Bonnaroo Vets

Barry Courter you smiling today. I am smile. Are you smiling today?

Why you got a big smile on your face today there Barry Courter?

Because this is another great day for a podcast. It is always a great day for a podcast

This is the what podcast with Barry Courter from the Chattanooga Times Street Press. I'm Brad sign it from hits 96

W do D in Chattanooga, Tennessee. So today is a little bit of a different format today

We're shaking it up just a little bit. I'm not gonna follow the tried-and-true method

We're gonna talk to a long time Bonnarooo vet the senior vice president promotion operations Jim Burris from Columbia Records

And then we're gonna talk to some of our friends who are also Bonnarooo vets. This is a Bonnarooo vet themed show today

I like how you say the tried-and-true method is if we've been doing this for years and years

Had a tried-and-true method. We've been doing it since back in the war. You remember that one

Yeah, actually what I love about this podcast is that we get to make it up as we go. Yeah, and

This was another fun idea. Yeah, I think I hope people are gonna like it

So I've been excited to talk to Jim since we started

Okay, so Jim is let me give you a backstory about Jim Burris now

You don't know what his name is

You don't know who he is probably but this is a major major player in the industry, especially at Columbia Records

I didn't know who he was and nor should I I'm just some radio flunky in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Well, I happened to be at the Grammys a few years ago and again shouldn't have been there

There's no reason for me to be there

we're getting ready for the Grammys and I'm sitting outside of a hotel and I've got the whole you know, Tom Ford suit on and

We're just hanging out and waiting for our friend. Who's the guy getting us the tickets?

so we sit down outside of this swanky LA hotel and

Our friend walks up and he introduces us to Jim Burris. And of course, I don't know who he is

He doesn't know who I am

But we sit down and we sat literally for two hours

Just shooting the shit watching pretty girls walk by. Yeah, it was

Unbelievable is one of the best nights of my entire life

We literally didn't want to go to the Grammys because me and him struck up such a good conversation

And you'll know why you struck up a good conversation coming up in a bit because that's how good

I was getting ready to say I would be surprised at that story had I not spent an hour on the phone

Yesterday he's what we call in at the newspaper a one question interview. He's perfect. He's amazing. How are you?

He's got so many stories

He's got so much perspective and ever since ever since then like I after I found out who he was I

They told me that like who was like, oh, why was he talking to me? Yeah, like what did like how in the world?

He's just a great dude. He's a

Got so many great insights about the industry and how he's seen it changed and what Banh Ru has meant to the industry

And that's what sort of the reason why you know every time he comes to the camp every year

He'll stop by a camp and you know, he's become our friends now

Yeah, and this is what we decide to talk every time every year

We talked to him about the same sort of stuff he comes by and he takes a tour. He always likes to see what's new

There's always something new writing a water slide this year Jim and you know, he mentions it in our conversation

But I remember last year when he kind of looked at his watch and said, oh my gosh, I gotta go

Yeah work to do he hung out for quite a while and

What I like and you hear it definitely in our talk is he's just passionate about music

That's right and loves it just like us and that's the connecting and that's why I not only is because he's a good dude

But he that's why he fits in so well at our camp

absolutely because he loves this no matter, you know what kind of access he gets and

Let me tell you it's pretty damn good swings a big bat. Yes

He's still he's still out there sweating it just like everybody else's that is awesome to me. Yeah, absolutely you hear it

I mean you you guys are gonna hear it

It seriously was like basically a one question. How are you and we laugh about it?

We couldn't have written the script. Yeah, you know anybody couldn't have and it's much like the same Paul interview

It went so well

We just decided to make this today's podcast and what we've decided to do for the second part of it is bring in some

Of our camp mates, which we mentioned last week as a side or a joke, right?

And a couple of people texted or emailed and said that I'd love to hear that and so and let's be honest

And let's be honest. They ain't got much to do. They don't have anything else to do. Sad lonely people

All right

So we'll introduce to them here in a little bit and then the final part will be us drawing the winner of the Bonnarooo

Tickets and thank you so much for all of your comments all of your questions all of your

Input throughout the the course of this podcast up until today

We're gonna draw a winner from all of your comments at the what podcast comm so without further ado Jim Burris the senior vice president

President promotion operations for Columbia Records. Well, hello, sir. Well, hello Jim Burris. How are you? I'm doing pretty well

Well, welcome to the what podcast the most listened to podcast in the history of podcasts about Bonnarooo. I

Love hearing that. Yes

Now Jim Burris is the senior vice president promotion operations of Columbia Records and Bonnarooo vet

How many Bonnarooo's have you been to sir? That is a good question

I believe I've been to nine now. Okay. All right. That's a pretty good number

Why did you originally say you know what I'll go to Bonnarooo, you know

It was one of those things that I had a number of trusted friends that that you know

