Cut loose

As Kevin Bacon’s character taught us in that seminal tale of teenage rebellion, Footloose, small minds in small towns have to be overcome. Well-intentioned people who try to stop teens from dancing by using their misguided oppression are sure to lose. But that story took place in a conformist backwater town. That scenario couldn’t be played out in such a cosmopolitan city as Sacramento. Or could it?

Well, yes. Right here in River City there’s a problem and it’s spelled dancing. Those who hope to kill our fun want to apply the sin of over-regulation to dance clubs and send 18- to 21-year-olds home at 10 p.m. (see “Footloose redux,” page 14). We found an ulterior motive to this newly proposed ordinance and the police are involved.If they really wanted to see some sin, it can be seen, ironically, in the backwater of the Delta in the tiny town of Isletown. Once a year, more than feet are cut loose at the annual Crawdad Festival. Isletown welcomes people who want to eat, drink, dance and … eh, whatever (see “Invasion of the crawdads!” on page 20). This more tolerant town welcomes footloose behavior, they don’t try to regulate it.