When you look around in any crowd and you see a tough-looking dad with his young daughter, a middle-aged couple that is clearly deeply in love, a group of friends making fools of themself with giant grins that only come from knowing you're with those who got your back you know matter what – and if you're me, you'd somehow be left wondering how did this one event reach all those different parts of the society? What is the force that is bringing these individuals from different walks of life all to this out-of-the-beaten-path venue? What units this group?

And often it is music.

But it's not necessarily only music. It can be politics or sports or theatre or even travel or an intellectual pursuit. Whatever it is, this act of large groups setting aside all their other differences for a couple of hours to orient their attention in the same direction is one of the most powerful experiences there are.

It's almost sacred.