I Took A 75 Year Old To An EDM Festival

So how are you feeling? You have a kind of new look.

Well, I love my new hat.

I've always been fascinated with music fandom and culture, and during my research, I kept running into one word: PLURR. It's an acronym for Peace, Love, Unity, Respect. It's an informal code of conduct that grew out of the electronic music scene in the 1990s, and it's still the guiding ethos at festivals today. In In practice, it means treating strangers with kindness and looking out for each other. Sharing water, helping others regardless of how they look or dance, and choosing generosity over judgment. Could people being kind and respectful and expect nothing in return actually be a thing? It sounded like a fantasy. The more I looked into it, the more I found stories about people saying music festivals changed their lives. Strangers becoming friends, people looking out for each other. It almost sounded too good to be true. So instead of reading another Reddit thread or watching another TikTok, I figured I'd go find out for myself. I booked a flight to Minnesota and headed to Breakaway Festival with one simple question: Is Plur actually real, or is it just something people post about online? Once I arrived in Minnesota, I needed a place to stay. I read that many people camp during music festivals to enhance the vibes. So in an effort to get into the festival spirit, I found an RV resort to call home for a few days.

Well, welcome, welcome. Glad to have you here.

I'm gonna hop in the shower real quick. So what's your favorite thing about working at a resort?

Making people's lives a little bit better.

Well, you're making my life better. Thank you, I appreciate you. How did you get into the resort scene? Like, what kind of drew you into this kind of business?

I did a little bit of like van camping. This is not so much that, uh, this is more an RV resort, but it's tangential and we can make people happy with that and stuff.

Hey, what's up guys? I'm hanging out in Minnesota at an RV resort, Northern Skies. I'm here to explore the PLUR lifestyle, which stands for peace, love, unity, and respect, which, uh, It's definitely kind of an interesting concept in our current day to imagine people just helping other people just for the sake of doing it.

Going to music festivals looks like fun, especially when you go with friends. But as someone who is about to embark on this adventure alone and who happens to have social anxiety, I decided to enlist a festival first-timer as well to be my friend.

So I posted an ad on Craigslist and, uh, one guy sent me some strange photos of him in a Santa outfit. But, uh, who I landed on in the end was Joe. He's 75 years old. This is his first music festival as well. We're gonna try to get in there together and, you know, break the ice, hopefully have some fun, and learn the ins and outs of Plur.

After a bit of food and gambling, I think I was finally ready for what was ahead of me.

Thanks for coming.

Thank you for having me. Yeah, to your resort. This has been very lovely. I appreciate you all. I gotta continue my journey. I'm going to the music festival now. Would you like to come, actually?

I would love to come.

All right, so we ran into a bit of a traffic jam, but we're starting to move again. Luckily, we're about 15 minutes late and Joe is about 15 minutes early, so I'm feeling kind of bad. I'm feeling a little stressed just kind of thinking about him waiting in the heat. Hopefully we get there soon. The clock's ticking.

It took a bit of white-knuckling, but we did make our way there. I just hoped I didn't miss Joe.

What's up, guys? Hey, how's it going? How you doing? What's up, man? I'm Dan. Dan.

Max, nice to meet you.

What's up, bro?

Good to see you, Dan. We're super stoked. There's Jack in the back.

Hey, this is your gentleman.

Hello, Joe. Thank you. Sorry for the delay. Hey, so nice to meet you.

Same.

Thanks for showing up. Are you excited?

I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.

Oh, okay. Well, it's basically just a hangout for the day at a music festival and I didn't want to go alone.

Okay.

Have you been to a music festival before?

About 20 or 30 years ago.

Do you know what P.L.U.R.

is? No.

Peace, love, unity, and respect. I got it right.

Very good.

So that's basically what we're here to learn about today. Do you have any advice? I'm a little— feeling a little nervous. You seem pretty calm.

Hey, I've been in front of groups before. Oh, just relax. The worst thing that can happen is your pants fall off. I mean, you can't get any worse than that.

