That Time Devon Gilfillian Almost Played Bonnaroo

Welcome into another high five on the What Podcast, Barry Courter, the Lord Taco.

I'm Brad.

Nice to see you guys again.

How are things?

Everything's great here.

Yeah.

I mean, it's a haircut day.

I see a haircut day.

Got a lot of them.

Happened in your sleep, obviously.

You know, it's funny.

I say don't cut it too short.

Every time I do, that's when it cuts.

But you know what?

It grows back.

Yeah.

So I'm not going to complain about it.

I'm very excited today.

We're going to do a high five.

We'll get some news to get through and also a little bit of an announcement later on in

the show today.

But first I wanted to start.

You guys don't know this guy, but I and I don't know how many people listen that would

know.

But one of the greats in my industry died over the weekend.

And in honor of him, I've worn my WXRT shirt from Chicago.

One of the great radio stations in this country is WXRT in Chicago.

And a guy that was basically the heartbeat of that radio station, Lynn Bremer, passed

away from a battle with cancer over the weekend.

Really one of the great storytellers, one of the great music guys that you'll ever hear

on the radio.

So for all those who might be listening in around Chicago or ever experienced WXRT, one

of the greatest stations you'll ever listen to in your life.

If you ever want to get a class on how to do this, listen to WXRT on your Google box.

So yeah, there you go.

In honor of Lynn.

I mean, my WXRT shirt.

So the little bit of news that happened over the weekend too was, or since we last chatted,

was Jazz Fest.

Now as a former New Orleanian, and I think that I will always be a New Orleanian, the

Jazz Fest lineup seemed, at least to me, a tad underwhelming.

Barry Courter, how'd you take it?

What'd you think?

Well, first of all, I got to ask, do you count yourself as a Chattanoogan as well?

Do you brag on that up there in the big city?

I mean, I-

You've helped me be your Chattanoogan?

Yeah, I mean, I've taken the usher approach to Chattanooga that I will, as soon as they

give me a street, I'm back.

Best thing to come out of there is I-75, right?

No, I mean, but I think of Chattanooga as much as I think of Richmond.

Richmond being the place that I grew up in DC and then Chattanooga for 20 years.

But you know, nothing has caught my heart and mind like New Orleans.

Nothing got me as much as New Orleans did.

All right, back to your question.

I'm looking at the lineup.

I like it a whole lot.

I like it way more than you do, I think.

But these are all people that I want to see.

Many of them I have seen, which is an interesting question, you know, bucket list versus seen

them many times.

But I like this lineup pretty much from top to bottom.

I could be entertained throughout.

So first off, I know that it's been brought up, but boy, they really do pull out all the

stops to that poster design.

They talk about a graphic design course 101.

Boy, that poster stinks.

Jesus.

You know, it is what it is.

God love them.

The problem that I have with the lineup is it's not a problem.

I mean, Jazz Fest is great.

I feel as though there have been Jazz Fest lineups in the past that feel so much more

umph.

You know, you had years where the Who are playing, you know.

And Van Morrison.

Yeah, that's what I mean.

You had bucket list acts, acts that you're never going to see anywhere else.

And I think you pointed out off the air that a lot of these acts you can see pretty much

on the regular down there.

So the thing about the Jazz Fest line is like after the top three lines, everybody is pretty

much playing every week.

Like those last 10 lines of Jazz Fest, the 20 lines of Jazz Fest, those are mostly locals.

And it's great for people who love the culture and love New Orleans music.

But if you're going down there for the Who or one of the big shows, I don't know if this

is going to do it for you.

I look, I like it.

Don't get me wrong.

I like it a lot.

I am a huge her fan, right?

I love the revivalists.

There are so many local artists that I adore.

Nicholas Payton is one of the great artists on this planet.

I'll see Robert Randolph any day, any time.

Duran Jones doing a solo show.

John Boutte, one of the great voices in all of New Orleans.

Lost by You Ramblers, Hotty Brass Band.

Like there's so much there that if you love this culture and love, you know, the sound

of New Orleans, it's fantastic for you.

I don't know if I really want to see Steve Miller though.

You know, I don't know if I really care about Santana at this point in my life.

You and I have had that.

You've got to pass.

I don't know what's going on there.

Santana is one of the greats.

Why would you not want to see Santana?

I just, I can't.

I don't know.

We've had this.

I'll agree.

So I'm looking at it a little different.

I'm not looking at the poster.

I'm looking at a lineup list.

And so I'm looking at 24 acts.

