Is Hulaween everything Bonnaroo used to be? We put the question to John, our EDM and jam-scene correspondent, and his answer says a lot about how both festivals have changed.
John makes the case for Hulaween, String Cheese Incident's own festival at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, where the daily lineups just dropped. We get into what makes it different from Bonnaroo: the jam-forward lineup with an electronic edge, the six-hour String Cheese / My Morning Jacket / STS9 runs, and the secret sets where anyone might sit in: Goose turning up to play with Cheese, that kind of unplanned magic. It leads to a real conversation about whether Bonnaroo's special moments have started to feel scheduled instead of spontaneous, and John doesn't hold back, including some honest thoughts on this year's very EDM-heavy Thursday.
Plus: John recaps his own Bonnaroo 2026 (great, but different, and quieter than years past), we looks ahead to ShoalsFest October 3-4 in Alabama, CaveFest at The Caverns October 10-11, and take a look at the surprisingly free EDM lineup at our own River Games in Chattanooga.
Listen to this week's episode here or watch it on YouTube. As always, subscribe to The What Podcast wherever you get podcasts for weekly updates on Bonnaroo and festival news!
Guest: John Robinson
| 01:24 | Festival updates: CaveFest, 420 Fest, ShoalsFest, River Games |
| 09:22 | EDM Correspondent John Joins the Show |
| 16:50 | Hulaween Drops its Daily Linueps |
| 26:43 | Comparing Hulaween to Bonnaroo |
| 35:44 | John's Bonnaroo 2026: Great, But Different |
| 01:02:12 | What's Next for The What Podcast |
| 01:09:01 | Outro |
Listen Via:
John (00:00.106)
I love Bonnarooo. It's always home. I it always has a special place in my heart. Hula's my favorite. I love this festival. And here is my controversial take for the day. Are you ready? This one's this one's gonna
Controversial. Here we go. Controversy!
Hahaha!
I'm making notes.
Barry (00:18.826)
Welcome to the What Podcast. I'm Barry. That's Russ. That's Brian. This is the world's first and oldest podcast dedicated to I was gonna say, yeah, best is what he highest rated. yeah, whatever. We're the first. Most listened to.
Whatever what what else do we add into that?
You could say highest rated.
Bryan (00:39.246)
The most listened to. Yeah, they nobody could nobody can prove otherwise. One of my old podcasts I used to do regularly on here was like the most listened to podcast in town. I don't don't know if that's true.
Most listened to, there you go.
Barry (00:47.66)
That's exactly right. Yeah. W that nobody in Chattanooga knows exists. That's our that's my favorite thing. seriously, we are a podcast that is primarily dedicated to the Bonnarooo Music and Arts Festival, but we also talk about other festivals. And we're gonna do a little bit of that today with our good friend John, who's joining us to talk a little Bonnarooo, a little Hulaween.
I know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
Bryan (01:16.248)
Can't wait to get into Hulouen with John too, 'cause he's he's got a good breakdown on that. Looking forward to that.
Yeah.
Yeah, I really liked listening to what he had to say about Huluween.
Also, I just this morning reached out to Jeff over at the caverns in Pelham, Tennessee. And guys, I I'm looking forward to October 10th and 11th Cave Fest. We're all gonna be there, right?
Yeah, I'm glad to have you here this year.
Barry (01:44.188)
Yeah, it'll be good to have all three of us.
All three of us will be there, plus the dudes, and I think Beth'll be there, right? Yep.
At this point, b it's it's it's a very strong probably. Like we're still still looking at travel and and she'll be right back in school. You know, she is a teacher at or instructor at Olympia college. So that that'll that'll make that difficult, but she did it last year and she loves it. I mean she loves K fest like we do. That's not her just kinda talking. I mean, she she she adores that play. So yeah, might have a
Yeah.
Russ (02:11.598)
Mm-hmm.
Barry (02:14.946)
Yeah.
big fat Bonnoroo reunion and I I can I can't wait for it.
I know, that's what I'm looking forward to. Our couple of our friends, Lindsay, was there last night, for the Andy Frasco show, I've heard from some people. So kind of on the on the brain made me think of it. So looking forward to that.
He was. Yeah.
Russ (02:36.28)
Gotta talk Lindsey into coming to Cave Fest, too.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. P he it's gonna be fun. what other news? What other news we have?
I got a couple of things here festival related that I hadn't even given y'all a heads up on 'cause it's not much and it's not that important enough that to to not just do it here live or live to tape, as I used to say. four twenty in Atlanta, I keep every year I keep expecting the demise to be the next year. 'Cause it just it just has not held well as far as acts and
And they've moved they move the venue so consistently. I'm a I've I've been going to four twenty off and on for fifteen years. I I've I've got a mini relationship with some of those people and no good reason either. They just always seem to remember me. Like I I it's it's so I really, really, really appreciate what they do there. And so that they have announced two day the two day event. So happy to see that. And it won't be any artists until probably, you know, probab maybe even next year. But
Nice to see it's coming back. And then this one fell into my lap last week, guys. And I hadn't mentioned it because I didn't think it was going to happen. I was waiting for weeks and or months, I should say, and getting nothing back. Shoals Fest, the week before K Fest, is in Florence, Alabama, in October. I don't know how far away from Muscle Shoals that is. I think it's right that my Alabama map in my head doesn't do very
Russ (04:00.697)
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Bryan (04:13.934)
but it's a Jason Isbull event. It's kind of like Drew Holcomb's Moon River. This is Jason Isbel's Shoal Fest. And it's pretty stripped down. It's not a lot of acts. But this year on Saturday, well, first Sunday is Jeff Tweety is the other main name. And then but on Saturday is the first drive-by truckers reunion with Jason Isbull, who was in the band from 2000.
Nice.
Wow, okay. Yeah.
To 2007, which doesn't not that long when you got a 25-year band, but it's the band will say it out loud, the critics will say it out loud, the fans will say it out loud. The best music, the best stretch of that band's history was that seven years. That's been 18 years since he left the band. And they're reuniting at that festival that Saturday for a full performance of
Yeah.
Barry (05:01.196)
Yeah.
Bryan (05:13.154)
Decoration Day, that was the first album that that that Isabel was on, and that is also highly acclaimed as some of their best work. And so I've got to see this. And I think I've I think by next year they'll probably do a tour. They would be crazy not to. I mean, that the Isabel's not as popular as he was, and the truckers are still a B level act. This is a way for them all to make a lot of money. I cannot, I cannot miss this book.
Yeah.
Barry (05:37.228)
Yeah. And you
for this first time reunion show and I've I've been I've been invited to be there. So I'm gonna run down at least for the day.
Well you've you've got a little history with right? Used to hang out in the corner there at the pickle barrel after the shows with those guys, so
Several places, the Bohannons here, brother team of venue owners now and musicians he's good friends with, Isbull is, and several others, Channing Wilson, who we talked about on the show the other week. Like he knows a lot of people here locally because he would stop in and play at Rhythm and Bruise, this small 250 cap club we had that was beloved by by by everybody in the city, but in the southeast. He would stop in whenever the drive-by truckers weren't playing.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (06:24.428)
And that was back when he was a terrible drunk and drug addict, and so was I. And so no, me and Isbel were never friends or other than just, well, I love I love you, dude. You're the best, you know, that kind of stuff. He doesn't know me from anybody else. But the a time or two I've talked to him, I'm like, we've hung out more than you know, dude. Like, and he jokes all the time about his he was I was watching him do an unboxing of the decoration day 25th anniversary.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Hehehehe
Bryan (06:51.98)
And he was talking about something in there. He's Yeah, that was one of our first shows. He's like, I don't remember this at all. But but I was there. And then he's just just talking. So, you know, he he he talked very out loud and and one of the about his drug abuse or drug and alcohol abuse issues. And before I decided to stop drinking for years, he stopped in like 2010 or 11 or 13 or something like that. And I always would say to anybody who was close to me and just, you know, quiet conversation.
Yeah.
Hahaha.
Barry (07:14.551)
Right.
Bryan (07:20.918)
I don't know, Jason Isabel stopped. He could do he could do it. He he could do it. And he was a cocaine addict. I I wasn't a drug addict. I was just I just drank a lot. And so it's been a he's been an inspiration to me in that way too. So I was thrilled to get this, to get this opportunity. So we'll October's looking to be pretty busy while I've got a million other things going on too, which we can talk about a little bit too. But
Yeah. If he can do it.
