in the EpiCentre. Geez.

I thought we left roofies behind a long time ago. Especially after Rick Ross was dropped by Reebok after rapping a controversial sexist verse in a 2013 song, "You Ain't Even Know It (U.O.E.N.O.). "I die over these Reeboks, you ain't even know it/Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain't even know it/I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it," the artist rapped. This was a full seven years after the Me Too movement was founded by Tarana Burke and four years shy of it gaining popularity.

Other nights, I sit around a table with mostly male friends and listen to some say how, "Women shouldn't walk home alone." I roll my eyes thinking they're sexist or just plain annoying. And even though I know the female-male dichotomy of "who can better take care of themselves" can be annoying, the fact that the conversations are relevant are just as annoying.

No matter who's "safer," the reality is that your mom and dad — who can come off as fearmongers at times — aren't all that wrong when they spout lines like, "Nothing good happens after 2 a.m. You can't trust people anymore. People are crazy." No matter how much we want to believe that people are innately good, sometimes they're not.

So what's the point, Aerin? As of late, my senses have become heightened to how little bar- and club-goers take for granted when it comes to safety. We've heard all the stories and yet, we keep hearing more about things that end up going wrong. From bar fights and gunshots to poor hookup decisions and roofies, we've heard it all. And yet we often forget to make sure we're aware of the rules required in order to truly be aware of our surroundings.

Every time I think about walking home alone at the end of a night or think about how I've let friends go home with a stranger the more annoyed I get at myself for even being aggravated by the friend (or when I'm in my man-hating phase, the "male chauvinist who thinks he knows what's best for me") who suggested I practice better safety habits.

True, we can't live every moment in fear, but we can make the best decisions during the time we have. "Stranger danger" is a real thing that we may take for granted after we become "grown." However, that doesn't mean the threat doesn't exist. And let's be real, if alcohol is involved, the threat becomes even more relevant.

Just last week, a regular at a local watering hole was telling me and my boyfriend that a couple was stabbed and mugged just an ear throw away. How easily that could've been us if we had parked on the same dimly lit street. The incident may not have made it to the news, it may not have been a part of some huge conspiracy, but nevertheless, it happened in an area where we both feel fairly comfortable.

All this to say, let's not be stupid. Shit happens and we can't always avoid it. But every other day, we can make smarter choices, especially when we approach nights in the Queen City.

I'm ready to call it quits today. That's what I was saying and have been saying every single time I've gotten super wasted over the past few months. We give writers credit for living the lifestyle, but we never want to actually talk about what it means to have your mind made up about certain topics . . . until I met him.

This kind of thing isn't often talked about in the arena of nightlife and drinking, because let's be real, when it comes to nightlife, everything revolves around drinking. But the reality is that those who understand what it means to be teeter-tottering on the edge have openly talked about it.

In October of 2017, I wrote about how I decided to take the month off from drinking; call it a #refresher. I kept everyone looped in on my progress and thoughts each week while still trying to stay engaged with the allure of the night.

Well, here I am, almost eight months later, with the same questions on my brain. Should I use money as an incentive to stop drinking? Is my man the best reason why I should stop drinking? Should I try yoga as a meditative practice and alternative to an unhealthy lifestyle?

The past few months have been some of the best and worst months of my life: the perfect little ball of organized chaos, I guess you could say. And most days I don't know how to decipher the best answer to any of my questions.

Have you ever seen 28 Days, the movie starring Sandra Bullock in which she has to go rehab because her contentment with drinking had gotten to the point that she couldn't even function as her sister's bridesmaid? I watched it on one of those sober October nights and couldn't help but see myself in her main character.

In the movie, Bullock's character Gwen Cummings states, "Yeah, I know I drink a lot, I know I do because I'm a writer and that's what I do, I drink. I'm not like those people out there, I can control myself! I can, if — that — if I wanted to, I could, if I wanted. I can! I can!"

I watched her say that and wondered if I was the same person, even after being able to take a month off without any problem. Some of my best work has come from nights of drinking. Stimulated by hundreds of thoughts and inspiring conversation, I find myself staying up until the wee hours of the morning just to write — a task that I have a harder time doing in the middle of the day when I should be most productive.

I also thought about my best friend, who just moved to Pittsburgh, about how she came into play with those October articles I wrote. Recently, I had asked her again if she thought I was an alcoholic and she assured me that she didn't believe I was.

But the fact remains, I'm still struggling to find total happiness.

If you're a night owl like me, you know there's a stillness at the end of the night, post-drinking, that can't be refuted or ignored. No matter how annoyed I am at a political or personal conversation, or someone's negative energy, I keep going. And when my mind goes to #theUpsideDown, I can only wonder if it's because of the alcohol or if the alcohol is just intensifying feelings that already exist.

