The What Podcast
Bonnaroo Cuts, Changes, and What's Returning (JamTrak, App, Who Stage, Radio Bonnaroo)
Season 9, Episode 18
Published April 22, 2026
https://thewhatpodcast.com/episode/bonnaroo-cuts-changes-and-whats-returning-jamtrak-app-who-stage-radio-bonnaroo

Wristbands look like they're starting to ship.

Do not put it on too tightly because they don't go backwards.

The Who stage.

We're still waiting to hear if there's going to be a Who stage.

Somebody sent us an email with a screenshot.

Supposedly it sounds like Jam Track is not returning this year,

which is kind of a bummer.

Something that went away and is coming back is Radio Bonnaroo.

And we will get to be a part of that as well.

Welcome to the What Podcast.

I'm Barry.

That's Brian.

That's Russ.

We got a lot to talk about.

We're going to talk Bonnaroo here in just a little bit.

A lot of news.

I wouldn't say a lot of big news, but a lot of little news that adds up to be good.

Yeah, just a little bit here and there and here and there.

Yeah.

And of course, the biggest news is our live show.

We're going to do Thursday at 4 p.m. on the How stage inside Planet Roo.

Absolutely.

That is the big news.

Still so excited.

Still can't believe we get to do that.

Last year was such a blast and this year I am excited about as well.

Yeah, yeah, definitely very appreciative to be asked to come back and do it.

We're still working out how it's going to go down, but we got plenty of time to do that.

Yeah.

And speaking of getting ready, you can see I'm already in the bus.

I'm getting it.

Oh my God.

I didn't even notice after all this time of being away from the bus backdrop.

It's back.

This is not a backdrop.

This is I'm just real.

You're actually in the bus.

Oh wow.

You're throwing back to when you used to go to the bus actually inside.

Yeah.

Nice.

Yeah, because I've been spending a lot of time in here getting it ready.

Just just got back from Bugapalooza last weekend.

So there's a lot to do.

I still got to get the headlights fixed, but it's going to after Bonnaroo talk.

We'll revisit a little bit of the Volkswagen show here in just a little while.

But very good.

Yeah.

Last week's show, we missed you, Russ.

Thanks again to John who does a great job.

He makes a huge contribution to the show.

I really appreciate his thoughts.

He had a lot of interesting observations, not just about his conflicts, but about how

things might work in particular that stage being in the what field and I really

appreciated his sort of take on the whole flip turn thing being at the time of day,

you know, listening to the show again.

I thought he made a great point that I think Brian's point was, you know, they seem

like they got maybe jipped because they were supposed to be on the what stage last

year.

That was my first comment when I saw it.

I thought man, they really like screwed flip turn out of being on the main stage.

But yeah, I think here in the way he's described it is not going to be so bad.

Yeah, he put it in a good in good context.

Yeah, I think I jipped that was the best stage in the world.

You don't get to play it now.

There's no doubt about that, but it's not like they're going to be playing to nobody.

Yeah, no, I know.

I know that's just I mean that I mean because we have a you know, somewhat of a

relationship with that band that goes back three or four years now.

I feel what I want to be defensive for them.

I get it.

No, I think you were both right and I truly I truly like them right.

Sometimes I just kind of play along but I truly like the band.

Yeah, I think you're right Brian.

I think the reason we care so much is that we like these guys.

They were really good at Moon River and they were really cool to interview and I

yeah, and you know, it wasn't just because they were cool to us.

They're they're a fun band and their popularity is soaring.

So that's that's the another reason it's like hey, you know, we we've been getting

this push and you we got this amazing opportunity and then but hey, what are you

going to do? They're still getting paid, right?

It's still getting they're still getting a probably a healthy check to play

Bonnaroo.

So along those lines, not only do we get to do this panel discussion again, but

we have a couple of we have some giveaways.

Let's go ahead and get that out of the way.

We're going to run a contest for some skins.

Like we did last year from what's the company?

It's lunchbox and it's yeah, it's not just the skin.

It's a skin of a special Bonnaroo theme skin that they just released and a

hydration pack.

Yeah, so these are really calm.

Yeah, they look really cool.

Yeah.

So we just had that we just had the guy on the phone the the dude who makes these

decisions and turns out we'll have a third like prize pack of sorts at the

panel.

I just heard him say it like, you know, put something

special together for us.

Yeah, pretty cool.

So but as far as the the initial giveaway, which will be quick there

were they're moving quickly on these.

So we had to kind of quickly put our mind barely working morning brain

together that we're going to ask for what your best tip.

Yeah, for us tip for doing Bonnaroo just anything that makes Bonnaroo

great for you and you can do like we've done in the past.

If you if you make a comment somewhere, maybe it's YouTube, maybe it's

just do our website just, you know, the comment section will get it anyway,

but you can screenshot it to make sure or what Russ Instagram comment

section would be a good place to do that.

We'll put a yeah, we'll put a post on pretty much everything.

I mean Facebook X threads Instagram tick-tock YouTube, you know, we'll

just kind of float it out there.

And yeah, we'd love to leave you.

We'd love for you to leave us a comment on your best tip and move

quick on that one because by we should have a winner by a week from today.

Right?

Yeah, don't wait.

And then that's how I read that we can contact you.

That's what I was take a screenshot and then email it to comments

at the What Podcast.com as well.

So then we'll have a record of that and we'll pick two winners from

this deal and then a third one will give away live at the panel.

So you got to be there live with us in order to win that one.

Yeah, that's pretty exciting.

Very cool stuff.

So what that starts now, they started actually like yesterday.

So do that now and we'll have a winner next week and then you'll

have a third chance during the event on Thursday at Planet Roo.