Wow, we're really getting the VIP treatment here. What do you think of this, Joe?

Good. All right, so this is where the festival ground is. I'll give you a little lay of the land. That's a hydration station, and then food trucks are over here.

Amazing.

You could hear the noise coming from the stage. I was a little intimidated.

So maybe we should check out the Festival area. What do you think?

Well, I'll follow your lead.

Let's do it. All right, I think we could get over this way. After you, sir.

The Breakaway Music Festival is one of the largest independent touring music festivals in the United States. It is known for bringing electronic dance music, or EDM, to mid-sized and underserved cities. This seemed like the perfect place to find true understanding in the concept of Plur.

So basically, there's this concept called Plur. that everyone believes in here and I kind of wanted to learn about it.

Okay.

Is there anyone walking around that you are drawn towards that we should maybe chat with? Maybe if we stand here we can like try to, you know...

What do you call...

What's the word I'm looking for?

Interfere with their travel?

Yes.

Block their passage so they have to talk to us?

Exactly. Intercept.

Okay.

Let's try to intercept someone, maybe over here. They're taking a nice photo over there. Maybe we should try to chat with them. They look pretty happy. They look like they could be practicing this PLUR thing. Hey, we're trying to check out the festival and kind of learn the ins and outs. Are you familiar with the term PLUR?

PLUR, yes. Peace, love, unity, and respect. That's a big term in the EDM world. Everyone here is gonna be friendly to you, you know, so it's only fair, you know, you be friendly back.

Was that all there was to it? I still wasn't sure. I also wasn't sure what this thing called a sprout was, but he insisted we take one. It was clear we still had much to learn about the Plur lifestyle. Our next attempts at making contact, however, weren't going so smoothly.

Maybe they don't want to talk to us.

I don't know.

Maybe these ladies, they look pretty nice. Hey, how's it going, guys?

Can we interview you?

How about this guy? This guy looks like he knows about Plur, right? Hey, can we interview you, sir? He seemed like he like could have had something to say. He's busy. He's on the phone.

That's right.

Yeah.

Just when we were starting to wonder if this was a bad idea, we want to know more about Plur.

This is Joe. He hasn't been to a music festival in how long? Thirty years.

Twenty. Oh my God!

Someone having a great time.

Don't judge them, and you have a great time as well. All right, and just being respectful overall. Just. Having a good time with everyone and just connecting with people.

That was pretty vague. I guess we needed to dig deeper.

So we're here trying to learn the ins and outs of FLIR. Do you know about this? No, we don't. Like peace, love, unity, respect?

Oh yeah, I'm going to Pride on Sunday.

My best friend, he'd be part of the FLIR. Oh, right on.

I'm not totally sure they understood the question. I think they thought Joe and I were more than just friends, which I guess is a reasonable mix-up. But then the tides began to turn.

So I guess like based off this community we've been in and the music that we love so much. Collectively, everybody wants to share that kind of happiness, right? So you're going to give Fleur, you know, in the world that we live in, there's so much that you see that you're confused about or you just don't like in this world. You know, we're human, we make mistakes and it happens, but we understand that here in this environment with these people. And again, you want to spread that more so it can go beyond these 4 walls, beyond the concert stage, beyond your friends that you make and at work.

Little did we know A core principle of the Plur lifestyle was about to be revealed to us.

You guys don't have candy yet. Do you know what that is?

We have these bracelets, but we don't have an actual candy bracelet.

So what we're gonna do is we're gonna do a peace sign together. So peace. We're gonna make a heart. Love. And we're gonna go with unity. So interlock your hands together.

Yeah.

And respect, right? We just shared a moment. We had so much fun. Today was a great day. Let's make more of them. So now you get to keep this as a memory and do whatever you want with or spread it to somebody else. So that is pler. That's one way of showing pler.

I think I'm going to spread it to Joe. You do that.

You do that. Spread all the love.

Remember, we start with peace.

Love. Love.

You've got unity and respect. Respect. Joe, you have a friend in me. I respect you, and I'm glad you're here with me, Joe.