This is the premier place to go for music. This is where the music junkies go

there were many other festivals are on the scenes and you know, everything was kind of crazy at the time and

I said I'll go and I went and it was absolutely true. I love the people. I love the music

I love the art everything seemed to blush, you know blend together. Hey Jim Perry quarter here. Good talking to you

Thanks for doing this. Of course. Yeah

That's the answer that you know

not exactly but sort of that I was hoping for and the reason that I was really excited to

To talk to you about this is absolutely. Let me interrupt you for one sec

I'm getting a bleed through on a baseball game in my ear. Oh, yeah. There you go. Yeah

I was watching the Mets game. Sorry

Well, you're lucky I said baseball because normally I equate that to a sport that the Yankees play and not the Mets

So I but you know, okay. Well the second best record in baseball tells you that the Mets are doing okay

Well, we'll see we'll see you at the end. I hear this every year, but that's okay. Keep your dream alive

You're you're you're absolutely under triple digits you're actually in the double digits before Bonnarooo begins so feeling okay right now

Absolutely, but but yeah, so yeah, I think truthfully, you know to go back to your original

You know the question, you know, it really did come down to the music. I

Somebody asked me the other day why they didn't wait why I didn't go to Coachella and I kind of joked about I didn't

Have the right uniform. I didn't have the right clothing, you know

The right headdress and I never felt that that was really what was the case when I got to Bonnarooo

Maybe it's because the farm of 770 acres is you know kind of enclosed

So to speak you don't have to leave to go to hotels or anything like that

and even if you did you were lucky enough to get one of the

0.001 percent hotel rooms that are on or around the Manchester area there

It's a half a mile away. So you're always on site

And I also think because you don't have curfews and that this is a kind of like a living organism

It's happening at all times and it's not just music that's happening, you know

I mean, I can't tell you how you know the comedy tent now they've got movies

It's even going by and seeing you know, a lot of the vendors the arts. I just saw it today

I just got a new email talking about the food vendors

The brewery tent is now back in effect and stuff like that

So it's a great big offering and I think all of that adds to the community

I also believe back in the day when superfly started this whole thing. They started a code of ethics

So, you know, they didn't want you know bad people so to speak and you know

There was the high five Fridays and and they celebrate a lot of that and they continue to celebrate that especially on their socials

And what have you so it just brings that whole community together again based in anchored by music

I feel like Jim should be hosting this podcast

Do you have any questions for us?

I got really lucky in my life. I got involved with music at a very young age

I've been able to have it as you know, as my vocation

Obviously, it's my career, but it's one of those things that I get excited

I get jazzed about you know that you know, we we we have a group of us

I mean, you know, obviously you guys are part of that group and you know

there are things in places and people that we want to go see and and and and and

You know relive so to speak and then there are these people in places and things you want to go explore

And I can't tell you how many places and things that I've seen, you know on the farm

That I didn't know about you know, I mean I'd always liked dr

Dogg, but I'd never seen him love absolutely loved it. I actually showed up to you know, royal blood and and thought okay

I'm at the wrong tent and next thing I know is I'm looking through my booklet

I had no idea was two guys and one guy is playing bass and not a guitar

I'm like, wow, there's a lot more music coming out of that

And so, you know, it's just some of those aha moments and then you know, some of those aha moments

You're like why didn't I ever know about this or how did I not know that there were two people in this band?

You know that kind of thing and it's somebody who's actually in the industry and you don't know this that's you know

If you're caught by surprise, that's pretty that's pretty special. I'm sure

Well, yeah, I mean I guess to a degree

I mean, I certainly don't know, you know a lot in we do kind of get insulated

I'm very lucky for the label that I work for, you know

We have a very broad brush stroke, you know a very deep history and a breadth of music

But there's just so much more that's out there, you know

And and it covers just so so much and and I think that's you know

Another piece of it that this gives me that opportunity

especially over the four days that are you know that are that are going on that I can really really kind of

Let loose and see things and get out of my comfort zone. See this

We couldn't I don't think we could have scripted

Because this is so important that I think if for the people who've never been

They don't quite understand because Ashley caps

of course is a co-founder said a very similar thing and that's why I was excited to talk to you because

You guys do like we do we show up. We become fans. We do everything that a fan does

I mean you're not there. I've never seen you there trying to you know, VIP your way around things. You don't you know

Got to get the super secret whatever, you know out back. Wait, wait, what's what's wrong with that?