If he can do it, yeah.
Barry (07:29.806)
Yeah.
Barry (07:38.03)
That's awesome.
Yeah, that's really cool.
Russ (07:49.782)
Yeah, plus we got pigeons playing ping pong playing that night of Cave Fest Sunday night in Chattanooga.
And then
Bryan (07:55.598)
that's right. Man, they've gotten they're they're they're a great band too. And then also this weekend, which we we chat with John about a little bit, is River Games here in the city of Chattanooga. I it's a hundred and five degrees. Like it's it's it it it is a heat wave coming through the southeast and it's hitting Chattanooga bad. But I guess if you're gonna have an event where everybody's jumping in the river, because that's essentially what everybody's doing, it's hard to figure out who the
it's unbelievable.
Barry (08:21.442)
Yeah. Yeah.
That's it.
Who the performers are and who are just the people doing backflips off the pier. Like it's I walked down there around for about three hours last night. it's just down on our downtown waterfront, it's the third year, and it has EDM headliners. And John will tell us about those headliners here in a little bit. And boy, just what a cool little festival we have here. And I just wanted to give it some love, even though our city barely knows we exist.
Yeah.
Hehehehehe
Barry (08:48.536)
Yeah.
Barry (08:54.274)
Yeah. Yeah, don't look to us to market Chattanooga. All right. So yeah, we got John. I will say this. we are monitoring some s some news out of Bonnarooo just to let you know that we are aware. We're watching it when we know more.
Really enjoyed it.
Yeah
Bryan (08:59.37)
Yeah. but cool event.
Barry (09:21.294)
Yeah.
Let's go to John and he also gives us one of his most controversial takes.
No, that's right. He gets controversial.
What an idea. All right, love it. Here we go.
Yeah.
Barry (09:37.612)
Looks like a new location, man. Where are you?
Yeah, so about ten days ago, my wife and I we moved to Huntsville, Alabama. So a familiar location nearby to Chattanooga for a lot of people. Dan threw bus, you know, he's he's out here. so it's it's a a good place to be. Fast growing city in the south, right?
Barry (09:58.988)
There it is. Fa in the country, I think. now the largest city in Alabama, which is stunning to think about. Bigger than Birmingham. Yeah. Yeah, I know, right?
Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yeah. And in terms in terms of like square mileage, it's one of the largest cities in the country, period. Like bigger than Chicago, Denver, because most of these cities like to be really dense. Huntsville's kind of very spread out.
Bigger than Birmingham.
Is that right? Well I it's
Russ (10:24.909)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, when people think about large cities, they think they're just the footprint is enormous and oftentimes the footprint is not very big at all, actually. It's the metro that makes up all the all the data and the and the population numbers. But Huntsville instead of where? Hickson and Red Bank? I don't know, you might be you might be better off, actually. I don't I don't know.
Right.
Yep.
John (10:37.772)
Yeah.
John (10:44.938)
Yeah. Yeah. well North Shore Chattanooga's nice. Just being able to hop up onto Signal Mountain and you know, go for hikes up there and everything is beautiful. But we got family here in Huntsville, so wanted to to head out this way and and be with them, get a little extra help with with some stuff. And man, if you guys haven't been to the Orion before, that venue rules. So
Yeah.
Ha ha ha.
Barry (11:04.653)
Yeah.
I have not, it's on my list though, I wanna see a show there.
Yeah, I ha I have been there about two years ago for Neil Young and I was as impressed as I could be. And when it comes to venues, all types, whether it's sports, music, multi purpose, I I'm tough to please with a with the especially with a new venue. I just don't usually like the the new architecture designs, but boy, they did it right with the almost like Coliseum esque kind of look.
Caught.
John (11:37.613)
Yeah.
And if you're going to an EDM show or a jam band show or any show that does anything in the in a parking lot in in you know prior to a to a gig, they've got an incredible lot. Great huge parking lots that you can gather in and and so I know fish is gonna be there here and just
Mm-hmm.
John (11:58.35)
Yeah, I was gonna say Fish this week announced the the two night run there, and I hear the lot scene around around Fish at the Orion's always a time and a half. So maybe going to check them out October, I think it's tenth and eleventh.
same weekend we'll be in Pelham.
We'll be in at Cave Fest.
Yeah, that's K Fest weekend. Damn it, I can't make the fish show. I'm so bummed.
Okay, Fest. Caverns
Barry (12:18.026)
I just
Mwahahahaha
I just confirmed this morning that I've got we're I'm going to K Fest. I'm looking forward to it. And I reached out to Jeff up there and said, Hey man, can I get in? He said, You're good. He said, It's gonna be a big year. And I'm like, I think we're bringing the whole crew, so that's gonna be a great weekend. I'm looking forward to camping on site and I'm camping. I'm I wanna find out what camping when it's not eight million degrees.
yeah.
On on site reporting.
Russ (12:44.728)
On site. Damn.
Russ (12:50.254)
You
is like again, 'cause it's been a long time since I've done that.
Well, we just hope we hope we get some weather like last year. La you missed it last year, Barry. It was it was a doozy. It was as good as it gets. speaking of bad weather, or or hot weather I should say, it is a scorcher in the south, as anybody who's near knows and mentioned on the open the river games is taking place here. It's the third annual and I just went down this weekend for the first time and EDM headlining with with with I mean it's
It's nice.
my god.
Russ (12:58.766)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Barry (13:07.845)
my god.
Bryan (13:23.948)
The name of it describes exactly what's going on. River Games, all weekend. And you've you've done this in the in the past, right, John? and and your thoughts on on Chattanooga's River Games, 'cause I was very impressed in year three.
Yep.
John (13:37.816)
Sick. It's absolutely sick. So if for anybody that that's not familiar with this, like this is kind of an extreme sports type event built around the the Tennessee River there in Chattanooga. So like on some of the bridge structures up over the river, they'll build they'll put rock climbing walls and things like that. you know, high diving, stuff like that. It's super cool. But every night they have free shows.
Sky diving all over the place, yeah.
John (14:04.822)
right there on on the riverfront, at the end of the games. And I went last year and saw who was it? Jason Leach alongside the the free concerts that Chattanooga typically does on the river with Disgo. And then this year, Brian, I think you you mentioned that they they've got Manic Focus and Late Night Radio and a couple others.
Yeah, I wanted to ask you because I was told by people I trust and and you know believe in here in the in the city that it was just in kind of throwaway comments like, you should see the E DM lineup this year, man. I know it's not your thing, but it is really stacked. And yeah, Manic Focus was on Friday, late night radio was last night, and you're you're very familiar with with those those acts.
Yeah, love love me some late night radio. I've seen them a couple of different times at Secret Dreams and some other festivals. I think Huluen I've seen there before. And then Manic Focus. I love Manic Focus. I've I've seen him probably ten or so times at at this point, and one of those was actually in Chattanooga at our our venue, kind of big venue there, the signal. So not a not a small act to book for for something like this.
Okay.
Bryan (15:22.334)
No, signal here is a your typical club kind of venue eighteen hundred cap, maybe or fifteen, could be twelve. It's over a thousand. It's over a thousand. Yeah, it might might be twelve, might be twelve. And either way, that's a big room for for that. So so they were not incorrect, whoever they was telling me that we had a a really nice lineup for that this year. And then
Yeah, it's over a th I think it's right around that. Twelve, thirteen, something like that.
Barry (15:43.011)
Yeah.
Bryan (15:51.892)
Vibrant, spelled with the V. Of course, seems like people should get over this use a V instead of an A thing that's been happening a lot. Either way, vibrant, you said you're you're familiar with that. That's to that's the final night on record day here, is I might run back down there and see what that's all about.
I love it.
John (16:09.772)
Yeah, Vibrance another one that has has been around for a minute and and doing a lot of good shows. I think in general, like all all of these acts, beyond just being like, they're big, you know, recognizable names, they're all good. Like this this is like quality kind of electronic party music to to throw at the end of of a River Games thing each night. So good good on Chattanooga.
So an ear a very early you know young festival that that you're giving a a two thumbs up of of of EDM fans in the southeast. This is a good spot. And free. Zero dollars. Zero dollars. Yeah. Yeah.
Free.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
I you can't beat that. Nothing's free anymore.
Barry (16:49.718)
No, but you go to a whole lot of other shows and festivals like Hula Wing, right?
