This article traces the journey of how music has introduced me (and so many others) to the people who feel like home. It’s a reflection on the magic of the chosen families we build through festivals, concerts, and the group chats that keep the connection alive long after the last set ends. Through personal memories, viral moments, and stories from beloved festival communities like the Wooks of Wall Street, Oh That’s Fam, and the iconic Roo Bus, we’ll explore how music weaves us together—and how those threads stretch far beyond the dance floor.
The Beat Goes On (Even in the Group Chat)
I wake up to the familiar ding, ding, ding of my phone lighting up. Yep, the group chat is at it again! It’s the same one we started over a year ago when my friends and I were plotting our grand adventure to Bonnaroo 2024. Back then, it was a hub for all things Roo-related—figuring out arrival times, swapping campsite essentials, and obsessing over set times. But now, long after the festival dust has settled, that same group chat feels more alive than ever. And honestly? It’s kind of beautiful.
As I’m writing this, half the group chat is spiraling over not scoring tickets to GRiZ’s upcoming Valley of the Seven Stars Festival, while the other half is riding the high of securing theirs.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by the Tixr ticketing system!!!
sigh
No hate. I get it, this is just the reality of purchasing high-profile tickets for live music these days… But still. Let me have my little vent about how brutal and unfair it can feel!
Anyway… let’s bring it back to the theme of this article.
Waking up to a flurry of notifications from an old festival group chat made me pause and smile … and then reflect. These aren’t just friends I shared a campsite or a dance floor with. Over time, they’ve become something deeper: my chosen family. Their impact has woven itself into my sense of self, shaping not only my memories but my values—like learning to savor the present moment, no matter what personal or spiritual path we each walk. And as the days grow longer, the sun gets warmer, and festival season inches closer, I can’t help but get emotional. Soon, so soon, we’ll be dancing under open skies again, reunited with the people who just get us.
Festival Families Are Everywhere
And as much as I cherish my own festival family, I’ve come to realize this feeling isn’t unique to me—it’s one many of us share. A few months ago, my phone started lighting up with TikTok and Instagram notifications. Friends were sending me a viral video of a festival crew’s hilariously (and honestly, impressively) detailed Google Spreadsheet.
If you haven’t seen that viral video yet, please watch it below. I need you to understand why my friends sent it to me with the caption, “this feels like you.” It was a loving roast of my occasionally overbearing Type A tendencies, which definitely make an appearance when it comes to planning festival logistics.
Naturally, I had to investigate the hype (and yes, I dove straight into the comments because what’s a doom scroll without a little curiosity-fueled detective work!?). That’s when I discovered an Instagram account dedicated to the very festival family behind the viral video. So, in true impulsive fashion, I slid into their DMs, hoping to get the tea on how their crew got so big they needed a whole Google Sheet just to keep track of everyone!
And that’s how I came to learn more about the Wooks of Wall Street, a festival family that’s equal parts hilarious and intentional. I had a fun and insightful conversation with Johnathan, based in Denver, Co, and (dare I say?) the founding father of Wooks of Wall Street. He traces the roots of their crew back to 2018 at the Hampton Coliseum, when he saw Excision live for the first time. The invite came from his sister, a seasoned festival-goer. He went with a few college friends, and that night became the origin story of a rave family that would grow far beyond anything he imagined.
Isn’t it fascinating how, for so many of us in the EDM community, our first rave or festival becomes a defining moment, one that shifts everything?
What started as a small circle of friends sharing a life-changing experience evolved into a vibrant, ever-expanding community. Johnathan’s move to Denver during the COVID-19 pandemic became a turning point, bridging his Virginia crew with new connections in Colorado. Friends brought friends, and the Wooks of Wall Street quickly grew into a multistate family rooted in music, shared values, and genuine connection.
Social media played a key role in this evolution, serving as a living scrapbook of their adventures and a welcoming portal for others who resonated with their energy. Their content captured the humor, heart, and unity that made them magnetic. New members often found their way to the Wooks through these digital breadcrumbs, drawn in by the joy and authenticity radiating from every post.