Because that's sort of what I do. That's where Brad and I differ

That's where we differ

It's the experience

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, he's getting the super secret, but it's the experience that that is Bonnaroo

That is what makes it so unique and and that's what I love here and you say that you enjoy about it

Yeah, I really I really do. Yeah

Yeah

And what you do is sort of the common theme about practically everybody that talks about Bonnaroo is that you romanticize it

You you know, we think about it almost like a girlfriend you keep seeing once a year and it's you know

I that's good. Yeah, and I come back to her every year and every year she comes around. It's a it's a blast

And about the time you're sick of her. It's Sunday

That's so true, you know and it's funny cuz I was I literally made my plane ticket

I mean, you know my plane reservations have got my tickets, you know a few weeks ago and I you know

Obviously it starts on Thursday, but I'm coming down on Thursday morning. I you know, I've landed in Nashville

I drive down and I'm kind of excited, you know to get to that point where I go pick up my credentials

And you know, I'm fortunate enough that that I do have credentials

So I have that and but I I go and every year I say the same thing

I say well, you know Thursday's kind of like the beginning day

I can do the happy chat say hi kind of make my way around

Maybe I'll walk the farm a little bit and see if there's you know

Something new or you know something I hadn't seen, you know

Just kind of familiarize myself and the next thing I know is it's three o'clock in the morning. I'm like, oh well, I

Don't know how that happened and you know and truthfully, you know these conversations were I can't tell you how many times in

a professional setting or a cocktail party, you know a

Social situation, you know, you kind of go in there and you work the room and you kind of kind of get in

You're almost looking sadly enough over somebody's shoulder to see who's the next most important person or who you have to actually see

I never felt that way there. I've always felt that I never have enough time to spend with people, you know

I've read last time we were there

I think we spent two hours together just you know off to the side at the campsite

Right and you know, I realized that I had to leave because I had an artist that was going on

I'm like, I'm so sorry and I felt like we got cheated

Yeah, you couldn't get that second Bloody Mary could you? Well, the first one was a very very good by the way

I am the Bloody Mary master of camp. I'm sure I guarantee it that and a few other the beer specialties

No doubt when you first went and I always liked the the original

Feeling that you had when you walked into Bonnarooo

You probably didn't know what to expect you were going on what somebody had

Basically told you about the festival to begin with when you first walked in. What was the first thing you saw?

What was the first thing that caught you off guard? And what's the first thing that made you say this might be pretty special?

Well, I'm gonna answer that in a couple of ways first and foremost

I drove down and there was a complication and problem with the main highway that went down and I was fortunate enough to have like the secret

Map to be able to go in the back way and I

Yellow ribbon, right? That's exactly what it was. It was the big I'm like, I look I'm from the Midwest

I'm from Missouri. I know exactly what an oak tree looks looks like. So I made that turn. I'm going down there

I'm like, I hope this is right and then I turn again and I'm down there and all of a sudden I see miles and miles

And miles of cars and I see people, you know, if I'm in traffic, you look I live in New York if I'm in traffic

I'm going to a Yankee game

I'm trying to get over to you know, see a show over in New Jersey at the Meadowlands or something like that

I'm I'm suicidal and homicidal by the time I get there. I'm there and I'm seeing people, you know

Going from car to car running up there sharing beer sharing this experience is honking having flags

You know, it was like it was like a rainbow of

color emotion and passion and so once I did get in there I

You know same people I'm hearing all kinds of music coming out of people's cars

Everybody's friendly and I was I parked and I parked right behind the main stage the what stage and I looked and I'm like

Holy cow that is huge

I mean I felt like I was back at a skyscraper

I'm like and then you see the buses and then you see the trucks and you realize, you know

This is a work in progress and that work in progress is the

770 acres that are there is an empty farm that they truck everything in and truck everything out

Now granted today there are a few structures that stay there etc

But that's what happens over, you know, you know many years, you know over a decade of the celebration

But then I started to walk around the grounds and I could not believe the enormity of it

And then I kind of got into that operational thing

Well, how do you have all these different tense act as in that the other and you're like, well, do they play at the same?

Well, how come this one doesn't drown out that one and I'm like, oh, they just must have it orchestrated

Or people go from point a to point P, you know, like the the hands of a clock

No, they actually have it going at all times

And again, it's really interesting because rarely will you find especially at Bonnarooo that things stack up where you don't get to

See what you really want to see

I'm now granted you do have to plan a little bit ahead because there are commute times to get from you know

The what stage all the way to you know, this stage or the tent or you know, what have you or you don't get over to?

Get your Amish doughnuts, you know, whatever you're into, you know, you have to plan a little head ahead

But it's always been very

Fairly easy negotiable to negotiate and each year it seems to get a little easier like somebody went

Well, you know what this would make more sense or on this we should do that. So

And I've gone to other festivals. Don't get me wrong

I'm not going to mention them because I don't want to make it sound negative to anybody

But there's not anything that I've gone to that has matched this right?