Yeah, big news out this week with Hulaween. They they dropped their their daily lineups, so this isn't, you know, the schedule, but the originally they they dropped the full lineup of all four days and and what's gonna be happening. So now this is each day broken out and who's gonna be playing that day. And I have a lot of thoughts, some of them negative, some of them real positive. do we wanna dive in or talk a little bit more about Hula?
Yeah. I mean it's it's a little bit of a hybrid, right? Let's reset that a little bit. I mean, s is is ch is cheese there again? Aren't they all aren't okay. That's right. That's right. It's it's at the Swanee,
Yeah, let's go.
Yeah, I want to hear it.
John (17:30.254)
Mm-hmm.
John (17:34.312)
yeah. It's their festival. So
It's their deal,
John (17:39.79)
Spirit of Swanney Music Park.
Yeah. I mean that's where Almonds used to do all their festivals every year back ten, twenty years ago and
Yep.
John (17:47.734)
WANE and Purple Hatters Ball and all all the things that have been there over the years. I mean it is you can't beat that venue in in terms of like an a a festival site. It is one of the greatest in in that I've ever seen. and it's it's one of those that's a permanent campground year round. So they've got that infrastructure to to handle this stuff. You know, there's nothing better than being able to go take like a hot shower in an actual bathhouse type
What they say.
John (18:16.834)
Building every day and have your campfires and like it's fantastic.
Yeah, so like that. So now I get what you mean by an actual campsite with real camping amenities. Like Bonnarooo is it turns into this temporary camping spot on a farm. It's not exactly a campground or at all. so but that I never th I didn't even know that or think about that, that Hulawin's so infrastructurally ready for that.
Yeah.
Barry (18:32.141)
Right.
John (18:35.533)
Mm-hmm.
Barry (18:45.26)
Yeah, they they Bonnaru Bonaru brings in the FEMA showers and stuff for us, which are great, but they're not permanent.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, FEMA.
Hehehehe
John (18:55.498)
Yeah. I mean it's it's just like if you go to any kind of state park on the weekend with your family and and just, you know, you all camp out in a little nook and, you know, row stuff over the fire and everything like that, take that, but also have a music festival there. So there's there's a lot of kind of uniqueness that comes with with with that being there.
Yeah, and then before before you get to your thoughts, I forgot. Geese, Warren Haynes, you know, throwing back to the almonds. My Morning Jacket, Dope Lemon. that was a big regret miss from one day a roo in twenty-five. Dope lemon was on my on my list for that year, that I that I crammed early on. Egggy. So this really does kind of splice the jam and EDM.
Mm-hmm.
In my morning jacket.
My morning jacket.
John (19:26.73)
Yep.
Bryan (19:44.482)
Together, but continue with with your thoughts now that also that the the daily schedule is out and anything you wanna add?
Yeah, so the thing with me, like the string cheese incident is basically my favorite band. Right. So a couple of weeks ago I went and saw their two night run at Red Rocks. Like I love string cheese. So this being their festival, that's always huge for me. But in general, like I I kind of like Huluen for a little bit of different reasons why I like other festivals. It is kind of jammed forward with like that that electronic sprinkling.
Different place to take something like us. It's it is kind of jam bird with like that that electronics where one third day, going to sing these bands, them doing amazing stuff to think about these big bands at night and then you have late night electronics in in the song, which is I don't know. It's it's one of the best times ever. So I preface that by saying
of of seasoning, if you will. And so it's always fun during the day going and seeing these bands, them doing amazing stuff, the big spectacle of these big bands at night, and then, you know, late night electronic in in the swamp. Just it's it's one of the best times ever. So I preface that by saying, all of that. And then we look at the daily lineups and Thursday is it's a little rough for that mixture. Thursday is just about as electronic as you can get.
so I was I you know, I compared to previous years where they kind of roll the mixture of everything. They go a little harder on some dubstep and things like that on Thursday just to kind of open it up. But like this is almost entirely EDM. Not much of it's a little too much for me. Yeah, I said it's like a seasoning. This is almost like they just dump the whole salt shaker in your mouth.
Bryan (21:13.002)
Fundamentally, real quick, John. Fundamentally, is Thursday there an equal day throughout the week? Like we're used to Bonnaroo's Thursday, not even before this year. Let's go back 10 years. Bonnaroo Thursday was always an easing, easing into the weekend. Is Hulu more of a four day full, full, fully functional festival? It's not. Okay.
Hehehehehe
Like that.
John (21:28.504)
Mm-hmm.
John (21:37.102)
No. I there it's Thursday's different. Like I there's it's not y some people say lesser than or whatever, but like it's just different. It's a different day. not all the stages are fully up and operational. Like it it's not yeah, it doesn't have the full force feel. the main stage will probably only do one act and then all the other stages will run kinda normal, but you don't get the full like hula feel until that that
Okay. So it's similar.
John (22:07.266)
Friday and Saturday and then Sunday, you know, like every festival, it it tends to end a little earlier and all of that. so really kind of nerf day and then the the big ones.
Well well if Thursday is disappointing you at all, I look up to Friday now and then it's just a hit you over the head. It's p it's mo it's jacket, it's it's cheese, it's lettuce, it's sound tribe sector nine, it's Kyle Hollandsworth from Cheese doing with his own band who we who's a friend of the show. so yeah, so you you must be go from disappointment to I don't know, utter bliss, maybe.
Woo woo woo woo.
Russ (22:34.868)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, we've had him on.
So
John (22:43.348)
Yes. That's I was saying. Like Thursday, they kind of just got a lot of stuff out of the way that I didn't really want to see. And then Friday and Saturday are unreal. So Friday, Hula's already said my morning jacket, you know, they got like a two and a half hour slot. They're they're playing super long. cheese will have two sets that day. Lettuce, love them. Of the Trees and a couple other people on that day are doing their own special thing at the amphitheater stage at Hula.
Yeah.
John (23:11.946)
which is not the main stage, but it really is like the Hulaen stage. It's the one that's permanent in the park. All these other events do things on the amphitheater. It's such an incredible space. So he's doing a whole takeover with a couple of the other artists on here that Friday. And then STS nine, Hula's already said they're doing a ninety minute set to close out the day.
STS nine, Google has already said they're doing a ninety minute set to use out on the day. So most likely you're looking at spring cheese, blind morning jacket, STS nine, but six hours it's kind of and then you called out Kyle Hollingsgrip and Black of what that guy what they're doing is actually with the first they are Okay have not
So most likely you're looking at a string cheese, my morning jacket, STS9, like run of six hours. It's gonna be incredible. And then you called out Kyle Hollingsworth. I'm glad. I love that guy. But what they're doing is actually with the artist there, Ioto. If you've never heard of before, that's two this the two percussionists from String Cheese making bass music. And it's 100% impressive.
Mm-mm.
Okay.
John (24:05.258)
improvisational. They have no recorded music, they start with nothing, and they just build it all on the fly. And it is one of the coolest shows you'll ever see. They took a hiatus for like five years and now they're they're back. I strongly if you guys end up at Hula, check out that IOTO show.
I see that now. It says Ioto feature featuring Kyle. Okay, I see that now. All right.
Yeah, yeah.
Yep. Excellent. Excellent stuff. and then just hopping back to Thursday real quick. I know I'm kind of poo-pooing all over the EDM and everything. There are two acts on there that I also want to recommend to everybody for Thursday. One is Midnight Generation. They're very good. They're very kind of driving disco y band stuff. And then Supertaste. if you like parcels, you're gonna like Super Taste.
That's pretty cool.
Bryan (24:56.6)
Okay. I mean I I don't know if I like parcels or not, but I know a lot of people who do who do like parcels.
So shout out to those on
Yeah
Yeah. Right, right.
Yeah, yeah. They they parcels parcels can be a good a good bouncing time. So check out Supertaste if that's your thing. And then Saturday, my gosh, they're they're just the the hits keep coming. So pretty lights, again, that's one hula said like, yeah, he's gonna be playing for hours, you know. Two sets, it's gonna go on a long time.
Russ (25:02.968)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bryan (25:25.026)
Yeah.
String Cheese incident, they they've got multiple ones that day, including their their big shebang, which is basically like the climax of the festival every year, is Saturday night cheese. which this year is gonna be the Warren Haynes incident. So he'll be playing with them, a lot of lot of almond brothers music, things like that, ninety minute show to really close out the whole thing and you don't leave until the fireworks. that's I'll just leave it there.