Speaking of winners, I forgot to mention this to you guys, but I

wanted to not get give too much detail, but our our winner for the

two GA camping tickets, Kira and Tyler, if you guys will remember

announced that they were going to get married at Bon Roo.

I can say that they have been meeting with someone who reached out

to us and offered to actually do the ceremony and they've been

meeting with him regular.

So this is legit up and up.

It's not just a whimsical.

Hey, you know, Las Vegas.

Yeah, not like my marriages.

Yeah.

Exactly.

Little, little more structure than one, but they're going to

get married that weekend.

Very excited about that.

I'm not quite sure how we will be involved, but I know I want to

be there as a witness and congratulations to them and very excited.

So we'll have more on that later as well.

All right, guys.

What else?

Like I said, not a lot of big, big news, but lots of little news

out of the Bonnaroo camp this last week or two.

Yeah.

A little bit here.

Wristbands look like they're starting to ship.

They don't.

That's not one big thing.

Like today we ship tickets and three weeks or three days later, you all

receive them.

That's kind of a layered

send out distribution through Bonnaroo.

So you should be getting notifications and hearing about your wristbands

coming soon enough.

All the same rules apply or all the guidelines apply.

Don't put it on too early.

Don't put it on too tight.

Don't start mess.

Don't start messing around with it.

Once it is on, just don't put it on and you know what all the other

stuff that comes with one it's on.

You don't have to mess with it.

I know because of the, you know, the almost fashionable nature of, I

mean, I do this stuff too, right?

I keep these things and put them on things as decorative that the

desire, the almost impossible to keep from doing the action of

putting it on just proudly.

Not a good idea.

Don't don't do that yet, but you'll be able to do that soon enough.

Boy, let's emphasize what you said.

Do not put it on too tightly because they don't go backwards.

No, they don't.

And don't try or you will destroy it.

And then you'll have a whole nother level of, uh, they do, they will

work with you.

There is a way if you, because everything's numbered, you know,

RFD and numbered, you can get replacements.

You can, you, there are options, but boy, you don't want to mess with

that though.

It's a fee.

I don't know how much it is, but you know, they'll charge you.

Yeah.

If you have to cut yours off or destroy it in some way, they'll

they'll send you another, but they'll charge you.

And I even mean once you get there, there are actually ways that

you can follow up if there's issues, but you will waste half your

day, maybe an entire trying to figure out how to do that.

So be very careful with that.

So they'll be, uh, they'll be on their way soon enough.

The stress and anxiety of that.

Yeah.

Just be careful.

Don't leave it at home.

Don't don't know if somebody who left theirs at home.

Yeah.

I think there's a story for everybody with the wristbands.

It's not quite like your phone, right?

Where these days you don't, I left the tickets at home.

No, you didn't.

I got them right here.

It doesn't, it doesn't work that way.

So those should be coming soon enough.

That's always a, used to be a little more exciting when you

got a cool little package.

They don't really, you know, they don't do that anymore.

No bandanas in the, in the tickets, but, uh, but still

exciting day and, um, the, the most recent price increase of

tickets was Friday the 17th.

So, uh, less than a week ago at this point, I don't know

if that's the last one.

I beg Bonnaroo to make it the last one.

I don't know if it's the last one or not, but, um, you know,

if you are planning on going, waiting is only, is only costing

you more, uh, unfortunately, it'd be nice if they would freeze

that price until, until the festival.

Yeah.

And I think layaway is closed now too.

Is that right?

Good call.

Same day lay.

It was price increase on the 17th and, or the same week and time

is up for layaway.

Uh, there's just not enough time to do the payment.

There might be a payment option of some sort.

You can always do those third party payment options, but, um,

if you can keep from doing that, that will bring a little

less headache to your life.

Did we rush you weren't here?

Uh, so we haven't asked you your conflicts when you saw the

actual lineup for this.

Or just your thoughts on the schedule all the way around.

Cause as you, as you might have noticed, we were pretty

excited about it.

Yeah.

Uh, I feel the same way.

I'm a little more excited now seeing it all laid out.

Um, there's a ton on here that I'd still want to see and

there are some conflicts, but, um, you know, I kind of like

having a light lighter year that I don't feel like I'm so

stringent with.

I've got to get to this stage and then this stage.

And if I miss this or that it's okay.

And you know, because sometimes you get sidetracked.

Sometimes you end up seeing somebody and going and they

talk you into going to do something else.

So being flexible, I think having that built into the

schedule helps, helps plan the weekend a lot.

I, the more I thought about the, uh, what we talked about

last week and seeing the schedule and the mood, the

stages that have moved.

Obviously we won't know about that stage being in that what

field until we're there.

But in theory, I w I like the idea and I like the where stage

being back over in that corner.

Uh, it just to me feels like being able to navigate center

room and see shows has gotten maybe easier.

I could be wrong.

I could be trying to put up positive spin, but for me

personally, I liked it.

I like it.

Well, I like the where being back in that corner because you

got to put something there and they don't have anything there

anymore.

And there's a lot of space back there.

Um, and I don't have a strong opinion, but I do agree with

anybody in the organizers or the ones who made the decision

that I'm now agreeing with the getting that where in the

woods to a different place now than to what people really

wanted it to be.

I know I get it.

I don't always get what I wanted either, but I think, um,

moving that away from there and incorporating it into the

music venue, which is essentially what center who is

is a music venue.

Everything else is living quarters.

Yeah, absolutely.

I think, I think you're right.

I think that restores more what where in the woods was

originally supposed to be or was just more of a chill hangout

spot.

Get some shade.

Like the great it's like the Grove.

It's I mean, does the Grove if it exists anymore?

I don't know.

I think it does.

Okay.

It's like the Grove except it got except it's even better.

Like it's even it's even more wooded.

It's prettier looking.