For me, I've done my job

I've written at the newspaper now for 30 almost 30 years 31 years the first

Bonnaroo that I went to it kind of crystallized in my head and it very definitely crystallized in my head after seeing McCartney

But the first Bonnaroo I went to reminded me of why I got into the business. I had sort of become it was

Jaded everything was same. I was just kind of you know chugging along doing it and it completely reenergized me

and then the McCartney was the reason I got into music at all was the Beatles and and

When we talked to Ashley, I reminded him Brad and I I introduced him at forecastle and

Brad thanked Ashley caps for saving music. We had a nice long conversation

There might have been some bourbon involved. I don't I don't tend to bloviate much

No, but he was I think he was very honest and

from your point of view

What did Bonnaroo do for the music industry because it really was the first one to prove that American festival?

I mean we had Coachella and Lollapalooza, but it

Bonnaroo in my opinion, we now have hundreds of festivals

It's sort of it definitely kicked the live music festival

But did it do anything to the music industry as a whole from where you sit?

Well, I think you know, yes, I do believe that I believe it kind of helped congeal it again

You know, we are now so used to having things so compartmentalized

I mean think about what radio is today

You don't just have a pop radio station or a top 40 radio station when I was growing up a top 40 radio station

Played the best top the 40 hits from all different kinds of music whether it was an R&B or country or you know

Whatever that might have been and it kind of seems to me that that's what Bonnaroo is now

I'm not saying it's pop by any stretch, but you do have pop, you know leaning and sensitivities there

But it gives you the breadth and and that deep feeling of everything and it cross-pollinates

so I believe it helped us to turn people on to more music to give them that access and obviously a

platform where people can you know really go out and enjoy and

It's not one of those things where I'm gonna show up at this tent to see this band just to be seen

I'm there because I'm exploring. I'm curious. I like them

I want to see them again and I think that platform, you know is extremely important to have and again

One of the things that I love the most and then that's not just because of Bonnaroo. I

Love the sense of discovery, you know, I know that you know today I'm a true radio, you know guy

But obviously with what goes on and I share a lot of different types of music

I still I still play vinyl, you know, I still play CDs

I still listen to the radio and I stream, you know, and I use a little bit of everything and I learn and I you know

I digest and everything like that. I love New Music Fridays

I mean I sit there and I can't wait to get up on on Friday morning and look, you know to see what's out and

Who's out and discover and I kind of get that feeling when I go down there, you know again

I kind of drank the Kool-Aid from the very first time I went there and

And you know going back a couple of questions ago when I first got there and what was my first indication?

One of the guys that had originally told me you got to go down

I can't explain it to you. You just got to go and and it's like yeah, you know

It's it's like one of those things that you kind of have to be there

You kind of have to experience it. You can look online. You can check out the pictures

You can look at the artists

You can look at the food pages and everything that goes with it, but there's just something there

You know that that grabs you and won't let go and the only way to get that is to be there now

Again back to this. Does it help us? I do you know from from a promotion and marketing standpoint

I believe it gives us the platform

I lived in San Francisco for a number of years and there are a couple of venues in San Francisco alone

The film were there if an artist went there they turned it up for whatever reason you did not see a bad show there

I have that same feeling when I go to Bonnarooo

It feels to me that they go there for something and that McCartney show that you were talking about

I was there and I it was I was very excited to see it and I took my son and he's been with me probably

80 or 90 percent of the times that I've gone down there ever since he graduated from college

It was kind of one of those things. He didn't have a job and I said come with me

And he wasn't excited to go he knew oh, you know one of the only surviving Beatles

I go you have no idea you have to see this

This is much larger much bigger and much more, you know different than you could imagine

I think we were in the third song and he got down on his knee and I thought well, this is weird

He's not proposing to me and he goes this is me apologizing to you and eating crow

I was wrong and three and a half hours later. He looked at me after he sang every song

He nearly had a tear in his eye and he's like, holy shit dad. This is amazing that that was

Moments. Yeah, I was bawling like a baby and I'm was never a Beatles fan, but I cried at least three times that show

I don't know why but it just evokes some sort of emotion that cut right through me man

Well part of it, you know what you were saying Jim is the bands turning it up

I got the feeling and I'd seen him before that that was a let me show you young kids

How I can still rock and roll type of moment for Paul. I mean it was it was huge

Yeah, and I think for him and other artists for that matter, you know, we see this a lot

We represent Bruce Springsteen and we have a number of you know of heritage and classic artists and and I'm all for a

Parent or you know loved one or friend to take a younger person

And I can't tell you how many times I go see and see an eight or nine year old kid there with their parents trying

To relive something that they had with Bruce Springsteen or Roger Waters David Gilmore those type of artists that we represent and I love that

But I don't see that at Bonnarooo

I see everybody going there for a specific reason but I do see the milestone theory coming back where something happens

Something is heard or something is is recreated that takes people back and maybe it doesn't take them back

But it takes them back to like for example, there's a couple of Paul McCartney songs that of course my son doesn't know about it

He's too young. He didn't live at that particular time

But he knows what it meant to his mother and it was so funny because he took his iPhone out

He's recording a couple of things and sending short video clips to her like mom check this out and it meant the world to her

But it also touched him in a way

You know that he thought enough to act and react and do that

Well, it goes to show you how great that show is because it I don't think a podcast has gone by where we haven't brought

The show up, but you know, I walked into a friend of mine who actually is a podcast listener. His name is Dan

He's a Bonnarooo Santa if you follow any sort of Bonnarooo caricatures

He's Bonnarooo Santa you walk around basically a Santa with a big white beard

I ran into him after the McCartney show and I said what'd you think and he just just dead faces a big

You know very boisterous man who's got reactions that just make you giggle because he's just a big caricature

Yeah, his face goes stone stone white and he said it was almost too much for me to get through and I said why Dan

I mean you loved it your packer Pete. What's the what's the problem?