Thank you.

Thanks for being here.

Of course.

Happy breakaway, everybody.

It was starting to become more complex than I thought. I wondered how much more we had to unravel.

So I guess that's kind of what it's all about.

Uh-huh.

This whole Plur thing. Like, you got this nice bracelet out of the deal. What have we learned so far about Plur?

Peace, love, unity, and respect.

Joe really seemed to be understanding these complex principles quite well. We took it upon ourselves to start educating those who didn't know about the Plur lifestyle. And much like the candy bracelet, We passed along our learnings to others. We felt like we needed to start looking the part. It was time to obtain the right gear.

Who do you think works here could show us how to get stuff? We're trying to get a couple accessories, like maybe some candy bracelets, and I don't know if you have any like hats or any sort of like bandanas or anything.

We have East Pleasant Bucket Hats, and then we have pashminas.

What we didn't realize was that a core part of Joe's plural identity was about to reveal itself.

Which one speaks to you?

That one.

Oh, for sure. Yeah, I guess like whatever candy you could throw in. Just pick us out a few, whichever ones you want to get rid of. Thank you so much. Do you know if they do the, the trades?

Peace, heart, unity. There you go.

Thank you.

Absolutely. Sprout for your hat as well. Here we go!

You look awesome!

Thank you!

Just looking at Joe was giving me a new level of confidence. Maybe this was the ticket we needed.

So how are you feeling? You have a kind of new look.

Well, I love my new hat.

Are you feeling ready to try to maybe like walk around into the musical area for a little bit?

Oh sure! Alright, let's go!

I think it was working because right away we found someone to talk to about Plur.

Anytime you see somebody, you appreciate something about them, let them know. Don't be Scared, like go up to him and say, "Hey, I like this." Well, you look great. I like your scarf.

Thank you.

I like your face.

Can we hug? Absolutely.

Yeah, this was working. As soon as we entered the main stage area, the vibe had completely changed. People were coming up to us instead of the other way around.

Hey, excuse me.

His name's Joe.

Hey, Joe, how are you? I don't know. Are you so? This is gonna be the best weekend ever. Are you kidding me?

Breakover in the South House.

The outfit was like magic for Joe. I couldn't stop him from practicing his new Plur skills.

You want to give him a candy?

You know how to do it? How you do it? Peace. Love. Now unity. Lock fingers together. Unity. All right, all right. And now respect. Hey man, thank you. Appreciate the— all right, brother.

Was this it? Had we actually found the way of plurr? I wasn't really sure. It seemed as though we were only scratching the surface. We were at the very least getting pretty good at spreading plurr to each other. We really plurred on one another quite a lot.

What up?

This is Joe.

Holy shit, nice meeting you, man. Thanks. You're Henk fucking K.

I love your mask!

We headed outside of the stage area, To give our ears a break.

Should we try to chat with someone in line? Maybe. What can you tell us about the Fleur lifestyle?

Go meet people.

Go talk to everyone you can.

That's what we're doing.

Make friends.

Trying to. Hold on. Two wizards here.

All right. Go grab them. Go grab them, Joe.

Maybe.

So when you meet somebody, don't be afraid to compliment their outfits. Be like, "Oh my god! I love your outfit. Your hat looks great." Don't be scared because everybody here is really friendly. At least they should be. And if you have candy, I have expensive bracelets to give out. You can trade. I'll give you one of mine, so I'll hold up the peace sign for you. You'll do it back to me. You don't have to give me anything back. So peace, and then for love, and then we'll do it together for unity. And then here, I'll give you a bracelet.

Oh my God, thank you so much!

Yeah, absolutely!

It's a nice one, thank you!

Nice! That's the basic.

So that was some good advice, huh? And look, I got some bindi. Now I'm doubled up. Yeah, I was nervous coming into this, but I'm starting to loosen up a little bit, I think, the more people we talk to. How about you? How are you feeling, Joe?

Very good, very good.

