I witnessed two Brawney-esque, gay males shimmy and grind together this past weekend. They salsa danced openly and (sometimes) explicitly as musicians performed Latin music for the Fillmore Jazz Festival. In this moment I immediately knew I had arrived to San Francisco. Sure, I came for the music, but I stayed for the people.

Quite often during musical festivals I find my eyes wander from the stage, and I can’t help myself from making an about-face away from the stage. I peer out into the crowd. Everyone from hippies to yuppies flood my vision as they all stare towards the musicians. I capture something very precious in this moment. When the crowd’s digging the music, and I mean really entranced by the sounds flowing from the stage, I catch a glimpse of this vulnerable, intimate moment where people brush off their anxieties, open themselves to the sound and show their true selves. People dance. People crack a smile. People tilt their head to the right and stare off into the void between the bass and drum players. Whatever they do, I get this awesome vibe from them, and they remind me why I love festivals in the first place.

These events offer a time and place of culture. When I jump to house music in the French Alps, I discover inebriated internationals living the good life with the help of magnum-sized bottles of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne. When I chill to San Francisco Fillmore District jazz, I find hippies and techies alike seeking refuge from the fast life.

My friends may know me as a real nerd when it comes to all things tech & media, but when I choose to attend cultural events like music festivals, then I often have to take a pause and appreciate people and their cultures. So, next time you’re at a festival, let your ears do the music listening and have your eyes wander and appreciate the diverse crowd you’ll undoubtedly discover.