The other day I was driving through Plaza Midwood and noticed a building I hadn't noticed before, with a couple people sitting on a porch. For some reason, I immediately knew what it was: a support group. A gentle reminder that there are safe places where people who are struggling can go.

I thought back to the man who wrote me a couple years ago now; he wondered what an AA crawl would look like. I'm thinking now that it wouldn't be the worst idea, though not something for print. At the time I thought writing about it would be taking advantage of the resource. Now, I'm not so sure I shouldn't take that crawl — privately.

But I digress, I'm just reaching a point in my life where awareness is critical to making the right decisions moving forward. I want to continue to have meaningful interactions in nightlife with patrons, owners and the people I love.

Transitioning from #vamplife may never happen, but finding the best ways to make the most of that lifestyle will continue to stay at the top of my mind.

If you've ever struggled with finding the perfect balance between nightlife and drinking, share it with me in the comments section below or by email at backtalk@clclt.com.

Even though my 30s are looming on the horizon, I'm still considered a millennial in social situations (insert eye roll). I do believe, however, my "millennial" status is one of the main reasons why money, savings, student loans and anything finance-related is always on the top of my mind. That's why my first visit to The Union on "service industry night" was a bit mind boggling. Let me explain.

If you've been in Charlotte any decent amount of time you know that bars and clubs come and go. A new spot opens and it can look familiar and maybe you don't know why, it's probably because the name changed. Blame it on too much drama, blame it on poor marketing, it happens all the time.

A couple weeks ago, a friend's boyfriend wanted us to go to The Union because he works in the service industry and his coworkers were going there. I used to live in South End and quite frankly, I had no desire to go. Why? Because nothing has survived in that space for very long. Why get my hopes up for a spot that probably won't be around come 2019?

If you're a regular in South End, you know where I'm talking about. It's one of the commercial destinations connected to Camden South End on the corner of South Boulevard and East Bland Street. Before it was The Union, it was Helles & Dunkel and World of Beer (which is now in The Epicentre). You may even know that 'Stache House Bar & Lounge, which was located on the same block on the opposite end, closed its doors unexpectedly about a month ago. *gasp*

Nevertheless, when my girl told me that's where her boo wanted to go and my boo showed signs of interest I thought to myself, "Why not?" Our Uber dropped us off and my dramatic brain thought the lights would turn off and the bar would close in front of my eyes. Nope. All was well and there was even a baby pit bull inside on the floor for me to play with — heart be still.

I was a little tipsy but I decided on an RBV when my boyfriend asked me what I wanted to drink. When we sat on the small patio outside, I remembered the whole reason why we were triggered to make the trek — all booze is half off on Mondays for service industry night. The venue was spacious, one of the owners was behind the bar with a welcoming smile and let me reiterate, everything outside of top-shelf liquor (even shots) was half. the. price. What else do you need?

Let's be real, the G.O.A.T experiences of nightlife, the crux of our good times, are largely dependent on those who serve us. Yes, there are certain nuances that can throw a night off, but if there's no one in the bar and we have something to complain about, it's probably because we didn't like something about our waitress or bartender. And they have to deal with us, which in and of itself is why they deserve a back rub, a round of applause and a weekly discount.

I'd heard tales of days past when service industry nights were off the chain. The rules were changed or bent, even if for a night, and the discounts were lit. But every time I heard about it, it was as if those days were long gone. That's why I was beyond intrigued when my friend's boyfriend said that we would get 50 percent off for service night.

I know the venue is "new," but I began to wonder if anyone else offered the same deal. I asked one of my friends who used to work in the service industry if she knew of any venues that offered similar discounts. Prohibition was the only venue that she immediately informed me offers half off to service people and other restaurant and bar folks on Tuesdays.

And based on my research, (and after asking The Union and Prohibition myself), I haven't found another nightlife venue in Charlotte proper that will take half off your tab when you go to close it. This isn't to say that a variety of bars don't honor some sort of "special" every day of the week — even if they're not calling it "service industry night." But if we're being honest, this also means that every patron, who probably shouldn't be out drinking that day of the week, can slide through and reap the benefits of a discount.

The question is...when it comes to discounts — especially 50 percent off (and no, not just a bottle of wine) — where they do that at?! Everyone who wants to drink the best liquor or cocktail as possible for as cheap as possible. It's even better when you do so on your own dime and can afford it. So tell me, where are the best deals in the Queen City? I'm trying to cut down on my tab, too! Share your fave spots to save a few bucks at backtalk@clclt.com.