It's you kind of feel like you're zapped in the middle of

the wilderness for a minute.

The Grove is not that that dense but I think it's a great

spot for them to put up more art installations.

Thank you.

I think that was where I was going.

Hopefully they do that.

That was where I was going next.

I John and we've heard that from several people that you

know, like Hula Hula Hula Ween the festival that he was

talking about and the art installations how much that

adds to the vibe and I don't know if Bonnaroo this year

has the money or the effort but I hope so because that is

a big part of it.

Yeah, speaking of not having the money with there might

be a few less things that we found out that are cut this

year, right?

Jam track.

Somebody sent us an email with a screenshot.

Supposedly it sounds like jam track is not returning this

year, which is a kind of a bummer.

Yeah, what would you say?

We've been doing that three years.

Maybe three relatively new.

Yeah, it came after I want to say 22 was the first year.

Okay, so post-covid idea.

It's a post-covid thing and when I saw this I was quite

surprised and I was like, well that sucks and then I got

to thinking never even seen the thing let alone been on

it.

Is it because of me is surprising is it maybe because I

think it's great a little smaller footprint and they

don't need you're not asking people to walk as far this

year.

Yeah, I thought about that if they're not staging campers

out in, you know Plaza 9 10 11, I don't know how far back

they usually go but there's less of a need I guess for

transit.

Well of the three of us Russ, you're the only one who's

been on this thing.

So we need an eyewitness, you know review account of what

this experience was like.

Yeah, I mean selfishly I want it back because that's pretty

much the only way I have a chance to get back to group

camp and stuff like that.

You know, we're just so far on the other side of the whole

play and planet there that walking is just it takes too

long.

So yeah, that was really my only chance to get back to to

do all that and if it really is just like a transit system,

I mean, it's like getting on a subway or train right you

queue up you wait in line.

The train comes around stops everybody gets on takes a seat

they take off they do a little loop you get to your next

stop and you get off right there and so the experience was

pretty good.

Yeah, it's great.

Yeah, I wonder if it got backed up throughout the day into

the night if it became, you know, you know what people

might be hanging off the side of it right or trying to team

wolf this top of it and surf the top or something.

Wow, what a nice pull.

Yeah, what a pull.

We'll have to pull that off of YouTube.

You know, who knows like it could be a liability a little

bit.

I don't know.

Well, I'm sure that's part of it for sure.

But also like they don't have the times, you know arrivals.

So like unlike a train station where you can look up on a

big road and see okay next trains arriving you can be like

I want to ride the train.

I'll get in line and then you wait you wait and you wait

and at some point you start to think if I start walking now

I could be there or I could stand here and wait for the

train and not have any idea when it's coming and you know,

I think they were working on improving times and adding

trains and stuff.

But yeah, it's still just kind of a question on a lot of

people said they yeah, they just waited in line for a long

time and just gave up on it.

Well, RIP jam track if that is indeed the last we see of

them and maybe it'll come back around.

You never ever know another though.

This isn't this is outside of Bonnaroo completely.

But our what is he called the magic man, right?

The Bonnaroo cards guy.

He is yeah, he is taking here.

She well says magic man, but he is he I've met him.

Okay, so he and his team or whoever is involved of giving

out these incredible cards.

I got mine right here too.

I didn't know this was I have two of them.

There's another one too.

I didn't know this was going to be a thing last year and all

of a sudden playing cards really high quality nice playing

cards.

Of course, you've got the foil version taco.

I'm jealous.

I had it's packed somewhere because I just moved.

I'm jealous.

We don't have me and Barry don't have the foil edition,

but there's very cool.

I mean about it, you know, you Barry you talk about this

lot and I agree with you.

The panel and how cool it was after all these years even to

have our names, even if you needed magnifying glass on the

schedule to be able to see it how thrilling that was.

This is pretty damn close to me in that moment.

I mean, I knew that one was coming.

We plan for it.

The that and we've done we've done public speaking events

before so it's not like that was the most novel thing ever.

I ain't everybody ever had someone hand me a trading card

with my name on it and all this incredible lore to the

stories of the whole thing.

So what a cool thing he did.

But what he's done is not going to be able to make it.

This is the printed off long version of the of his post,

but he's giving all the step-by-step instructions to be

able to take this project on yourself.

I don't know if it's if it's open source to the point where

you can make your own maybe and add them in there if or

if just the the catalog of all these are there you can

print them off and you can they can be your trinkets to

hand out if you want to pick up that I'll call it legacy

after all.

I know you did only one year.

So can you get a legacy in one year?

Maybe you can.

So I hate to see that you're not going to be there magic

man, but boy what a cool surprise it was to be handed

a yeah, for sure.

Oh so cool trading card with my face on it.

That's pretty cool.

So if you want to keep the legacy going out there Bonnarooians

you can just follow the instructions are very long and

there are some changes to the app.

Is that right?

Do I understand that?

Yeah, Russ you seem to know this maybe but I have a feeling

this is one of those that everybody's a little confused

on the app is going into a more conglomerated thing.

There's no app.

There's no Bonnaroo app apparently, but it looks like

they're rolling it into the Festiverse app.

The Festiverse app will just now include the Bonnaroo app

which is the same app they use for Shaky Knees and

you know, it's pretty much all of their festivals in one.

Par for the course in this day and age of

tech distribution of things don't have your own standalone

app roll them in together to where they can use the same

functionalities as far as scheduling updates all those

kinds of things.

Yeah, kind of like the ballpark app in Major League Baseball.

It's not really the MLB app.

It's the ballpark app and it's kind of the same kind of thing.

So yeah, I mean I would still suggest getting it and at least

having it because they will probably use it for push notifications

if there's an alert or something they need to send out.