We did still bump into people who didn't yet know about Plur, so Joe was more than happy to help spread it.

He's he.

He wants to give you a bracelet. I think.

Interlock fingers.

Okay. Awesome.

Got him stuck. That was so cute.

Has anyone ever done that to you before?

No, never.

We just time.

First time.

We just learned how to do that today.

Really?

Yeah.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

You really had her on that one.

Hey, one more.

That was sick. That was sick. Good job.

Sale.

At this point, we were starting to catch our stride with the people. We decided that we'd take a breather and enjoy the festival from afar to recharge our batteries. But we were far from finished.

Good afternoon, ladies.

How are you today?

This is my first time here.

Yeah.

Oh, right on. This is our first time as well. Awesome. This is my third year here. Well, as a veteran attendee, do you have any advice for me and Joe? Um, I would just say be friendly and enjoy it. So as someone who hasn't been to a festival in a long time, do you think we're gonna have trouble fitting in or are we gonna be able to figure it out? Oh, you'll figure it out.

It's the vibe. It's smiling.

It's all love here. So regardless of what you're wearing, you can just fit in and have a good time. And if you can't, there's always White Claws, Modelos, and a lot of other beverages that'll help loosen you up a lot.

Absolutely.

Are there any dos and don'ts when it comes to dressing for the festival?

There's no restrictions, like, when you dress into a festival. Just dress to have a good time, and you will.

Although this was the Breakaway Festival, it felt more like a breakthrough moment. It was becoming clear that Fleur was more than just wearing bracelets and a funny hat.

I got drawn into your body.

Oh, thank you.

Paint. What does this say? It says Ali Ka. Oh, right.

Yeah.

Bam.

She does dubstep.

Oh, nice. I've been hearing about this dubstep. Me and Joe aren't too familiar with the genre. Maybe you could tell us some more about it.

Got it all over the front and then headbang. I'll show you how to do it. Go over there by those balls there by the rail. Go over there. That's how you headbang. Oh, okay.

So we should do that at the bottom of the stage or something?

Yeah, exactly.

Yet another tool in the toolbox. This was getting easier and easier. Everyone we walked up to felt like an old friend at this point. We got so comfortable that we really began to blend in with the crowd.

Would you say that Joe is whooping Flirt? I do think so.

Do you want to trade candies?

Sure.

Okay.

You're looking good. The suit looks nice.

Thank you.

And the bathrobe.

Yeah.

Now you got one. Thank you! Oh my God, thank you. You're welcome.

At this point, it seemed like we did it. We were fully integrated into the community of Plur. Everyone's advice was spot on. It was clear that the key word was reciprocity, and both Joe and myself had truly found our way. But sadly, all things must come to an end. Joe had to head out, but before I sent him on his way, it was time for reflection.

I'm sure I've enjoyed myself.

Thank you, glad to hear it. So have you learned, I guess, how to be clear today?

I think so. The peace, the love, the unity, respect. Yeah, I think I got it.

So what does clear mean to you all in all?

Treat somebody like you want to be treated yourself.

Do you plan on applying it now to your day-to-day?

I think I've been doing pretty much that all my life.

Thank you for tweeting me. I really appreciate you, Joe.

Thank you.

Really great time.

Same.

I feel pretty loose. I feel ready to, um, continue to immerse myself in this PLUR community, and I don't think I could have done it without you.

Well, my pleasure helping you out.

Super fun, man.

Same, thank you.

They say PLUR stands for Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. But Joe and I learned it means something entirely deeper. It means that you and a 75-year-old stranger from Craigslist could end up dancing next to each other, under the same sky, holding the same rail, and having your eardrums rattled by the same bass. Joe didn't just answer an ad. He handed me something you can't put a price on. The kind of support that says, I'll show up for you, whatever this turns out to be. That's not candy made of plastic beads. That's the real candy. The kind you can't trade back. So here's to Joe. To new friendships, unexpected festivals, and finding out that Plur isn't just something you feel on the dance floor. It's something you find in the person standing next to you.