Dead and Company, Lumineers, Tedeschi, Allison Krauss, Buddy Guy, Guy Clark Jr., Mumford,

Robert Plant, Leon Bridges, Kane Brown.

Chattanoogan by the way.

Kane Brown, Chattanoogan, Melissa Atherage and Los Lobos have all been to Chattanooga.

So to your point, I've seen them.

Lizzo could have met her with you, my bad.

John Batiste, I know I screwed up.

Steve Miller.

And by the way, have we ever told that story of like Barry, I don't know, Taco, do you

remember when I brought Lizzo to town and like Barry was two blocks away and he's like,

nah, I'm just going to hang out here.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Exactly.

So if you're like Dr. gaan, I certainly do.

But, you know, Ms. Local was exactly the place where I am now and he's been they I've hosted

on stage, met other people, no more.

The quote here is that he's been to so many shows that I've seen myself in, even in fast

torture.

I mean, if a show hasn't done, and if you can't find that person, you're I'm going

to be I really engineering that right.

So, but Lee is going to be our newка to go that party, which is particular.

The rest of them and here's here's my question because we talk about legacy acts at Bonnaroo. They've got tom jones

Kenny loggins, and i'll never forgive him for the whole caddy shack song

Uh herbie hankock, which was the legend act last year, right? I mean the legacy act. Um

And I mean look the the thing that the bout

Uh jazz fest was always there was there was always a few names on there that i'm wowed

I mean something that they got that nobody else got and it felt so massive

Um, and especially for an independent organization like the new orleans jazz heritage foundation where they can you know, uh

Do and book a festival that's over, you know, 10 days

um by themselves

The only wow that I got here is wu tang

I mean wu wu tang being on this lineup is the only one that i'm like, oh my god

That is massive for a guy that and I hate to give you too much information here wearing wu tang underwear right now

um

Too way too much. I uh, that's the one that got me like, oh my god

Um, see tom jones

You know, it's not I don't know what the show is going to be like

Is it lino richie?

But i'd love to be able to say i've seen tom jones. I mean man in the hey taco, by the way, we

Really hit those younger demos when dad starts talking about tom jones. I was getting ready to say when I was a kid in the 70s

You know all my kids all my friends mothers were huge it was eldest and tom jones

Taco do you want to go to mom and find some tom jones moms?

Yes

because no

Yeah, you know he did that like grandmoms. He did that prince song man that the kids probably are digging that

Oh, wow

He knows how to connect people he knows how to connect the whole point

Well, I thought the same about lino richie. That's my point

That's exactly what I thought when they booked lino richie and people are still talking about it. So I was wrong

Um, but no, I get your point angela key joe

Huge huge fan. That's one of those, you know, you don't get to see maybe but once or twice in your life

Um, yeah to me. It's a good lineup. I get your point. It it is definitely a lineup full of people that I have seen

Yeah, well, which is your point. Well, the other thing too is like

jazz fest is another one of these that is just so experiential that um if

It's not about the lineup, right?

It's about the culture and everything that happens around it the fact that you know

You leave um, you leave the grounds and you you know, go get gumbo. Um, that that to me is is

Is is the point the fact that I moved to new orleans to live in the same neighborhood as jazz fest

And yet never actually went to a jazz fest still really irritates me to be honest with you

Um, I mean, I literally was there. It was my backyard. I live two blocks away from jazz fest entrance and

No, never got one. I never got one

true

Um

The the amount of time that I would just sit around, you know and thinking to myself, you know

And I'd be sitting there having a gumbo. I I

I could I can't wait to do this after jazz fest one night

I can't wait to be in this space and have all the no never got there

Um

You know, I will

We'll be back soon enough. Um or anything else on jazz fest you want to get to?

Oh your boy of uh, m du mokhtar is there by the way

Yeah, I saw that earlier

Yeah, we never did get to talk to him. Dad gum it there is not look. I now that i'm talking about this

It is it is built for the day

Getting there at noon and staying there until seven o'clock and seeing you know non-stop

Incredible artists from new orleans and then leaving when the headliner gets on

Yeah, that's sort of the way that it's the the at least the locals do it

If you're coming from out of town, you come to see

You know santana and lisa

Um, it's just a different way of doing it

And I think that i'm just I think that I was more bummed out about how bad the poster was

It just sort of took me completely out of the conversation. I was like, uh

Yeah, see isn't that funny? Yeah, I'm like that. I know I know

It's funny how the beer tastes different with a funny label on it, right? You know, it's

Yeah, and depending on who recommended it and where you are and all that kind of yeah

It's interesting, but

I think you just described a good day for me there. I could get there at noon stay till however

And uh and be happy all day long with whoever's playing you would love it. I mean, it's a fantastic experience

I I want to I mean I want to be there right now. I'm going to be there in three weeks

I'll just stay for jazz fest. I guess well, they've had lineups

Before where it was really, uh top heavy

Like with the who yeah, that's right van morrison that I wanted to see them and no one else really

Made me feel like what am I gonna do the rest of the day? Yeah, this is kind of the opposite. I guess

Well, yeah, what'd you do with the rest of the day as you go discover?