That's one way they can do it.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm sure it'll still work pretty well, but it just won't

be the Bonnaroo app it sounds like and then speaking of

things that we're not sure about whether they're coming back

or they're a cut or a readjustment the who stage we're still

waiting to hear if there's going to be a who stage if y'all

remember last year for one day a Roo this was another change

of moving stages.

I didn't like but hey, I'm the old guy that doesn't want change

but they moved the who stage out into into GA just just just

outside.

Yeah, just outside not too far and I didn't like that decision

and we didn't even get a chance to see if it was if it was

worth it or not because of I'm with you because I mean maybe

I'm just used to it being inside center who and that's you

know, as soon as I heard the announcement that it's going

to be out in the campground.

I thought I guess I won't get to see the who stage this year.

Yeah, it turns out I didn't but that's the same for me and

get to see any regardless of where where the stage is located.

We've talked about this and I pulled some from past years.

I don't know year year and a half ago all the bands that have

played the who stage that are now household names in the

festival circuit.

It's just such a fun feeder of minor league system of this

whole ethos and I hated to see it get moved out there to

begin with and I have a feeling it might be gone.

Everybody has to start somewhere and we've done this long

enough to for me that's always been the thrill is to discover

that, you know, somebody who plays on a small stage like

that and then all of a sudden their flip turn and they're

supposed to be on the what stage and that's a lot of fun.

Something that went away and is coming back is radio Bonnaroo

and we will get to be a part of that as well.

I want to mention that Brian you know more about it than

I think the other two of us but that's pretty exciting.

Yeah, it'll be I guess one secret I'll give away right now

that wasn't top secret.

So people understand the the the formatics of it is that

it's more or so more so a resource on the FM relic of a

radio.

However, you can get that even through an app on your phone

that the takeover as they're calling it is is on the front

end and on the back end.

It's not going to be wall to wall for four five days straight

as much as we all want it to be and the people I talked to

that are that it's theirs now like here's your thing for the

for the season this year as much as they want it to be.

It's not going to be it's going to be more Thursday Friday

Sunday Monday kind of thing.

So when things get aired and who's doing what and all that

long way away from knowing what that'll be but yeah, they're

they're great.

They were they were just like you tell us it was more of it.

You know, that's really that's refreshing especially in radio

Barry you deal with these radio people.

It's not their idea then they don't want to do it.

Yeah, like hey, I got a good idea.

No, let's start with no.

Yeah.

Yeah, was it my idea?

No, then we're not doing it.

This was totally different.

So refreshing.

It was like we want all ideas whatever you got.

There's really no wrong answers.

If you've been invited to the to the club here, then they're

they're giving pretty much free reign on how that goes.

So I think I mentioned it last week.

I'll say it again in case I didn't end of May the I mean at

the right at the pretty much last minute, you know, two

weeks out into May is when they're hoping to have all like

scheduling completed and to be announced.

So we're still a little ways off from that.

All right.

What other Bonnaroo news last one I've got here is not really

news.

It's just my confusion.

I mean put up the real if you're watching the real graphic

of the Venn diagram this that you know, what is that someone

puts out on Reddit and it's just the all the bands and then

they cross over with the with the you know, way of the Venn

diagram is designed.

Okay.

It makes my head spin trying to figure out what I'm looking

at here.

I was so the rock version takes over this whole corner and

then it overlaps with everything else and I'm trying to

look around.

So I'm focusing on the rock section because I'm a rock and

roll guy and I know what most of them are, but I want to

make sure I'm not missing something and then we're R&B

overlaps with rock rock and roll is Youngblood and then

like R&B, Youngblood.

No, no, no, you put that in the wrong place.

There's no R&B and Youngblood stuff.

There's rap.

There's dance.

There's pure rock and roll loud Ozzy Osbourne sounding rock

English, you know and and bouncy pop hip hop stuff.

I heard a bit of R&B in there.

So I'm still this is this is like the person who makes the

the schedule and then messes it up, you know, like me.

I don't know.

Maybe somebody put him in the wrong spot or maybe I'm Dom

and he does have a whole R&B thing.

So I'm trying to use this to do some studying is all so

I don't know.

Thank you for whoever posted the Venn diagram.

God.

Yeah, that looks cool.

I'll check it out and we'll put a link to that.

It looks like the reddit all the all the places you expect

to find it.

It it it gives me anxiety looking at it.

But thank you.

Thank you.

I'm trying to learn.

I'm trying to learn.

Don't forget the contest guys.

It's quick.

Talk.

Yeah, jump on that send us your tip for doing Bonnaroo.

It could be, you know, freeze your ice freeze the water to

wear comfortable shoes to know how to get in the pit.

Simplest thing ever the most difficult thing ever just move

quick and we'll get we'll give these away soon.

Yep.

Yeah, make sure you comment and then take a screenshot and

email that to us comments at the what podcast calm think

about the back from how we might get in contact with you.

If you enter there you go.

There you go.

All right.

Let's take a break and we'll come back and we've got some

other music news to catch up on.

All right.

Welcome back.

Russ give us a quick because I always think it's fun to hear

about the bug of Palooza in part and I didn't mention it

last week because quite honestly I forget but you're very very

involved but it is a fundraiser and I think you said you

thought it did really well, right?

It did really well.

So bug of Palooza is Volkswagen show.

I'll just give you the quick history.

We started this I think going back about 25 years ago.

We did a little thing at the dealership on a Saturday

afternoon just kind of bring old Volkswagen's out.

These are classic buses bugs Carmen Ghia's things that did

really well.

We ended up moving to Camp Jordan, which is a local park

here in Chattanooga mostly for sports.

There's little league, you know baseball fields and soccer

fields and stuff.

We've basically taken it over in the past 25 years.