Yeah.
Yeah, I see that.
Barry (25:56.14)
Yeah. Warren's been kinda quiet the last couple of years. Hadn't he, or my Well
Well he's finally getting really old.
Took long enough.
Hahaha.
I I I saw he's always one of those guys that's always looked a little old, a bigger guy, you know, with the big long hair, so he kinda has that old grizzled and then you know he's playing with the Almond brothers when he's in his thirties, when you know, when they're considerably older than him. Yeah. And then
Barry (26:17.218)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He and Derek. I I contend those when those two are with that is about as good as it gets, that that era almond brothers.
Completely agree. Completely agree. And so, boy, that that one gives me some FOMO for sure. And then, you know, even Sunday. This is a really good looking lineup.
Yep.
John (26:38.562)
Yeah, guys. I'm telling I cannot preach this enough. This festival is I love Bonnarooo. It's always home. I it always has a special place in my heart. Hula's my favorite. I love this festival.
This one feels like it has that sort of improvisational element to it that we all used to love so much about Bonaro that we've all all the veterans complained that Bonnaroo's kinda gotten I don't know if it's gotten away from it, just I think the industry changed, but that's one of the things we loved about Bonnaroo is you never knew what you were gonna see, right? The surprise element. Sounds like that's what I'm hearing happens at Hula.
Mm-hmm.
John (27:16.486)
yeah. So there's a whole stage over there that every night around I don't know super late, it it just the block says secret sets. So you d you don't you never know who's gonna be playing it. people come and sit in with string cheese all the time a couple years ago. Goose played it came up and played a couple songs with cheese. you know, it's just it's got all those if you explore enough, you're just gonna find these little
you know, it's just it's got all those if you explore enough you're just gonna find these these little secret things, but what's the hit crap is gonna be like the the stages it's kinda like like just all sorts of little little fun odds and to be fair,
These little secret things all over the place, people playing campgrounds, people playing in the the stages in in Spirit Lake, like just all sorts of little little fun odds and ends around.
Bryan (27:57.58)
I mean, Bonroo still has its special moments that you didn't know were happening, but they do feel more contrived special moments, like they're planned and scheduled special moments rather than John Paul Jones in 2007 showing up with five different bands that day. and then Warren and Les Claypool, you know, did this, you know, for for 15 years. And then not
Yeah.
Bryan (28:23.83)
Trying to label one right and one wrong or one good or one bad. This one does feel like based on the way you're explaining it and the way I can see the schedule layout, that it does have that genuine holy Jesus, nobody knew that this was about to happen. which is which is you know, that is an old that is an old throwback, Bonnaroo style function of of of of those festivals.
Yeah.
John (28:50.294)
Yeah, and I think you know, maybe I'm making stuff up, but I feel like jam bands kind of gravitate towards the Halloween time frame. They like to do f fun, interesting things around there. Pigeons playing ping pong always does like a a a weird theme for Halloween time and they play certain sets. Like I just feel like there's a little bit of that going on where certain acts are on certain kind of roles during that time and and they bring some of that energy to to Hula. It's really cool to see.
Yeah.
Barry (29:20.344)
Two thing two things. Warren, of course, is the king of that. He hosts what? His Christmas one in Asheville, and nobody can y you know, just drop in and play with whoever like Warren Haynes. So he's the king of that. But the other is and and not to, you know, not to speak for Bonnaroo, but I think what we've learned is that not every band is capable of doing that sort of just drop in.
In Asheville, Christmas jam.
Bryan (29:49.165)
No.
They they they want things they practiced, they rehearsed, here's our show, it's sixty five minutes or seventy minutes. You know, they don't want to be surprised, so to speak. So that I think that's part of what's changed.
Mm-hmm.
Even when Bonnarooo was still was moving significantly away from the jam band centric festival, late aughts into early teens, it still had a lot of jam. And it's still, you know, it was still it was slowly blending. They didn't just say, hey, it's two thousand seven, no more jam bands. Like that's not how that went. It was an evolution. And so yeah, they're booking more acts like I don't know, I'll just say Paramour as one that everybody loves.
Yeah. Yeah.
Barry (30:23.874)
No, no. That's right.
Hehehe.
Barry (30:32.426)
I it fun I'm going with some yeah, those and those guys they they had their set and that's what they were gonna do. They weren't all of a sudden gonna go to a Bonnarooo and do a completely different set that they haven't rehearsed.
You know, I wonder s also how much the impact of like the change in in stage technology has has played into this. Like there's so much more stuff happening on stage now with the visuals and the lights and lasers and all that stuff. Yeah. I wonder how much that plays a a part in this where, you know, these these acts i they come in and this is our set list because we've got the whole A V built built around this as well and the the
Yeah. Yeah.
That has to be in concert with the music. Yeah.
Barry (31:18.24)
Exactly. Exactly. This is what we have rehearsed. This is what we planned for. This is what we know sounds great and looks great. Don't fuck it up. Yeah. Yeah. No.
The bus gotta roll. Yeah.
Good point.
Russ (31:26.049)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, don't mess with it. Yeah. And there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, I I I have moved, I was a big jam band guy, John. I don't remember how much we've talked about it in the past, how much you know for 10, 12, 13 years. It was all I did. It was all panic and even fish. I may, you know, kind of, you know, hinted at I don't love fish that much. But I I love panic and and all these other bands. And and I moved away from that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
John (31:41.145)
Uh-huh.
Bryan (31:53.912)
Like I I'm I'm now closer to where, you know what, I kind of do just want my set to be pretty simple and what I'm expecting. And I don't need a big surprise. And and a lot of those surprises are like, let's say, post Malone, two years ago, whatever year it was, and then he has Billy Strings out. Well, that was very, very calculated, right? They just did their thing and then Billy leaves and it wasn't even that good. And and I that was that's how a lot of those surprise sets happen at Bonnaroo now. It's like, okay, from this seven minute stretch.
you are going to have a little disruption and they probably sit in the back for a few minutes and and you know, hour in in advance and they they jam on it for a minute and then they do it and then they go back to regularly scheduled programming. And so that's what I I mean a little bit by contrived jam sessions at Bonnaroo these days.
Yeah.
John (32:39.642)
I So I I agree with you, but I also I've said this a a good number of times where the the thing it doesn't have to be, you know, this big elaborate we bring someone up or something like that. But the thing that always elevates a show from I enjoyed that to that was amazing is its ability to surprise me. Which is one reason why I gravitate towards jam bands and towards EDM where they can
Shell I include that code depth or anything because it's a good idea for some Which is one reason why the gravitate towards Jambay and towards media change senses.
change these these sets up so heavily night to night. but whenever there's something, even even with these big acts that practice their set list all the time, if there's something that can just surprise me in there, that's what takes it from from, you know, the eight and a half, nine all the way to a ten out of ten. Which is one reason why Grizz at Bonnaroo, you know, just blurze me in that.
Well let's you
That's that's where I was going. That's where I was going with with Ella from Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Like that that's exactly what I was just describing, kind of a contrived special sit in. But boy did it hit. It hit for me and and clearly you.
Russ (33:28.43)
Yeah.
John (33:35.317)
RKS. Yeah.
John (33:44.3)
Yeah. And and the the Yeah, with the part of the reason for it, and I'm I'm not gonna call you out on it, but I I saw you poo-pooing it a little bit before because of of how it compares to things in the past. But here's here's my take with that. Here's my take with that. There is so much lore behind that moment and how many
yes, yes. Okay. Clip fair, fair, fair, fair.
John (34:10.198)
like what happened in twenty twenty three where he filled in with them and what was going on with with Rainbow Kitten Surprise at that time to then come back like victorious with that that song he played at in twenty like it it was just this moment that was so beautiful and amazing to to close out the set.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (34:20.843)
Yeah, I know.
Bryan (34:30.274)
Yeah, I deserve that. I deserve that. I was I was being old man. Let me tell you about all the great sets I've seen. That's what I was doing. I know. I know. It was it was it was very shortly after the festival ended. So the emotions were still fresh. But I loved it. I thought, I mean, that's a great song. And I I I know the lore. Not like I can't sit here and, you know, write a paper on it, but I know the lore. So
Ha ha ha.
Mm-hmm.
John (34:44.307)
Yeah, yeah. You were you were up here. It's all right. We'll we forgive you.
