Bonnaroo just made several big changes: some cuts, some returns, and some updates that will affect everyone going in 2026. In this episode, we break down everything we know so far: JamTrak disappearing, the app shifting to Festiverse, questions around the Who Stage, Bonnaroo Radio returning, wristband warnings, ticket updates, and more. We also talk about our live show at Bonnaroo, this year's giveaway, and what these changes mean for your weekend on the Farm.
After the Bonnaroo block, stick around for fun extras: Volkswagen stories, VIP upgrades at The Caverns, Rock the Country news, Ticketmaster rulings, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame updates, and Roo Bus/Bob Dylan talk.
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!
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Bonnaroo Cuts, Changes, and What's 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 Bonnarooo.
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 Bonnarooo 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 Bonnarooo 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
Bonnarooo.
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 Bonnarooo 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 Bonnarooo just anything that makes Bonnarooo
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 Bonnarooo 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 Bonnarooo.
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 Bonnarooo 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 Bonnarooo completely.
But our what is he called the magic man, right?
The Bonnarooo 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 Bonnarooo
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 Bonnarooo 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 Bonnarooo.
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 Bonnarooo.
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 Bonnarooo.
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 Bonnarooo 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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fuel costs are up and we want to help in response to rising
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You can enjoy 50% off general mission passes taking a
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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 Bonnarooo 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.
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