He said because every song had a memory tied to it

every song that I that I listened to was a song that I broke up with my girlfriend one time or that my kid was

Born to or that I proposed to my wife with every single song was tied to a life moment of his and it was too

Emotional for him to actually get through that to me. That's pretty strong. I don't think you get that at the Phillips arena

So so true no you're a hundred percent right you're a hundred percent right back to the end going back going back to that

You know that moment, you know that that's an artist that

That not only met but exceeded expectations and and I don't know why because you know certainly we know that he's going to be on

A particular tier to do it, but is it the farm?

You know is it what everybody brings together and it comes together and you know

He has to and the band has to feel that when they're up there as well

Absolutely, I saw him in the Omni years and years ago, and it was nowhere near that right

It was it was what you just said I was there because I was getting to see a Beatle. Sure. That's right

Right hey just a double back about industry changes and it struck me being a radio guy

Who is very dependent on the record label and you being a guy who works at a record label?

Do you think that because of Bonnarooo and the artists that they choose and sometimes the artists they choose because they have this platform

Bonnarooo it allows them to be successful without really a

Label framework they can be successful at something like a festival circuit and doesn't that in turn

Challenge you guys to up your game and make and make much better decisions about artists

And and who you promote and who you put money behind etc

Yeah, I think that's a fair assessment

I think not to sound general

But I think that we and any label that's going to be successful and any label that's going to go out and properly

Represent their artists and the music they're in

You know they have to think about that all the time and I do believe having outlets like this is very key and very you know

Important to do I mean the music discovery is done

You know fortunately we have radio and we're always going to have radio and you're always see

You know that the polls that come out or the the pie charts that come out

you're only going to vacillate one or two percent a year up or down with regard to people falling off it's there and

You know and the up years by the way are usually because of political coverage

News coverage and stuff like that, but from a music standpoint a hundred percent

You know we we like I said we use that new music platform because that's what they call it on a Friday morning

We have changed

You know our our view on when music should come out and how it can and should be ingested look when I first got into

This business we sold recorded music and that was it that was our that was our revenue stream

That's all we did we promoted and marketed artists to be able to sell recorded music now

There are so many different pieces of the pie that have been monetized and fortunately that is really really good for an artist

Because all they had was a little slice of the pie that was sales and then they're touring and possibly merchandise revenue

But now they can take anything from a sync license that comes off of a television show a commercial or anything that comes with it

And there's a thousand and one other things you know that are there and yeah

We have to step up our game and your label has a perfect example of that in Leon Bridges

Yeah, you know Leon's one of those look we always one of the things that we've loved is and we're great and again

not to beat a dead horse, but we have a hundred and thirty year rich history here and

You know with our history is

Artists that can go out and perform and do live

You know I mean we don't put them out in a boot camp and you know go go hit the road for two years

You know we have artists that we put songs out

And I mean right now we have an incredible new artist called King Princess a first song came out called

1950 song just released last Friday called Talia 19 year old girl from Brooklyn's living in Los Angeles

incredible voice okay, and

All of a sudden we started to get a little buzz from the online chatter and online community

And we started to see some Shazam tags throughout the various marketplaces

We started to get some radio airplay and blog started picking up critical mass

You know what have you and all of a sudden it's a groundswell. Okay has not performed to show yet, right?

Okay, so you know that that's the flip side of that and then you have artists that go out there

And they'll put you know three hundred shows in before they've recorded a record or you have a band like solos on them

Who was you know on Columbia Records years and years ago?

They had five or six records under the belt before we got them incredible touring band

And if you would sit and listen to one of the records you'd be like

God, that's not who I saw last night

Or you can see them and go and then go put on the record because they could never

Translate that sound that they produce that they performed in and had live to what they recorded and once we finally got that magic

That that's that was their most successful, you know commercially successful album, you know, and that becomes difficult as well

You know measuring success

You know for us that you know going back to what I said, you know for us

It was to be able to break an artist so we could actually have that monetized piece out there

Whether it was an album a cassette CD, you know, you know digital download whatever it may be

But also now, you know to sell concert tickets make sure that they're you know, they're stacked up with their

They're stacked up with their their own revenue streams, etc. But yeah, no, it's uh

It's a it's an interesting time

I will tell you the one thing that you will never do in the music industry, right?