But it’s more than just the festivals. It’s the friendships that blossom into a chosen family. Johnathan spoke with pride about how the Wooks support each other through life’s highs and lows. Whether it’s celebrating a promotion, surviving a breakup, or just sharing a laugh during a rough week, their bond extends far beyond the dance floor.
Music, of course, is the thread that ties it all together. Their group chats are filled with track swaps, playlist drops, and artist recs. They even share a collective SoundCloud playlist, where members of the Wooks of Wall Street fam drop their favorite tracks for everyone to enjoy in one place. Over time, music sharing has become their love language—a way of growing together—the tiny sparks that keep the vibe alive between festivals!
Same Feeling, Different Story
While the origin story of the Wooks of Wall Street is uniquely theirs, there’s something beautifully familiar about it. Even if it doesn’t mirror my own festival family’s journey, the heart of it resonates. Every chosen family has its spark—someone who goes to their first show and becomes a magnet for good vibes. Friends bring friends, the circle grows, and before you know it, you’re part of something bigger! The stories may differ, but the feeling? That’s universal.
Hearing Johnathan talk about how his move to Colorado helped forge the Wooks of Wall Street reminded me of my own, albeit much shorter, journey—moving just two hours from Raleigh to Wilmington, North Carolina. It wasn’t cross-country, but it changed my world. That move led me to Wilmington’s local EDM scene and eventually to meet members of Oh That’s Fam; a crew so electric, so tightly woven into the local Wilmington scene, that even GRiZ himself gave them a shoutout during GRiZmas in July 2023!
ICYMI: There is an article series about the local EDM scene in Wilmington, NC. Part 1 and Part 2 are out!
Not long after settling in, I found myself swept up in the kind of community love that stretches far beyond city lines. Experiencing an out-of-town EDM show in Charlotte, NC, about a four-hour drive from Wilmington, NC, alongside the majority of Wilmington’s EDM fan base was such an endearing moment. It was a beautiful reminder that music creates bonds that truly know no distance.
Building Our Own Constellations
Whether you’re a small festival family of two or part of a large, well-established, festival community like the Roo Bus, each chosen family holds its own kind of magic. The Roo Bus crew, for example, took their love for connection even further by founding the TOTEM Foundation, which supports and empowers young adults through mentorship and music. Stories like theirs remind me that we are all capable of building our own constellations. We find the people who see us fully, who hype our weirdest outfits, who cry with us during sunset sets, and who cheer us on when the beat drops.
We choose them. And in return, we are chosen.
Check out last year’s interview with the Roo Bus Crew, featured on The Daily Frequency!
Festivals become a reunion-like gathering, rituals of return, where we welcome new faces into something that feels sacred. Every season, no matter what city we land in, we find each other. A neon totem helps us stand out in the crowd. A shared playlist brings us back to the magic of our best moments. And a single group message reminds us that no matter how far we roam, we are never truly alone.
There’s room for our weirdness here—within our chosen families, within the festival grounds themselves. This is where the planners, the dreamers, the caretakers, and the creatives all find space to shine. In this world we build together, whatever shape our passion takes, it’s welcomed. It ripples outward, sparks connection, and reminds us that we matter.
In a world where loneliness has become a national crisis and division feels like the norm, our festival families are living proof that connection is still possible. That joy can still be communal. That even if just for a weekend, we can co-create something that feels like utopia.
And maybe that’s the secret. Maybe we keep returning not just for the music, but to remember who we are when we’re surrounded by love. Within the ephemeral nature of festivals lies the potential for something everlasting. These families we build are not defined merely by headliners or set times. They are shaped by the moments in between—the quiet giggles over morning coffee under a canopy, the shared silence as the sun rises over a still-thumping stage, and the comforting presence of friends who feel more like soulmates than acquaintances.
In this ever-changing scene, the music may fade as the dawn breaks. But the connections, the memories, and the bonds we’ve forged remain. They become indelible marks of something real, something beautiful, echoing long after the last note has played.
With lots and lots of love and light,
Liezl