Bryan (34:59.532)
Yeah, that was that was great.
It was it was just such a fun full circle moment for a lot of people. And I remember t being at the show in twenty twenty three when he he dropped it. My friend was next to me, one of the biggest RKS fans I know. He was videoing it and then the big drop came. He had no idea and just like lost his mind. So being able to see that this year was it was really cool. And I'm I'm glad that people were were moved and excited by that. And there's a little bit of surprise left in Bonaro.
Russ (35:33.154)
We would love to hear from you. Write us a comment below, drop us an email at comments at thewhatpodcast.com, or leave us a voicemail at 423-667-7877.
Bonnoroo, how was your Bonnoroo, John?
Woo This is fun. it's been a minute, so like some of the the initial high of it all like wears off. But here's here's how I felt about Bonnaroo this year. It was great. It was great. I probably liked this one about as much as any of since twenty three. I p it was different.
Don't get me wrong, it f it was different. It had a different vibe to it. I especially noticed that this was the first year that I've been able to go on the Ferris wheel with like no problem. There was no line on the Ferris wheel. So I was just like, whoa, look at that. I'm gonna go on it. And I went and wrote it, and from the top, I'm looking out over the campgrounds and everything. I'm like, it looks it looks sparse out there, it looks different. so it a lot of that was going on, but
Huh.
John (36:46.456)
Yo, it was great. Everybody I met this year, they were phenomenal. They were, they were like everybody was it was so much nicer, closer to the spirit of Bonnoroo than I've maybe felt in in past couple of years. Like everybody was just in it because they were there and they loved what was going on and it it just felt good. so I'm about that. Lineup still wasn't really my favorite.
Yeah.
John (37:15.97)
But I found the shows that I did go to had the ability to surprise me. in particular, I th you know, we've talked about Grizz and and what he was able to do there. Lazewo was was really good. Mount Joy. Mount Joy killed it. I every time I see Mount Joy, I I never know exactly what I'm gonna get. If it's gonna be like a key I I can't remember
I I love that show.
John (37:45.784)
their keyboardist, but whatever her name is, she absolutely rips. Like, is it gonna be that? Is it gonna be like are we gonna get these crazy covers? Like, what's gonna happen? But that show was phenomenal.
They let me before you move on from Mount Joy, because I was walking around the corner and I forgot I just was just wondering and I was like, Who is this rock ass band playing? And turn the corner to which and I quickly realized 'cause I'm I'm familiar with Mount Joy enough to know when I'm hearing them and seeing them. I'm like, that's right, that's Mount Joy. It's the first time I'd seen them. But speaking of rip, I mean, they were ripping that night, had so had a dead cover for a moment that grabbed my attention. and I don't Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
John (38:24.888)
Flaming lips cover.
That's right. Flaming lips. And and that was as rockin' as I could have ever imagined hearing that band. I think Americana with them. And and so that's that they y one moment you can get a quieter show, I'm asking you, or or and the next you can get a more rock show, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah.
John (38:40.94)
Yep. Yep. Yep. You can get a a good afternoon kind of show with Mount Mount Joy, that Americana vibe and everything. And then this was I mean, they had the witch stage turned up to eleven that night too. So like that show was hitting.
Yeah, all the people that said we were wrong about the witch sounding good. We got a lot of pushback on that. That the people were very disappointed with the witch. I thought it sounded fabulous.
Thought it sounded great.
I did too. It was especially for that Mount Joy show, it was it was hitting and hitting good.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (39:05.452)
Yeah. Rainbow RKS sounded f fantastic on that stage.
Yeah.
Barry (39:09.676)
You mentioned you mentioned that Mount Joy before, Brian. That one pulled you in, right? That was the one you yeah. Literally pulled you in.
They sounded great.
Yeah, d it it totally pulled me in. And I was like and I stayed for an hour. I was like, I I wasn't planning on doing this and even though I like you know, I just is one of those I don't have a real plan today. So yeah, the we got like, what are these guys talking about? The witch sounded horrible. Like I I don't know where you were or what you were doing, but when I was there, it it was quite good. But sorry, go ahead, John, on other th thoughts.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm
Barry (39:21.763)
Yeah.
John (39:37.55)
My my other favorite show, absolute surprise, and this is of no surprise to everybody else. You've talked about it enough, was Kesha. Ooh my goodness, Kesha ruled. I was up in front of the soundboard for it. Like I we were in it. And it was I just mud up to my, you know, calf, but like we were loving it. That is one where I will say I think the witch.
Mm.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (39:55.694)
Hmm.
Bryan (39:59.544)
Yeah.
John (40:06.35)
could have used a little bit more umph in the the sound, but it was that I had a friend that went to go see Kesha last night because I ran into her Red Rocks went a couple weeks ago and was just raving about this Kesha show. I was like, you gotta see it. It's it's better than you can imagine.
Okay.
Bryan (40:15.822)
show last night because when I ran into Red Rocks but a couple weeks ago it was just lazy without this because see it it fits better than you can imagine. yeah. See I would have rather seen her closing this put her on the web stage and finishing it. Yeah, no no one on Saturday would have fit really well.
Yeah.
Yeah, see I would have rather seen her actually close the festival out and put her on the What Stage as the finishing act instead of Noah Kahan personally. Yeah.
Same same here. I
Mm-hmm.
John (40:40.206)
I you know, shame on me. I'd no a con does nothing for me.
Doesn't do a thing for me, John. Doesn't do a thing. I don't not understand. I mean he's got a couple songs. I get it. That's a dice song. Good rhyme, good hook. I I d I don't understand how he's filling up baseball stadiums and football stadiums. I don't I don't understand
No.
Barry (40:52.664)
Yeah.
I
John (40:58.668)
Of
Well, he's good, but going from that energy of the Kesha show down to Noah Kahan, just, it was a little weird.
Thank you.
John (41:08.726)
I'll put it this way, we were in the car, when Noakon was playing. We were we were we were gone. We we were out of there. After Kesha we're like, done. All right, that's that
It's okay it's okay to leave early, John. It's okay to leave early.
Duh.
Yeah.
Barry (41:22.088)
I I'm gonna go back to what you said because I Russ and I both said this was one of our favorites and I've been since, you know, since the beginning. So I've been more than more than Russ, but I thought this one was one of my favorites because of what you said. It wasn't the lineup, it just the vibe. Just everybody every time we turned around, we ran into somebody that we wanted to run into and we were all having a great time. It just all serendipity.
Mm-hmm.
Barry (41:50.986)
Is the is the word I keep using.
Barry, I'll agree with that completely. I mean, even the like the Bonroo run. I mean, and not knowing what I'm doing, never done that, get over there. There's two, three, four, five people that I knew were be there, a couple of them, a couple I didn't. And it's just like it was it was like a reunion. It was like with your friends you've been with your whole life. Like it I totally agree that this year, and I I wonder, and we can all round table this quickly, the scale down event, right? The coming off a kind of a catastrophic issue that situation that
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (42:22.496)
Is highly emotional. Do you guys think that that leads to that? That it kind of it brought the the essence of spirit out in people, possibly. I don't know. And we can go around.
yeah.
I think so. I feel like I ran into fewer I don't know. There's this there's this thing out there where people say, Well, it's it it it like these certain types of lineups bring a lot of first timers and they don't they're not familiar with the Bonnaroo code and what everything is in there. I just felt like we didn't s yeah. I feel like I saw more smiles from people this year than than I ever have.
Dogs?
Okay.
Bryan (42:55.022)
Like, why is this line so long? You know, stuff like that. Yeah.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
And I it may have been those people holding on, twenty twenty five didn't work out. We love this event. We really wanna be there for it. Like, I don't know, but something was different.
Yeah, it brought the positivity out. Like radiate positivity, right? Not everybody's positive at Bonroo. Okay. But this year it felt like it really was.
John (43:16.3)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Russ will Russ will know. I mean, that that w that woman who was at the gate when we walked in that was always singing. You know what I you know, I I it just felt like that all the time. It just yeah. Have a great day. And she was always singing or whistling and actually took a big drink of our bla margarita.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean a big difference in just the the volunteers and the staff. Yeah. Mm-hmm
Mm-hmm. Yep. I'd agree.
Russ (43:48.29)
Yeah.
Ha ha.
Just that kind of I mean, those little things mean a lot. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
They do.
Mm-hmm.