You will not ever wake up and grind your teeth

Because you don't want to go to work and there will never be a day that is the same as yesterday

You know, your your audience gets older your demographic changes your psychographics change and you know

You see that radio and going back to what I was talking about earlier

And that top 40 format is not just that top 40 format anymore. Now. There's four or five different

You know machinations of it whether they lean rhythm or whether they lean, you know more adult and trying to go after a

older

Listener some just try to go for free mail some what men, you know

it's like whatever it may be and it's quite difficult because

Radios model is is you know to generate listeners and those generated listeners then are turned and sold to advertisers, etc

So it just depends on what that niche is and everybody kind of carves out their own little their own little place of it

So it's great from a listener standpoint

Because you know, they have so many different opportunities to listen to out there

It makes it tough, you know to be able to slot those artists and be able to get that kind of exposure out there

Because there is such a broad brushstroke. We think everybody, you know should listen to Paul McCormick

We think everybody should be listening to King Princess and her new music and things that are coming up

But obviously that's not the way but we're still gonna try to make it that way Jim

I knew this was gonna be fun

And I think I think listeners are gonna love it because what they're gonna hear is passion. I think it's so important

To hear that passion for music and festivals and all that sort of thing

And this is this is sort of like talking to Jim sitting around camp exactly. This is exactly like what this is camp exactly

I mean it it kind of puts to the lie that the whole industry is run by suits who don't even listen to me

I got a hit maker today. Yeah, what what are the numbers the percentages, but I gotta ask how do you?

Do Bonnarooo do you camp the RV?

Do you said you drive down sometimes you fly down sometimes are you a hotel guy? Do you stay on site the entire time?

I am a hotel slash motel guy. I'm very fortunate because I

Get a room either through our artist or through the promoter. I stay literally right

back near the

Starbucks which by the way is extremely important to me

I did I call it the one seasons actually I do that

in

You know it's certainly not two seasons and it's guaranteed not the force is not

Like I look I grew up camping and everything I don't sleep well to begin with I am up at all hours of the night

But I have to be connected. I you know I

My wife makes fun of me because I have two computers out an iPhone and an iPad at all times

So, you know while it's all fun and games and you know, I do this because of my passion

We are looking at a lot of numbers. We all do have a lot of spreadsheets and stuff

And again, I don't sleep well and it's probably most important for me to have my own room my own setup out there and then

You know charging stations, but you know, my morning starts at Starbucks at 9 in the morning

You know

Well, I started at the hotel and I go over there at 9 and that's usually when my first meeting is and I sit there

And I have meetings up until about 11 11 30 and I go back and then I kind of clean up shower

And I'm usually on site by 1 o'clock

Yeah, and my usual time is I'll tap out around somewhere between 3 and 4. Yeah

By the way, you get enough camp time by dropping by camp nut butter you do well that's guaranteed

You do spend plenty of time around camp. It's fun. I mean now granted it ain't it ain't slumming

We try to make the amenities very nice for our guests

But everybody's are very nice and the spiritual awakening that goes on is even more important

So I always feel like I have a very kind way of putting it. Yeah

But no, you know, it's funny because you know, you do go home you go home tired you go home achy and it's it's not just

You know, everybody thinks it's one big party and you know, it is and it isn't you know, it depends on what you do

You know, I've been down there. I think the peak I had down there were 14 artists performing at various

You know times and places and what have you and this year? I think I'm four or five

So it'll be better for me to be able to relax to have a discovery to be able to have you know time with people

And you know and the other side about it is there are business opportunities and there are industry people that are down there

So, you know, there are those opportunities and moments that go on so

I want to be able to take advantage of that. Have you made your list yet? You know who you're seeing you got you got

You got your playlist ready to go. I have not done it yet. Yeah, and it's funny you mentioned that normally I'm a much

Farther along than this and very similar to like a fantasy baseball or football draft

There's there are a number of us that need to get together and we will start to send our list out and we'll start to cross

You know cross things off and you know, look I know I'm gonna have to have a window of time to be at this barbecue at

Nut butter. I've got to be a couple of different places and you know, so I have to I have to work it all out

So it's not just showing up and trying to figure it out

It's hilarious to me the idea that Jim Burris is standing backstage somewhere with a bunch of industry people and him saying hang on a second

I'll be right back. I got to go to nut butter

It's funny because I've brought a couple of guests over including my son and they're like and I've told him I go

You know, we got to go to camp nut butter and they look at me like what are you talking about?