We've grown it out to where we take up the entire thing

including the campground.

So we have a Volkswagen show.

We have campouts.

We have a swap vendors selling parts selling cars.

And since 2008 we have partnered with the Ronald McDonald

House here in Chattanooga.

They have been great to us.

We support them and we donate pretty much all of the money

to them.

We usually I don't know what the total is going to be this

year, but we usually do between 12 and $20,000 to the Ronald

McDonald House and we've done that since 2008.

That's awesome.

So that's really the reason we do it.

But yeah, I've been involved for a long time just helping

set up the website and social media, but also, you know

setting up the stage and doing judging because we do a

judged car show where we give out trophies to the top stuff

and then you'll parking show cars and vendors.

I've been involved with this really about half my life.

It's awesome.

So it's been a big part and you know, it's every year in

April and so that's where I was last year.

It was really great.

We had a great turnout and it was a lot of fun and hopefully

we'll raise a lot more money for Ronald McDonald House.

Yeah, look great.

I used to go and I still do regularly.

I just don't necessarily hit it every year anymore, but

it's it's always a fun time, especially when you get a

weather weekend like you did last week.

Oh man, the weather was great.

Yeah, and you know how April can be in Chattanooga.

Sometimes we have a great weather like this weekend.

Sometimes it's raining.

Sometimes it's snowing.

We've had it all.

And I did send you that picture and you all guys talked

about it.

But Brian, you used to have a bus and I run across that

and took a picture.

It I get over it real quick.

But as soon as I see it, my heart jumps a little bit like

oh God, there it is.

And then it's like, okay.

All right.

Forget about that.

That was a not a nightmare.

I'm not going to go that far saying nightmare as we

talked last week boats, you know, pools, things that

have a lot of upkeep.

That's a bit of an exaggeration.

Not a big big exaggeration.

Not that much.

Yeah, we'll get into that.

I just like to see it because it reminds me of a time

when Bryan Stone was cool.

Those days are gone.

No, but you sold it to a buddy of mine, Gene.

Gene still has it, you know, and that's that's who I

talked to with it.

And it's very similar to my story because we both got

them in our early 20s.

I got mine in 2000.

I think I was 20.

And then I sold mine in 2004 and then bought it back

in 2007.

I don't know if you had to realize I did know I knew

you sold it and then bought it back.

Yeah, because I then I was like, I should buy mine

back.

Russ can do it.

I can do it.

Yeah, it was just such a rare opportunity because I

know we all have that one car that we've had that we

think man if I just kept it, you know, I have to

like me that was the bus.

So I know firsthand that that that feeling that when

your heart drops when you see it and I had that and

then coincidentally I had the chance to buy it back

and he had you know, I'd blown it up.

I just couldn't afford to get it keep it running.

It was my only car at the time.

Oh no having reliable transportation was more

priority car.

Yeah, that's a problem.

My only car and you know, I just couldn't afford to

fix it again.

I took it to I had already sent it to Lockhart's VW

which was a old-school air-cooled VW shop here.

Long gone now.

I used to go there too.

It's long gone and I'll never forget because I called

him and you know, told him what had happened and

what I need and I said when's a good time I can

bring it down to you and he said well whenever you

got a lot of money and he was right.

Bring the satchel.

Yeah, pretty much.

Well, I'm happy Gene.

I'm happy Gene still has it long time old friend.

And so it's if I can't have it, I need somebody

who's going to take care of it.

Well, and he's had it for 15 years.

Yeah, and he said he's got plans.

It does need some updates and stuff.

He's going to start working on it.

And you know, ever since I bought mine back the

second time, it's always been a secondary vehicle

in addition to you know, having a daily driver or

reliable transportation.

So that's allowed me to actually kind of put some

more work into it and get it up and running to

where it needs to be.

Plus we also have the shop down here that we run

out the storage space down in East Ridge where

we've got a vehicle lift.

We've got yeah, you guys have parties over there,

man.

You guys have parties.

We have a fridge full of beer.

Yeah, we just get and hang out there.

I didn't have that to work on my bus.

I had to take it to the you need it to the dealership

twenty thousand dollars later.

I know I got to go.

Yeah.

But yeah, speaking of getting it in shape, it's

it's getting there for this year for Bonnaroo.

I've cleaned it up still got some stuff I want to

do.

But like I said, I'm sitting in it right now because

I'm just getting excited to get it out and drive it

to Bonnaroo.

Not a green screen.

Nice.

Nice.

This is real.

Earlier this week, I got to go see Little Feet.

Friend of mine is friends with Scott Sherrod, who is

their lead singer and does does their set list and

I'm hoping to have him on to talk about building a

set list because got to hang out with him after the

show and he brought up making their set list.

And of course, we've talked about that on here.

The idea of I think he said he tries to do a

different one three times.

It's not like fish, you know, where they never do

the same set.

He tries to rotate it about every third or fourth

time, but it was I think I think set list construction

is a great conversation.

Yeah, he used to do that when he was with Greg

Allman's band too.

So he does all the Little Feets and he did Greg

Allman's.

So I hope to have him on to continue that but the

show was at Memorial Auditorium, which will mean

nothing to anybody that's not in Chattanooga.

But it brought to mind how much the venues have

changed and the whole concert going experience has

changed where you now have these lounges if you'll

call it where you can pay a little extra pay a lot

extra some cases and go hang out beforehand in a

basically a private room with its own bathrooms,

a bar, sometimes food.

I know Russ.

Yeah, Barry, we did that when we went to Beat in

Nashville at the Ryman.

It was full buffet.

I mean it was it was nice.

It was worth I think it was worth it.

I mean it really wasn't that much more to buy the

extra access.

But yeah, it was great.