You know, yeah, you go discover nicklaus payton

Um, you know like jazz fest is is one of those things where on a normal night

I'd walk down frenchy street and I'd be like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna go to jazz fest

I'd walk down frenchman and that's where I found

andrew duhaan and and

Nicholas payton and then you know, this is now

Taking it off the streets and putting it onto

Uh the festival grounds and you know, you don't have to walk up and down frenchman to find it

I'm sorry. I'm just now seeing the poster

That's really bad. It's terrible. It's terrible

That that looks like some high school kid's first draft. Uh-huh. Yeah

Yeah, mom's first graphic design project. Yeah, I know

Now i'm gonna figure out how to change the font

And then if you go on the website they've broken it down which you know, which weekend is which so the first weekend is ed sheer and

Lizzo

Robert plant jill scott for your top heavy and your boy of kenny loggins and my people of

Wutang the second weekend is when you got dead and company mumford lumineers santana talk about uh knowing your audience on that second weekend

Um, I mean you couldn't find you know bands that more

More tied to each other than lumineers mumford and son dead and company

Yeah, that is and we didn't really talk about that either but the whole two weekend thing I'm

As a fan, I don't know. How does anybody make that work unless you're you know, you're local

at the

That's a long slog unless you drive back or something. I don't know. Yeah, and it's both for locals, right?

I mean, that's the kind of thing that's both if you go to all nine days eight days

It's you know, you're you're going for like a few hours and then coming home

Um, and frankly, you know, I know people that show up just to eat the food and leave

Right because the crawfish bread or the crawfish mac and cheese, you know

They're so incredible that they just go to have lunch and leave, you know, what is it?

Yeah, this is once a year you get this once a year

Alright, let's uh, take a break. We'll come right back with our high five of this week and a little bit more a little announcement

next on the What Podcast

So we have

Again for the I feel like 10th year in a row. We have tickets to give away

now

to be fair

They are not you know

Where we camp?

wherever that might be

They are general admission tickets and their general mission camping tickets that uh,

You can very easily upgrade if you want

But this is your ticket into the festival and into the campgrounds

Uh that we'll have more information on in the coming weeks, but uh market on your calendars lurTaco

We've got tickets for Bonnaroo coming up very soon

Yep, okay. Thanks appreciate that. He's a wordsmith. Yes, he nails it every time

So this week's high five barry. Tell me about who we're talking to this week and what memory we're uh reliving today

Okay, we've got devin gafillion who you brought to us and turned us on to and I just I I

Told you the other day. I've got a man crush on that guy. I love his music

But he was so nice and we had so much fun talking to him. I mean it was uh

It was one of those where you say hello and it's like you've been friends forever

Um, and I also loved his story. I think this clip you asked him to tell us a little bit about himself and he

Mentioned that he had gone to school. I was going to be a psychology major. I think if I remember right

But decided he liked singing more and was either going to move to nashville or new orleans or one other play austin maybe

And I ended up in nashville

But the best part and the part about this clip that I love is he talks about his dad who is a wedding singer

Which is where he learned, you know his love of so many different genres

And it tells a pretty funny story about

Also where he learned the electric slide

Well, pretty that's what it pretty much he learned, you know, he he loved watching his dad learn

You know the hits of the day

So you guys make fun of me so I can only imagine, you know him

watching his dad learn

Michael jackson or nelly or you know, whatever so pretty funny stuff

and uh

The real point is he was on that 2021 lineup and which never happened and he is on this year's lineup

And do I remind me if if you remember but did

Did he talk about that being his first Bonnaroo or has he played before I don't necessarily remember