And when I get there they like nobody just like walks in they have to stop and look at this

You have to take it all in you know from the heads to the you know, to the twister board to you know

The various lights and you know, of course somebody I won't mention who that is has a real swanky tent with a

Bed that's elevated up off the floor and I might add a mirror in the corner. I don't know just a vanity

He's been there folks. He didn't make

This up

Can I just defend myself for a second? I the hair is the moneymaker and it needs to be on point at all times

Okay, I was just about to mention the bureau that had the number of products and combs and brushes and all other kinds of things

I mean that that scene itself might need its own generator, you know, who knows?

Let's let's share a list very soon and we can't wait to see you here in a actually we're like 45 days

My goodness Ford almost four weeks away almost a month away. That's awesome. That is so amazing. I'm so excited

I can't wait to see Jim

Likewise, let me ask you who are you looking forward to seeing?

Man, we've got our special picks show coming up in a couple of weeks

But I don't think I'm more excited about anything like I am the two bony ver sets

We talked about this last week on the show

I love bony there so much. I think 22 a million is a masterpiece and I can't stop talking about it how that works on

The witch stage is to me the the most exciting

Question of the entire festival. I think that Japanese breakfast is is one that I'm very very excited about

I love Mavis staples with all of my heart. I can't wait to see her again

And then you know, yeah, and I'm a sucker for Anderson Pack

You know, yeah, and I'm a sucker for Anderson Pack. I think Anderson Pack is is a genius

So and who we did we played a thing called Bonnarooo let a couple of weeks ago Jim where we put names in the hat

That we not really didn't know anything about spun the wheel and then listened to part of a song

Who all did we come up with? Well, there's what there's one in particular on Thursday that I can't stop thinking about is Doron Jones and the indications

And then there was oh, what was that other one? Very was it Liz? No, no, no, it wasn't Lissy

Pigeons playing ping-pong is a discovery on Thursday that you're gonna like a lot. And oh, yeah, what is the

I'm gonna find it's a soul artist. Oh the Indian the Indian Dan Davie Davie Davie

Davie Davie Davie. This guy's got a great sound. It's very soulful. It's very Leon Bridges. Honestly, it's it's a throwback

You know, I yeah, I'm very excited to figure out if that's if that's something that's really got heat on it or not

By the way going back to Leon, you know with his new album everything like that

I passed over that real quick that I didn't want to sound like that record guy that was gonna sit here and promote and market

But you obviously mentioned it you obviously set it up. So I'm gonna give you the softball Jim. That's great

Yeah, well, you know, I decided this is this isn't this isn't my show, you know

But but you know going back to you know, there's a couple of things on there, you know

Because I think this year didn't they or maybe last year they started it but this year they're going to continue it isn't the other

Tent really kind of gonna be more EDM kind of style stuff. Yes. Yeah, so you'll find stuff down there

You know, obviously bass nectar is not gonna play down there and I don't know about the glitch mob

But you know, you can find some really cool stuff down there and that's going back to the kind of the flavorful thing, you know

We used to make fun of the comedy tent and or the movie tent because if you were too hot you could always go hang

Out there and then guess what? They have really great movies and they have really great comedians, you know that are there

So that's out of the way

But now they've started to do some of these little niche things

You know in that stage was always I think it was either Friday night or Saturday night if you were there between midnight and 3 in the morning

You were guaranteed to somebody whether to see somebody you know, whether it was MGMT or the imagine dragons or somebody like that

There was some emerging talent that was going to come out of that. That was you know, phenomenal

We all know about you know, the what stage and stuff like that

But there's gonna be some really great stuff like I have not seen, you know, st. Paul and the broken bones yet

But I cannot wait you ready. You'll guarantee you see me there get ready

I mean it was one of the highlights of my professional career to talk to Paul. It was the best interview

We have ever had or I've ever had the guy is just so genuine until now he led till today until this moment

He's just so genuine

He puts every single ounce of his body and his spirit on stage and you can't help it to but to try and give at least

Something back to him while you watch him. I'm so excited about it. We did two shows with him Jim

So that'll give you two hours to kill while you're driving down in it

Yeah, he was great. He really was a lot of fun. We'll see you soon Jim

Thank you so much for all the time and I can't wait to see you

Are you bringing the Sun this week this year is it? No, he's he's he's got a friend

He's in that age group where he's got a lot of friends getting married and he's the best man in one of these weddings

So he's got to go do that

But I'll be there Brady will be there with me again this year. So he made the cut

Returning for the Tennessee. Yeah, it's a beard. The beard will be there

It's trimmed up, but it'll be there and I can't wait. So I look forward to seeing you on the farm

I can't wait to hear some great music and and put you know, our faces back together

I love you. Thank you so much. All right guys. Thank you

Ain't got no name ain't got no fancy education. I can see right

I'm a face on the pain is full. Let me slip. Why you trying to hold me back? I'm just trying to move up front a little more of this little lacer daddy. Let me come through. I'm trying to be in the back. I'm just trying to move up front a little more of this little lacer daddy.