It just makes it before everyone else makes the

evening that much more special doesn't it?

And then we did that the other night.

We kind of just hung out and had a beer and got

there, you know, an hour early.

And then just kind of wandered into our seat.

It really really is kind of cool.

And I think you guys were saying beforehand that

the Caverns our second favorite place on Earth is

looking at creating something like that, right?

Yeah, that's what it looks like.

And it's so new and only a single announcement

through their social media that there's no

information yet to really know what it means

exactly.

But you're right Barry.

These things have been Madison Square Garden did

this for when I was there for Pearl Jam with our

buddy Brad just two years ago.

They have the whole the whole lounge thing.

That's a secondary thing.

And you know, I mean these venues when we get to

live nation here a little bit before we get out of

here and the latest there but I mean maximizing

dollars maximizing experiences which people

want.

Hey, this is not you know, this is this is a good

part of of the of this ethos that is getting

incredibly increasingly difficult and frustrating

to deal with from the different packages and the

different ticket options and the different days

and the pre-sales and the 10 pre-sale like they

really have over a complicated a lot of things.

But this is something that is quite enhancing to

people's experience that you know, you don't want

it don't buy it, you know, no big deal stay in your

car and tailgate and I saw you know, I've seen a

couple times when I've read about these options is

that they know people go to events and stay in their

cars and tailgate.

It's an American tradition sport sports more than

anything but but the the lot, you know, the lot

scene and I think they're wanting to hope and I

think it's been working for a lot of different

venues that yeah, your car is great, but you got to

bring all this you're spending all this money.

You set everything up.

You got to tear it down before you leave you got

then you're wondering if it is it am I getting done

quick enough?

Am I tearing down fast enough?

I'm be late for the show.

People do this at football games all the time, you

know, wander into the second quarter because you

stay at your tailgate all all day.

This is the way to give you that that's that

experience lying down.

I you can you paying for it, but here's your food.

Here's your drink.

Here's your exclusive.

Here's something that like your tailgate party

unless you invite somebody over it's who you invite

you've created your own little VIP section and

they're they're trying to kind of do that for you

and the Caverns are doing it now, which I'm just

excited to see what it is.

I can't figure out where it is except for I think

it's where we sit there and do interviews with people.

I think that's where it is.

Yeah.

When you're walking into the Caverns, it's you know,

the beautiful walk down underneath with that huge

like side that mouth.

Yeah, the giant mouth to your left as you're walking

in you have no real reason to know what's over there.

It's kind of dark and almost dingy looking if you

didn't know any better in the full daylight is not

dark and dingy at all.

You could throw a bunch of lights in there.

You could throw a bunch of seating in there and then

boom.

I'm guessing on this.

I don't know that that's where it actually is.

Yeah, I think I'm guessing too, but I think you're

right.

Yeah, usually that area is fenced off.

Yeah, it's you know, there's nothing there.

Don't go past this line kind of thing and they we

know the layout pretty well.

I don't know where else it would be.

So I just the innovativeness of Todd Mayo and everybody

involved at on Monagle Mountain and the Caverns is

is really impressive.

So absolutely and you remember when we were there

for Cave Fest, you know, he had just opened up.

What is it?

The Cavern Tavern little yeah, the building.

This is totally separate than the Cavern Tavern,

which is a place to catch a game and buy a beer.

Yeah.

Yeah, I just like the whole I don't know.

It just makes the whole evening extra special.

Yeah, they relax.

I agree.

You know, you see friends you talk you put pre-planned

the show, you know, everything that you would

typically do either tailgating or standing in a lobby,

but this way you're comfortable and they had boxes of

popcorn, you know, like movie boxes of popcorn on the

tables.

It was just cool.

Yeah, discounted drinks, you know, well, you've also

got to remember not, you know, this is I think this

is catering to people who don't go to shows as often

right.

We sometimes we get I do anyway get stuck in the I'm

using a mindset of a guy who does this all the time.

A guy who does this all the time isn't going to upcharge

for a lounge probably, but the guy that person that

travels an hour from Chattanooga or or Murfreesboro

and wants to go to a show and only does a show twice

a year and like hey we can have our own little VIP

section for just a little extra money.

It's a perfect.

Yeah, perfect idea for that.

Yeah, it's a really good mid-range option because you

know, there's always people that are going to go VIP

everything first class every time and spend all that

money and then there's another bunch of people that

are just going to go GA, you know, regular no frills

every time.

This kind of gives you a little bit of a maybe I'll

just enjoy just a little bump.

I'm not going to spend VIP money, but I'm going to

spend a little more and get you know a little bit

plus you get your own better experience than typically.

Yeah.

And in some cases there's a gift.

I mean we were supposed to have gotten a poster at

the Beat Show and I don't remember they couldn't for

some reason.

I think they ran out.

We you know, we stood in that line for a long time.

No, there was it was a new I think it was that when it

was announced beforehand that there was you're right.

They okay.

Yeah, they did tell us.

Yeah, we weren't going to get the poster.

Yeah, sometimes you got about that.

So anyway, I just now I'm mad again.

Thanks for reminding me of that.

I will I would have been disappointed as hell about

not getting that poster.

Anyway, that's I think it's just a neat thing and and

it also reminds me and we've said this before people

have money and they're willing to spend it.

Maybe not you and me, you know, I'm looking for the

cheap, you know, how can I get in but people have money

and they will spend it.

Well, there's also the people like my mom and who

doesn't go to concerts, but if you try to upsell her

she'll buy his she's a salesman's dream.

And so sometimes people are just going to be like,

hey, doesn't that looks pretty cool.

I don't care.

It cost fit.

I'm making up numbers 50 bucks or $2 or $150.

Yeah, I'll take that too.