Okay, and he was gonna play thursday. It would have been his first

Is he on thursday this year? What's he on this show? He's on saturday. Oh

Wow

Yeah, so

Yeah thursday. He was you know, gonna be the unknown

And uh now he's on saturday and he's middle lineup. I want to say fourth line

Maybe maybe a little bit further down. I mean early afternoon show either way

Uh, all right. Let's do it. He's a for me. He's a he's a great he's a don't miss

Well, he's also got some of the best hair in the business. So

Let's all that in this. Yeah. Well, that's usually our go-to conversation

Yeah, well if you remember he was uh spot on in his uh

His uh comments, so i'll just leave it there. All right, let's do it. It's another high five on the What Podcast

Yes

You know, I love I love devin so much and I would say this even if he wasn't uh a part of the show I

Am so excited about his show. I'm so excited about him hitting the bottom lineup

I love the fact that he's sort of like the show for thursday for me

But I want to start

If you don't mind devin for the people that don't know who you are

Yes, can you just give me the the abc of what who?

Why devin is devin?

So yeah abc let's go. Um, all right

I I love

You know, i'm a i'm a product of

So many things aren't rhythm and blues rock and roll psychedelic rock

soul

Uh folk every you know gospel

Uh, but you know mar i would say my two more stars are marvin gay and jimmy hendrix and you know, I

I want to i want to tell the world the way that they did and and do it in 2021

You know and and and you know, I i'm from outside of philly born in a little small town in morton, pennsylvania

Broke playing music up up, you know, just kind of like

Like dilly dallying with some bands they were here and there and my dad's a music a wedding singer. So

You know, he's not that oh, yeah. Yeah, he's there once he's the one who got me into it

You know, there it is. I was gonna ask yeah, there had to be a yeah wedding

What a perfect. I mean you're gonna hear all kinds of stuff from a wedding singer, right?

Oh, man, he was I remember watching my dad learn nelly

It's getting hot in here like when that came out and that was the goofiest funniest thing i've ever seen to watch him

Yeah, watch him rap that

I'm doing this for the white women

Was it cringe-worthy kind of funny for you or me? Oh, it was cringe

Oh cringy cringe funny like it was it was the most cringe-worthy funny

but but also, you know, he also was singing earth, wind and fire stevie wonder and ray charles and

You know all the michael jackson and and you know all those cats and the jet like all those

You know our marvin and and the temptations all the motown stuff

So that that's all the soul. I got it from from pops from nelson

So lord taco and barry know this well about me

But you know if not for you know 60 soul, I don't know if i'm the person that I am

If not for sille johnson and otis redding and otis clay

I'm not the person I am but to me the one that doesn't get any of the credit is

Um the king of philly soul mr. Solomon burke

And one of the greatest shows i've ever seen at Bonnaroo was one of the final shows that solomon burke ever had

I mean it was one of these moments where I looked around and devin there might have been I don't know 85 people there

Nobody knew what solomon burke was and they didn't know what in the world was was happening on stage

But uh when I think when I think of you I think of the king of philly soul

Uh, mr. Solomon burke, so i'm glad that you rattled off all the people that that's what

We're essentially the same person I think is what i'm trying to say you and right might be the same person

No, yeah. Yeah. No, you're my brother from another mother. Come on. Yeah

How did it get i'm sorry to interrupt but how did you get from philly to nashville how did that story come about

Well, you know I was going to school for psychology actually in westchester, pennsylvania, and then

I was like, no, I don't want to be a therapist. It's not that's not what I want to do. So I applied to

programs in the americorps

Which is kind of like the peace corps, but you you work for a non-profit that's based in the united states

You can go anywhere in the u.s

So I chose I applied to nashville new orleans in austin and got uh got accepted to the program in

Telling me new orleans. We missed you by this much. We missed you by this much this much man this much

I would love to kick it around nola

But but uh, you know nashville i'm really glad that I got I got

basically nashville chose me, you know in a way and uh,

If it hadn't I wouldn't be where i'm at right now. So

It's crazy

To the I love the the I was going to go back to the hendrix and morvin gay because they're I mean

I heard another band earlier this week

The their three main influences were basically hendrix and marvin soul and miles davis

Wow, and I mean right. I mean if you if you're gonna go with three bases

That's pretty good mix right there and that's gonna make a nice gumbo right there. That's i'll tell you that

Yeah, you can pull from anything

Yeah, he is really really killing my new orleans thing isn't he?

He's driving that harder and harder, isn't he?

Throw some throw some cajun spice on that one right there, you know

But no, I mean jimmy marvin and miles

Goodness lord, that's yeah, you got that's it right the holy trinity

You're doing it again the new orleans funds just can't stop the holy trinity