John (43:54.028)
Yeah. Now can we talk about some constructive criticism?
Let's do it.
Let's do it. We took too long to get there. Let's go.
Mm-hmm. About us? Yeah, I don't know. okay. Yeah.
What No no no no no no no about Bonnaroo.
Barry (44:05.132)
Yeah, I'm I'm a little sensitive. Be careful.
One.
The Thursday ain't it. Thursday ain't it. I i it could be. It could be if they want to keep this I mean, they they Corey and everybody said as much where they say we were planning to do this welcome party, but like we managed to get Skrillix, so all that kinda went out the window. We gave him the keys, have fun. yeah, that that didn't that didn't work for Nah.
Okay, I agree. I agree.
Russ (44:34.083)
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (44:37.878)
You don't think that's a good idea. You didn't think that's a good idea.
I don't think so. I I I like what Thursday was before. I think they could still go a different direction with this, but I think it needs to be what stage and other at the same time. Put put put your big EDM act that's gonna pull those people in on Thursday over over at the other and like give Jim James just let him do whatever on the what for like hours and have have something you something like that. Sturgile Simpson, whatever you wanna do. Like
Whoever or whoever, yeah.
I are is your complaint artist related or structure programming?
I think it's it's both for this year and how they did it. Like if you're gonna have a single stage be on and that's what everybody does, you can't just do all EDM for a festival that is famous for how many lanes it has. Like you can't just f push everybody into one it even if this was if it was a hip hop day, like all hip hop, that's still you're gonna run the same problem.
Bryan (45:35.958)
Yeah, okay.
Barry (45:44.386)
Yeah, I don't disagree. And I was and I was I was all about because I'm not a Skrillix or an E D but I was curious at the idea. I didn't I didn't think it worked either. And I didn't think the Skrillix show I thought it was pretty boring.
Yeah yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I see it.
John (45:55.938)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Well, I'm I'm I wanna know because I'm not a the barometer for this. I wanna y but I I think I've heard it in your tone or or or maybe as we've talked a little bit that that Skrillix didn't do a lot for you specifically on that night. And correct me if I'm wrong. I thought it was one of the most noise making sets I'd ever heard. I I was so disappointed in the the lighting, in the fact I could never see the guy.
All right.
Bryan (46:27.312)
the screens, maybe there was some malfunction f I don't know. But that set I thought I'll just say I thought it sucked. I thought it was really bad. Your thoughts on Skrillex as a perfor let's just say the standalone performance. Your s what what were your thoughts?
I just thought it was there.
Hehehehe
I
John (46:42.904)
Here's where it gets fun, guys. I just skipped it.
huh.
You
Straight up, didn't care enough, didn't go. I I I I loved Skrillix a long time ago. I rode the rail at his shows in like twenty twelve and bang rang tour and everything like that. I've seen him enough times in the past couple of years that I'm just like I d I don't like this anymore. So straight up just out. Yeah. Grizz, incredible. One of the
Okay.
Barry (46:49.708)
Hat
Bryan (47:02.455)
So you didn't need it.
Yeah. Hey, it happens.
Yeah. Sam I thought Grizz the next night was awesome. I I it was Yeah, I thought it was great.
Wow. Yeah, yeah.
John (47:14.254)
Probably my I think fifteenth time seeing him. I've seen Grizz so many times. Best one I've seen.
I mean, I think it's fair to say between Kesha and Grizz, they're probably the stars of the weekend. No, maybe maybe Noah with the with the fin with Noah with the finishing and that really that symbolic feeling of all that stuff. But man, Grizz and
absolutely.
I'm
The finale.
Barry (47:33.644)
I'm still a big wet leg, but I w I wanted that one to be great and it was. I I'm fascinated by them. But yeah, I I'm fair enough. Yeah.
Fa fascinated's a good way to put it. I I checked out that show and I was like, this is strange. the other one that see, I was about to go there too. I I know you guys had your redemption with geese. You like Nah, it ain't it doesn't do it for me.
Hahaha
Yeah.
Yeah.
Barry (47:49.686)
And geese, same thing. Fat Yep. Yep.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (47:57.122)
Go there. I didn't have the redemption. Barry and Taco did. Yeah, Barry and Taco did. I didn't really have the redemption. I liked the recorded music. I listened to a couple of his albums and I thought they are their albums and I thought it sounded pretty good. but when I would see their live performances, what started this whole conversation was that that mess on Saturday Night Live. Now, I we talked about it later. I do believe that that was an orchestrated mess. I that wasn't a
No?
Really?
Bryan (48:24.588)
We're not good, Mass. That was a this is what we're gonna do on national TV just to get people's attention. And I was like, this is not what this song sounds like. And so I I'm still I I I'm still on the fence with ge geese long term, but but yeah, th these two liked it better than I did.
I because of the the episode you guys did where you said you were wrong about geese and everything, I like, you know what? They're right before Grizz. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna I'm gonna go see it. And probably thirty minutes in, I was just like, Yeah. I don't think it's for me. And I tried to come with like that, you know, King Gizzard kind of chaotic energy and everything, but it just mm, it didn't work for me. I don't know.
I loved it.
Barry (48:56.28)
Yeah, no
That's alright.
Yeah.
fair. I'm a hundred percent.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (49:07.3)
Any other any other highlights or lowlights you want to get to?
What about Youngblood?
I so I wa I I saw a little bit, I walked by Youngblood. again, also not for me. I I I I I understand it. I I get it. I I see where he's coming from, the the kinda Aussie energy of it all, but like it's just I was kinda like, I'm I'm gonna go I'm gonna go over to the Lizawo.
Yeah.
Bryan (49:33.142)
Yeah, he's leaning in he's leaning into that Ozzy stuff and I think that sh set could have possibly been better at a different time. I just I really I that that was my artist for the year. So I was I I leaned heavy into it.
Hehehehe
John (49:48.782)
The other thing I wanted to throw out about Bonnaroo, before, you know, we we we wrap up or anything is the that tense situation. I gotta I gotta get there. I like it. There you go. I'm gonna say it. I think I think they need to make some tweaks, but I like it.
yeah, I wanna hear it. I wanna can't wait to hear. Can't wait to hear.
Yeah, I was gonna ask about that.
Barry (50:05.41)
Thank you. Thank you. I do too. Ha
damn it, John!
okay.
John (50:16.148)
And here is my controversial take for the day. Are you ready? This one's this one's gonna
Controversial. Here we go. Controversy!
Hahaha
Making notes.
Let's hear it.
John (50:24.548)
Swap which and that.
Russ (50:29.07)
Mmm.
No, no, no.
Wait, wait, wait. Say that again?
Yeah. Put take which stage and put it at the back of the what field. Give us give us that true like you know, C three calls it main venue that area. Make it the real main venue.
Which?
Bryan (50:41.792)
Okay, so like do like dueling main stages. Boy, you think that thing was a muddy mess this year.
A B go A B
Yeah. So this is this is exactly what Hula Yeah, buddy, let's do it. Let's go let's go all in. So this is this is what Hulaen does, right? Their their two biggest stages are meadow and hollows, and they're basically what stage and and which stage, like like that. And they're at opposite ends and they're the gu well, you know, let's see.
Ha ha ha.
Bryan (51:04.898)
Yeah, but you don't get pounded by storms every other hour.
Sorry, I didn't interrupt. Go ahead.
I think I think it could be kinda cool, right? If you have your your main venue there, truly what they call main venue, where it's what and which A B and then over here you got your your two tents and the other stage and all your activations and things like that in there. Could be interesting. I don't know if
I could, yeah I could kinda see that.
I mean, I just don't know if there's enough room. You can make room, because that that fixes the infrastructure excuse I call, we couldn't get to the stage at well. Well, for twenty one years you got there just fine. but this
Barry (51:33.794)
Yeah. You back it up.
Russ (51:47.278)
Well that's because they were booking much much smaller bands that played out of a van.
Yeah.
Well, Noah Kahan played on that stage in twenty three. He ain't playing it out of a van, but
Well, that's yeah, but now they are booking those types of acts in that area. That's where the logistics come in. Well, that's what Tuba told us.
Uh-huh.
Bryan (52:02.464)
Okay, well I just disagree with that ex I disagree with that excuse. But but this
I disagree with it. but you can put those stages around and still have that infrastructure be the way they want it, right? John, I mean, like you Yeah. So you could s you could still keep that together and make that the way they want it. I I thought that was the craziest thing you've ever said. And as we've talked it through, I don't know, maybe.