So to have that option there is and and and you know,

if any of these things like I want to sound like I'm

contradicting myself too much.

Sometimes these things do get out of control.

Like we've talked about it here with Bonnaroo and the

platinum thing which they've done away with that.

We spent a long time on this two years ago on the

platinum thing that didn't work.

That was a bad upsell.

Well, it worked for you because you're the king of

sneaking into the thing or just walk it as you said,

not sneaky.

And I just walked in.

They didn't turn me away.

All the proof you need to know that that wasn't a very

good program.

So sometimes it doesn't work if it if it's you know,

if if if a perk for somebody is getting in the way of

GA that's my biggest thing as long as you were not

messing with GA I can't I'm going to fight for the

little guy because I am the little guy.

Sure.

Sure.

As long as the cheapest ticket in the room isn't

getting thrown in the back and getting disrespected as

far as the way I look at it then do whatever you want.

And that's what that festival in Mexico the Corona

Jesus Corona Capitol.

Yeah, Corona Capitol that I was so lucky to be able to

go to last year.

I thought they did the best job I've ever seen of

having amazing amenities and upgrades and up upsells

and still GA had exactly what they were expecting to

have.

So anyway, spent more time on that we planned but it's

a it's a nice no problem.

Well, since you mentioned the caverns though, we should

also mention we will be at Cave Fest October 9th 10th

11th, I think is right.

And you know, that's going to be a big party big time

lots of music lots of hanging out lots of camping.

And I think it's a speaking of ticket prices.

It's a hundred bucks a hundred bucks ninety nine

dollars the whole weekend and that includes camping

and there is a Friday add-on speaking of add-ons

because there's a Friday night party in the cave that

is I think is a separate option you can buy.

Yeah, but you don't have to you can just spend a hundred

bucks and set up camp and come out Saturday and Sunday.

It's always fun.

Kind of like April got a hope for the weather to work

out.

But last year it certainly did last year.

It certainly did and speaking of ticket prices and one

that tried to do some add-ons but doesn't seem to be

working is the whole kid rock.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Good call.

I'm glad you brought that up because I almost forgot

about it.

So the other rock the country thing we won't do much

on this.

You can see it in my stupid looking smirk.

Yeah, so they're the rock the country thing is a bunch

of these, you know what it is if you don't look at

so they're they're having people bands fall off here

and there but you left and right because of backlash

from fans you talk amongst yourself whether you think

that's ridiculous or not jelly roll is the latest to

to not be available for some of these shows and he's a

pretty big draw.

So people are like, I don't really you know what's going

on here.

Hey you fellow loving Americans.

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Nice tickets aren't selling.

Yeah.

Nope.

Yeah, that's that's what I'm reading.

Try tickets aren't selling and they're then of course

comment sections are well we paid full price.

What about us?

So very voucher for a tank of gas very similar to the

news.

If you choose to follow along which I don't anymore the

contradictory nature of every few minutes.

It's like say this.

Wait, you just said that right now.

You said this you said that you said that what is going

on same thing right here.

Right.

Have fun of rock the country is where you're going.

And what else there's still some more news live Nation.

I know Tennessee is what one of the states that's didn't

sign off on that.

Yeah, the green.

Yeah, there's a lot going on here because it tried to

get settled not long ago.

Of course the the antitrust stuff we're talking about

with live Nation and Ticketmaster.

Well, it was settled with the federal government, right?

But then it was picked back up by another court.

I get so confused with the judiciary and then this

administration just changes the rules every day.

So I don't know what I don't know what we do.

Yeah, I think being Barry mentioned it when the news

came out that the DOJ the federal case was settled

which was shocking to all of us because what more

blatant Monopoly in America is there other than Ticketmaster

and live Nation.

So the settlement was a slap on the wrist.

I think it was like 30 million dollars.

Somebody pointed out they'll make that back Tuesday.

Yeah, you know, yeah, that's a Tuesday for them.

But in that settlement many states had the option to

move forward with their own lawsuits.

So I think about 34 states banded together and then

continued the case and that was just tried and the

jury found them liable of being a monopoly.

So even though the federal government is out many

states chose to not participate in that settlement

and move forward.

So I think the next step now is there'll be another

hearing a judge has to decide what penalties will

come of this whether they're going to break it up

whether they're going to have to divest whether

they're going to have to open up to competitors to

allow ticket sales through other options.

Hopefully all of the above.

Well, I'm cynical and everything is, you know,

they'll they'll work around this.

I mean to the it's almost to the point now to where

the without them we've talked about this in a little

way in little ways and different things with that

without live nation operating the way they are a

lot of things can't happen anymore.

And I don't I don't know that private privatization

this further like oh now I can be live nation to no

you can't.

Yeah, no, no, no, no, just just because the law

changed or let's say it does or there's some kind of

there's breakups or any of that legality that doesn't

mean somebody can pick up this monstrosity and run

with it.

So I don't know it's almost to the point where it's

now it's like, you know, just let them let them do

it.

I don't know.

Well traditionally look what's happened every time

we've broken up a monopoly going back into the 80s.

You know, we broke up AT&T into all these smaller

phone companies.

Well, guess what they just bought each other back

out and became AT&T again.

It's true.

Same thing with standard oil.

What was that back in the 30s?

You know, we broke up the oil company and they became

SO which became Exxon and now we've got basically

the same, you know, conglomerates running everything.

So this thing if it if history is any indication will

break up Ticketmaster and they'll just reform in another

name, you know, yeah, they'll work around it.

They always do but it's at least they're doing something

I guess for yeah, yeah more than I guess.

Yeah, at least they're doing something and we'll see

where you know the Senators and congressmen little kids

couldn't get their Taytay ticket.

