Mattie Groves Brewery the latest stop for the gathering

By Helen Harlan

It’s around 8 p.m. on the last Friday of September at Mattie Groves Brewery in Downtown. More than two dozen individuals with name tags mingle in a tight-looking group, some drinking beer and others enjoying eats from Old Soul Co.

A handful play UNO at the center of one of the brewery’s festival tables.

These are attendees of the “Introverts of Sacramento Meetup,” a monthly event organized on Reddit under the subreddit r/Sacramento. A number of these faces are meeting for the first time tonight. Others have known each other for years.

“A lot of people think introverts are shut-ins, but that’s not the case,” says Michael Perkins, the group’s organizer. “We still enjoy socialization.”

Known as @theycallmeperkins on Reddit, Perkins plans events for the Introverts, as they loosely call themselves. He’s also their resident shutterbug and documents the meet-ups with his Nikon Z6 II.

Perkins, 38, is a software engineer in West Sacramento and works hybrid, sometimes commuting to his office in Folsom. He attended the third-ever Introverts meet-up in 2022 and soon became the group’s leader.

“When I first went to a meet-up, the pandemic was ending,” he remembers. “I had been shut in at home, and I hadn’t made any new friends, other than at work, in literally years. I saw this post for the introverts group, and I’ve just become so glad I did.”

Cameron Smith Samuels is here at his 13th Introverts meet-up. He’s been coming since June 2023. Samuels, 29, works as a teacher’s assistant in special education and identifies as an “ambivert,” meaning he exhibits both introvert and extrovert qualities. He says that going to his first meet-up was a six on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being “the most terrified.” Over a year later, he can gel with the group.

“This is the kind of friend group I’ve been looking for but never really had,” Samuels admits.

Merriam-Webster defines “introvert” as “a typically reserved or quiet person who tends to be introspective and enjoys spending time alone.” Perkins says that, as the Introverts events go on, some people start to question the introvert label in the first place.

“You come up with this perception of yourself, and when you’re faced with something that challenges it, you might start to see yourself differently,” Perkins reflects.

Perkins isn’t far off. In his 2022 “Psychology Today” article, “The Curious Social Advantages of Being an Introvert,” Leon F. Seltzer, PhD, writes that “introverts paradoxically can at times act just like extroverts—in a sense, combining the best of both character-trait worlds.”

And they’re in good company. According to Inc.com, celebrity introverts include President Abraham Lincoln, Oscar-winner Steven Spielberg, NBA GOAT Michael Jordan and civil rights icon Rosa Parks.

“Being an introvert or extrovert is (about) how you gain your energy,” Perkins says. “So, like, right now, I’m spending energy trying to be social with people. I would say that, at least for myself, close friends and family, they don’t really drain my energy. It’s more like interacting with new people.”

Hadin Lujan, 25, works as a library circulation supervisor and makes music under the stage name Luhan Si Hadin. This is their first meet-up with the Introverts. Lujan identifies as an introvert and says they are learning how to socialize outside of open mics.

“I thought it would be scary – I thought it would all be strangers,” Lujan mentions. “Then, I walked in, and looked around and thought, ‘You look like you belong here,’ because other people were avoiding eye contact.”

Mattie Groves Brewery co-owner Katie Cooper says that groups like the Introverts are in the business’s wheelhouse and bring out Sacramento’s “nerd culture,” a term that she uses with pride.

“We appeal to people who are intimidated by other spaces: We’re open to fringe communities,” Cooper declares, pointing to “Star Trek: The Next Generation” on the television and some “Star Wars” fan gear on the wall.

Perkins says the meet-ups aren’t just for introverts – extroverts and anyone in between are welcome. First-timers shouldn’t shy away, either.

Samuels’s advice to newcomers is simple. “Don’t overthink it. See where the night goes. Be yourself,” he says. “We’re all in the same boat.”

For more stories on Sacramento meet-ups and subcultures, follow SN&R’s homepage each week.