Yeah.
John (52:18.04)
The Yeah. Yep. That's the infrastructure road that they have there in the in the back.
Yeah.
John (52:27.853)
Yes.
Interesting idea.
John (52:33.71)
There's a little there's I mean, it could be intri I they they probably won't do it. It's too far in a certain direction, but like if you really want to go full A B, you really want to dedicate to that is main venue and this is Centeroo, like go all the way. Let's do it.
Hahaha
Barry (52:48.91)
Yeah. I don't know. I hadn't thought about it. I'm gonna have to I ne I've never understood why the what stage was such a a unique I guess they have I guess they can charge more for vendors to be in there. Maybe that's where they make their money and that's where they put their headliners. But I just never liked that whole it felt like it was going to a different place. And I never understood why, personally. Okay.
There's there's some major Yeah, yeah, exactly. There's some major benefit to that. Like w d a a festival that truly has a dedicated place that can fit eighty thousand people in it for one headlining show. Everybody's just, you know, in it and together. That's in that's so incredible and so rare in music festivals. but which I think you would lose if you w you know, threw which in there.
I think that's what I liked about him.
All right, fair.
Barry (53:30.806)
All right.
Barry (53:36.066)
That's true.
Bryan (53:40.376)
That's what I was about to say. You you might ju you might just have ruined exactly what you just described that you like.
Yeah, when then with the that, yeah, they did they did, but they haven't had a I mean, when's the who's the last was it Childish, I guess was the last big one like that that I can think of where it was a
Yeah.
John (53:57.176)
Childish is probably the or Odeza and twenty three were the last two that I remember everybody just like being in there and kind of just like l y on that same level. I Post Malone tends to go pretty unopposed whenever he plays.
Yeah. Yeah.
Where it was exclusive.
Barry (54:09.89)
Yeah. Interesting. Interesting thought.
Bryan (54:15.854)
Police is the first band I remember where they said we are shutting everything down and only one band is playing. And I bet that was Sting, say we're the only b we're the only band pla we're the only band playing here, guys.
Yeah, gotta get my head in there, fit my head into this space.
I believe that. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Yeah. That's the first time I remember it. I don't know that that's the first time it happened. But then yeah, Paul McCartney was unopposed, Childish was unopposed, and and some others, so
Gambino actually, if I'm I if I remember right, he was not unopposed because I my friend had to drag me away from Jade Cicada on the other to go to Gambino and I'm I'm very, very grateful that that she did that.
Barry (54:50.7)
It was amazing, wasn't it?
Maybe it wasn't unopposed, but it was pretty close because that's one I get a lot of shit for. I didn't go to Childish Gambino. Courtney Barnett was playing almost the same time, but and we had to wait. They couldn't start that set just yet. So maybe it wasn't completely exclusive, but it was it was close. It was it was close.
Yeah.
John (55:06.093)
Hm.
Barry (55:10.04)
Yeah.
Yeah.
What else, John? What other changes?
I
Your mouth to God's ears, what are we what are we telling
Russ (55:19.918)
They're listening.
Yeah.
I did not I didn't I know some people were mad that like Jamtrack wasn't around, but Jamtrack never worked for me, so I don't really care. the
Yeah, I never heard a lot of good things about it, but I didn't hear really awful things either. I just didn't hear a lot.
I I was once like parked all the way out in BFE and tried to take jam track a couple times in and it was always full and I just could never get one and ended up having to walk.
Barry (55:48.482)
Yeah, yeah, and went around and round. So Tuesday entry no problem, you're okay with
I don't care. I i I I almost always am showing up on Thursday. I've done Wednes pre COVID, you know, before they had all the early open, I would get there on Wednesday sometimes. and do the mad r mad dash. I did Tuesday once and I was like, I don't like this. So it it doesn't it doesn't bother me that they got rid of it. but some people for some people that's like you know, especially I know the the the people involved in group camping and
Yeah.
Bryan (56:13.944)
It's a long time.
A long week, isn't it?
Hehehehe
John (56:26.718)
Roo Bus and and all of that, what they do out in Plaza Five, they want Tuesday back so bad because you know, Wednesday they're they're doing all their programming and things like that. Tuesday's really their their friend day where they all get to hang out and stuff like that. So I I'm I'm on board with it for them. I probably just won't won't partake. I'll come in on th my Thursdays.
Yeah, it's like it's like fun day.
Yeah, a hundred percent.
Barry (56:47.873)
Yeah.
Next year and the year after and the year after for you. Is it lineup driven or is it the event?
both. I mean Bonnaroo is special to me. I it it it would really take them, you know, booking some like Ted Nugent or some some shit for me to not want to go. but like
Hahahaha
that's a good one. Who name the artist that they could book that would cause you to not go. We have to come up
Bryan (57:18.743)
I would I would disown disown this festival Ted Nugent.
Yeah, that's a good question.
Hank Junior Skinnard
But in how how excited I am and how you know how early I'm gonna be there and and and how much I'm gonna be telling my friends and trying to get people to come and everything like that is gonna be pretty lineup driven. So I'm I'll tell you from my census who I who I put on there. I put string cheese just because they're my favorite band.
I don't I don't know if they're ever gonna make it back, probably not, but whatever. I told you guys on a previous pod I always put Kesha and Lady Gaga, so we got Kesha, Lady Gaga, always. Zoo, pretty pretty great late night EDM that would that would rip pretty hard. Spirit Box, I think is an amazing metal band that would go great in a late night tent. And they I mean they
Russ (57:50.849)
Of course.
Russ (57:59.736)
Mm-hmm.
Nice. Yeah, yeah.
John (58:18.328)
They recently are coming off Grammy nomination, Grammy performance. They'd be incredible. and then the act that got my wife out to Bonnoroo this year that we were so excited to see, Blonchell, they had to they were one of the cancellation people on Sunday this year. So heart heartbroken. I want them to give her and and the band a a redemption and come back next year.
That's right.
Russ (58:46.456)
Yeah.
so they were in er they were early on Sunday and got wiped out. Yeah, okay.
Yep. Yep. Yeah, we were we were there in under that tent for the the act before girl tones, and everything went red and get out
Yeah, they didn't.
Barry (59:01.43)
Yeah. I'm trying to think what I want to see next year. I'd I'd like to see a little bit retro. I'd like to see some return to the Warren Hayneses and the Radioheads and some of those guys coming back.
Mm-hmm.
John (59:15.042)
my god, Radiohead, please. I don't I don't know if they're maybe I feel like maybe Bonroo can't get anymore. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm stupid, but I feel like they're they're out of reach at this point. But I would love Radiohead to be there.
Radiohead's my number one. That's who I put down on the census. That's my number one.
Yeah.
Russ (59:27.96)
There may be two.
Bryan (59:32.664)
They might be they might be out of reach and you mentioned another one I thought would be Gaga. Gaga's out of reach probably. I mean I I
Yeah, for sure. Like I'd I'd I'd love David Gilmore, but like that's never gonna happen, right?
Yeah, that's out of reach too. I I mean, I this isn't my original thought, but I mean I I don't remember where I first saw it, but I I immediately thought boo bullseye of an idea is something like a widespread panic on a Thursday. I mean that that's they're not out of reach. They'll play your backyard. I mean, you can get panic to play anywhere. And and I think that would be a fun throwback, right? Like that
Mm-hmm.
John (59:58.743)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Barry (01:00:08.558)
How about how about yeah, them and Warren and just do a whole Bonnarooo because, you know, twenty five years, right? Twenty twenty seven will be twenty five year anniversary.
Yeah.
Bryan (01:00:17.812)
It's we're g almost there.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (01:00:21.656)
Bon bon room math is hard. We'd have to double check our our our brains.
I actual twenty five years. It started in twenty two.
Twenty five from from the first one. Yeah.
Yeah, you're straight chronological, yes.
From to, yeah. Yeah.
Barry (01:00:30.146)
So let's do let's do you know, the w the Warren Haynes, the fish, the string chee.
Little a little jam. Yeah, a little jam on the what and then some late night other, right? And and throw whoever on that, and then you've got yourself a multi j mo multi genre Thursday that also plays off each other well. So I love that you be being an EDM guy and thinking that that Skrillex as as kind of the the main attraction was not that great of an idea 'cause I didn't quite think of it that way. I was with Bar Barry, I was following your lead. I thought, you know.