So they had to step in and do something had to do

something if they're yeah, if little Congresswoman

child can't go to the show that oh my goodness and then

the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced their their

actual inductees for this year.

I just figured it was worth a mention as we get close

to wrapping up today.

I'll just run through it quickly.

Phil Phil Collins Billy Idol Iron Maiden help me.

It's shoday right Barry shoday.

Yeah, Luther van Dras Wutang clan and then Joy Division

New Order, which has always bungled my mind as to what

that combo band is.

I did a quick search on it before the show started.

So now I I somewhat remember when the lead singer Joy

Division died in 1980 and they changed to New Order.

So basically the same band with a new singer.

Are they Rock and Roll worthy?

I don't know.

I don't think it matters what anybody thinks about this

but I know Oasis if I didn't say it of course Oasis is

I mean, of course they're going to put them in after

the the explosion of dollars made off of them last year.

So yeah, no kidding doesn't mean a whole lot.

I do like a list.

I do like award shows at least at least mention them,

you know anything that bothers anybody on you guys on

there at all.

I mean Luther van Dras.

I mean, I know he's mostly producer songwriter for

you know, the Whitney Houston's and Aretha Franklin

Franklin and a bunch of other.

He's one of my favorites.

Yeah, I'd say he's yeah.

He's one of my favorites when you need some sparking

music isn't hard to beat Luther.

There you go.

Collins it seems like when we mentioned the do you have

a thought on Phil Collins when we talked about the

nominees from a couple months ago Barry and I think

it's nobody else.

Yeah, I think that's right.

He's a great drummer with Genesis, but his solo stuff.

I can't stand.

Okay, I thought that's what you said.

I just based you know, sometimes it just goes back

to what you grew up with sure and I was sitting in

cars listening to you know, my dad throwing in if we

weren't listening to light mix 105 they'll station here

in town.

We would he would throw in the what's the Russ I

think, you know Phil Collins a little bit.

No jacket required.

I had that same album with the red face the red face

on the front of it.

Yes, right.

My dad did too and no jacket required dad had that

out was always in there and then there's a few of

those songs that I just you know, they're guilty

pleasures like, you know, what's the song you need

paradise right like that's not that good of a song,

but I just have childhood memories of so I like I

like, you know, studio.

I don't love studio but soup soup studio.

Yeah, what is that?

What is so it comes on and yeah, something to turn

the dial.

Yeah, there you go.

There you go.

I just think it's I think I think I think it's cool.

I don't know if he's rock worthy of I don't know

where you want to pull those metrics from about.

I think he fits worthiness.

Right.

No, he I don't like him, but he qualifies as much

as anybody.

I mean he had so many hits and there's only a couple

times that I've pushed back Tribe Called Quest being

one of them here recently.

I it makes I can't even get my head around Tribe

Called Quest being a rock and roll Hall of Famer and

I have trouble with Shade.

I mean smooth operator, right?

And then what what else you know, what are we talking

about here?

But there's a huge she had a zeitgeist.

I don't know about rock and roll.

Yeah.

Well, yeah, but they've they've abandoned that.

Yeah, they've abandoned that idea a long time ago

and I'm fine with that too.

That's been that's like your Venn diagram right there.

I mean, yeah, no exactly the genres don't matter as

much exactly and then Wu-Tang Clan, you know, I mean,

you know, sure right.

I mean, they're they were huge for a while and Rick

Rubin is in as a music excellent award honoree.

I'm sure he'll be insufferable about that.

But I'm sure you know, Rick Rubin deserves to be in

and in some capacity.

So anyway, that'll be the reception will be or the

the TV show essentially will be later in the fall.

So happy to see Oasis there and see how you know,

what what kind of stupid stuff they stay on stage.

Yeah, last thing Bob Dylan just came into town and

played Friday night Daniel and Sharla from Huntsville

and story time at the Roobus.

They came up and went to that show and stayed overnight

at my house.

And then we woke up Saturday morning and went to

Cracker Barrel and then he talked me into going to

Huntsville Saturday because he was doing a comic

book convention or something and he was leading a

panel that NASA was hosting.

So he talked me into going down to Huntsville for

the day and help out with that.

So you were just in Huntsville yesterday.

I was in Huntsville yesterday.

Woke up went to Huntsville for the day.

Yeah, kind of a last minute thing.

But you know, they came into town.

So it was good to see them.

I'm sure they'll talk about that show on their podcast.

But it was a good time.

Easy enough to see Bob Dylan.

Yeah, easy enough drive down to Huntsville on a

beautiful day.

Sure.

Why not?

Right?

Oh, it was great.

Yeah.

Yeah, enjoyed it.

Had I not gone to Little Feet, I would have gone to

that Dylan show.

You got to see them while you can see them.

I think.

All right.

I know Rush, you got to get out of here, right?

Yeah.

Next time we'll go through the schedule again, because

I need a chance to go through my picks and all

that.

But yeah, we'll do that next time.

All right.

But good talk.

Yeah, good stuff.

Appreciate it guys.

Don't forget the contest.

Get on that.

Yeah, comment.

Give us your tips.

Move quick.

Basically, all you got to do is try to get ahold of

us and say you want to win and you're in.

So, I mean, you're registered, right?

Like you're you're part of it.

So, yeah, move quick because we'll be giving you by

the time you hear from us again or look at our dumb

faces.

We will have an answer for you.

All right.

Move quick.

We'll pick a winner and then come see us live at

Thursday at four on the house stage at Planet Rue

at Bonnaroo because we'll have another giveaway to

give out.

Yeah, you might as well come by get out of the sun

on your way over to the wet stage because that's the

only two places where things will be happening.

Us.

Yeah, you're not going to miss anything.

Yeah, you're not going to miss a thing.

All right.

Have a great week guys.

See you soon.