I guess
I'm good with it.
Bryan (01:01:04.302)
I don't know, you know, Skrillex is a it's a big name. He's got b he's got Bonnarooo history, you know, for long history and this might be a good idea. And I swear I was listening to noise making. Like you know, and and I've sor I've seen EDM where I thought, okay, this is this is fun. Grizz, pretty lights, this is fun. And Skrillex just didn't do it for me. So that's
I thought it was a good idea, it just didn't work.
Barry (01:01:14.862)
Yeah, it was just
It's
Barry (01:01:20.034)
Chris.
John (01:01:25.806)
Brian, I mean it's the same thing. If you if they'd put widespread panic up there on Thursday and that was it, there'd be a lot of people that would not enjoy that show. Like Bonnoroo is a multi genre festival. It's a real hard sell to try and say, This is all you got for one day.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Six hours of noodling. For some people that's what it would be. Yeah. Fair. Good point.
Yeah, it I mean yeah.
Bryan (01:01:44.578)
Yeah. It's annoying.
Six hours of anything. Mm-hmm.
Yeah, it's annoying.
Barry (01:01:57.41)
All right. So that was John. he's such a great guest. always enjoy talking to him. He has some really cool insights. Brian, I think you have something you want to share with us and the the vast podcast universe that is ours.
You
Yeah, I'll make it I'll make it brief. And boy need to be careful somebody like John doesn't come in and swoop in and take my gig, man. Like he really knows what he's talking about and he's very good at this. So again, thank you, John, for joining on the times that you have. we talked about things going on in October and and I'm very excited about those, the Scholes Fest, Cape Fest. You it's just a it's very help IBM A here in Chattanooga, the Bluegrass Festival. A lot a very busy October
Yeah.
Russ (01:02:40.29)
Mm-hmm.
Well, here's the I'll just get right to it. I I'm I'm gonna take some time off from the show for the next about two months. a little less, a little less than two months. As as the first half of the semester is beginning in all of school, I've got my Chattanooga State hat on, as a matter of fact. It's our community college here in the in the city of Chattanooga and a a very high acclaimed one too. It's a it's a really, really good it's a really good school.
It's great.
And I went there for a couple of years in 2000, 2001. And then I got a job in radio. So I quit going to school because that was the only reason I was there to begin with. College radio station there, WAWL, also just a fabulous station back in the day, some of my favorite times of my youth. And then I tried again in five for a moment. Terrible failure.
Russ (01:03:28.866)
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (01:03:36.77)
Terrible failure. I went back for one semester and I didn't remember remember until I sat down with my advisors and saw all my grades from that year. I didn't I didn't withdraw. I just let them all go to Fs. That was a problem. That's a problem. but I am gonna go I'm going to explore going back to school and through there's a a a grant through the state of Tennessee for everything I wanna give Tennessee legislators a a a a hard time. This is one that's really, really
Bryan (01:04:06.654)
nice for working adults where it's paid for. essentially it it's very paid for. It's there's not there's not a lot of strings other than just go you have to go and you have to do well. And I wouldn't go if I didn't go and want to try to do well. So I'm I'm st I'm I'm tiptoeing in and gonna do just kind of a slow start here to just I haven't been in a classroom in twenty one years. I'm nervous as hell. I don't
Nice.
Russ (01:04:31.63)
Yeah, I would be too.
I don't I don't know what I'm doing here. but I do feel very at home on that campus. And I've been there a lot the last month talking to advisors to try to figure out can this happen? I'm keeping my full time job, I'm keeping my full time life, and I'm gonna still try to have fun and still try to live my life while also working this in. And for now, it's gonna keep me from being able to focus on this show at all. And we will see how it goes. Like I might get a month in, it's only two months.
Yeah, good for you.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (01:05:02.744)
Course. It's a condensed half semester. I might get halfway in and be like, this is it could go either way. It could be, this is not that bad. I'm doing okay. I got a little time and we'll we'll talk and we're gonna stay in contact. And we nothing's changing as far as the dynamics of the three of us. or I could get halfway through and be like, What the hell have I done? Like, I can't do this. I'm I'm prepared for both. and
You
Yeah.
And then towards the end of the year, back in in October, you know, K fest, Scholesfest, you we'll be right back in it and wind the the year down. And if things go really well, I don't want to get ahead of myself. And I I don't want to get ahead of myself. But next year, we'll see. We'll talk about next year later. But that's what's happened in the immediate future. So if you don't see me, so you I I I I know we got Ryan French, correct? Yeah.
Yeah, awesome.
Bryan (01:05:56.3)
Basically commi county commission, city council, Ma Manchester and Coffee County w
Yep. Also works with the tourism something or another there. So yeah, he a lot of hats.
Yeah, yeah. So we we did a the the panel, he was one of the the panel members two years ago. Love Ryan. his wife is lovely, Mrs. Bonnaroo. And so I I hate to miss that show with you next week, but also this coincides with I'm headed out to Seattle to see Beth for a week in the middle of getting as this starts. So it's kind of like a little mini vacation, but with a whole lot of stuff going on. And so thank you for allowing me a few minutes to do this. I've been, you know, talking into microphones for twenty five years.
Mm-hmm.
Barry (01:06:30.208)
There you go. Cool.
Bryan (01:06:36.654)
It's a little bit of a version of kind of exhausted from it. And I don't know that I'll be doing it for forever. So I'm just exploring other things in life. And if nothing else, I enjoy learning things and
I think it's a good opportunity for you and it's a perfect time to explore this. mean, you know, we're kind of in a lull season wise. So yeah, absolutely. Glad, glad that you're getting to do it. Yeah.
Well, thank thank you thank you for that, Taco. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. And and thank you guys, both of you two, so much for being I'm as a little nervous about bringing it up and and and for being so welcoming to the idea and and facilitating the idea. And thanks to everybody out there who listens to this show. you guys are the best. I mean, I you know, I I do the it's it's it's
It's kind of a crutch. I go to it too much. Like, why does anybody listen? Why doesn't I do this? I do this in my own st stuff I've done here in the in town. And it it it it really does it it brings a huge swell to my heart that people are interested in anything that I do in this case that we do. It I I it means a lot to me. So just not doing it is a big deal to me. So
Yeah, yeah, you know, we give you a lot of shit, but you do have some true fans out there. mean, we do have people that listen and they like your takes and they like your participation on the show for sure. it's, you know, you'll,
Bryan (01:07:50.688)
Yeah.
Barry (01:07:59.456)
Yeah, I guess one of us is gonna have to up our curmudgeon game, Russ. We'll we'll have to talk off air, see who which one of us is gonna
Gotta feel that.
Hahaha
Gotta gotta fill that void one way or another. But I mean this is gonna be pretty this go round is gonna be not that long. Like into end October and then and then into the holidays, you know, we'll we'll we'll dance around the holidays and see how how Bonnarooo evolves into next year. And then we'll we'll talk about next year later. Right.
Yeah, no, we'll be right back.
Russ (01:08:16.002)
Mm-hmm.
Barry (01:08:28.054)
Yeah. we wish you we wish you the best of luck and total total respect for what you're doing.
100%, yeah.
I'm really excited about it, but also terrified. So
Well you should be.
Yeah, well, it wouldn't be worth doing if there wasn't a little bit of risk involved, you know.
Bryan (01:08:43.894)
Yeah. But it's it's not a full blown schedule. I'm not gonna be in and out of the c you know, the college every single day, but I am gonna be having to focus a lot of energy on that. So that's that's where we're at. And thank you for listening to that about five, six minute drivel from me. I appreciate it.
Yeah.
Russ (01:09:00.493)
Perfect, yeah, thank you.
All right, good luck to you, Russ. You and I will be back next week.
We will, and then guess, you know, we've got, well, like you said, Ryan next week. We've got some other guests and some other people lined up that can fill in and kind of help keep this thing going. So yeah, we're not taking a break for any means, but yeah, looking forward to it.
Well appreciate that from you guys and anybody who who jumps on and and is involved with this at any time, like John and and and Cassie and and and and Austin, Sweegee Guy and Beth and just the countless people who make make time for us. couldn't appreciate you guys and gals anymore for that too. So thank you.
Hmm?
Russ (01:09:34.306)
Mm-hmm.
Barry (01:09:42.787)
All right. Peace everybody.
We'll see you guys.
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