Now unfortunately Leon bridge is not performing at Bonnarooo 2018

But Doron Jones is he opened up the podcast Doron Jones and now we go into part two with Leon bridges

Yeah

It's a great symmetry to me Leon bridges a couple years ago was one of the great shows

I've seen the entire you felt like you were finding somebody that and I felt like I was in

1960 watching Sam Cooke, right?

I mean and I get a lot of that I get a lot of that from Doron Jones and indications the band that we open up the podcast playing Thursday by the way may just make Brad's picks the episode that we pick our festival of choice our artists of choice for the festival may just make my picks for this year.

I think it's important that we played those two as well because that's the type of thing you can discover if you get out of your box or get off your list or whatever that Leon bridges was amazing.

I fully expect Doron Jones to be just as great.

It's sort of like you can find these things if you ever leave camp.

Well now.

But these guys hardly do our campmates from Camp Nut Butter.

We decided to bring them in.

Let's bring them in here.

Let's have a little Camp Nut Butter.

We've had one Bonnarooo vet already at the what podcast now with Jim Burris the senior vice president of Columbia records promotion.

Now we have our vets our team half of our team from Camp Nut Butter in studio for the what podcast.

Welcome guys.

The better half is actually my title is way better than Jim's.

Really. What is your title.

Boss Boss.

So let me introduce you to the production guys.

Yes.

Let me introduce you to some of our campmates at Camp Nut Butter.

That's Nick Turner Nicky T who actually designed all the graphics that you see at the what podcast graphic genius.

Slow down.

OK. And the guy and the guy that designed all of our heads we have giant cartoon heads on sticks.

We think on the way over how can we put pictures of some of this stuff.

We can put it on Twitter.

We can probably tweet him the what underscore podcast probably.

OK. Yeah.

And then we have local radio flunky Bryan Stone.

Hi buddy.

You have the second most listened to podcast that is just in the city of Chattanooga.

I have the most listened to podcast in the city.

How long has it been going on.

Going on almost two years.

OK. In how long did it take you to get seven thousand downloads.

I haven't done the math recently.

OK.

It took a few minutes but it took a while to build.

You don't go you don't go number one overnight right.

We did.

Well no you went number two over.

Oh did we.

OK.

I got you.

How many countries are you heard in.

Well it depends on how much spam.

He's barely heard in this country.

Let's be honest.

It depends on how many bots have downloaded.

How many states do you get through.

Very regional show.

No kidding.

When you're screaming about like local politics I don't know if it's gonna be a hit in Japan.

Yeah it doesn't sell in Korea.

I like Bonnarooo.

So this is our half of our team.

The other half is made up of some some industry people.

A random man who talks deep and we don't really ever know what he says.

The wife.

Who else am I missing from from our campsite.

We've had how many.

Three years ago we had what like 18.

It felt big.

It felt like it was never ending.

People were looking at us scots because we were hoarding hoarding parking places.

Yes we take off a very large.

Well every time we get there on the first day and you guys start running around like staking territory like it's the gold rush.

You know that west.

I always feel like we're doing something wrong.

Like we're taking too much space here.

Can I be honest you are doing something wrong.

You're not doing anything.

You just stand there.

I try to help.

I feel like I'm doing something that's against the rules.

Setting up at Bonnarooo is against the rules.

Taking an acre of land is against the rules.

That's because he gets there actually like on Tuesday.

He likes wandering around.

That's my favorite.

That's my favorite.

Wednesday night.

That's your favorite night.

I love it.

Why do you love it?

Just wandering.

Music.

Because he doesn't have to miss everything.

It's because you're the king of missing every shot.

I sold 19 bands last year.

You are such a liar.

I sold 19 bands last year.

You are such a liar.

I hadn't seen 19 bands in the 10 years prior combined.

You're talking about the songs you listened to in your CD player in your crappy shitty car.

You're not talking about bands that you saw at Bonnarooo.

That's not true.

Last year I went all out.

So you showed up on Wednesday.

Now can you get into Bonnarooo on Wednesday?

I didn't think that you could.

Sometimes you can.

Sometimes you can't.

On foot you can.

Through our entrance.

How else are you getting into Bonnarooo Brian?

You have a Segway?

You're driving a Segway through?

Driving your car in and setting up camp I don't think is necessarily available for everybody.

I love this guy thinking he's going through roller blades.

But if you want to walk in and just act like you own the joint, you can walk in and just

go hang out on the grounds where there's not but maybe 100 people scattered over.

And they're still setting up.

Remember we got the Instagrams from him of them setting up beer tents.

That's right.

It's just a fascinating sight for me.

Pretty thrilling video.

Now I ask that because I don't think that's open to the general public.

You can't really just walk in on Wednesday and see them.

You walk out and then you go through the main arch and then you go walk around the campsites

in the main camping area.

Is that your Wednesday tradition?

I did that on Thursday.

If I did that on Wednesday they wouldn't let me back in.

So what do you see when you walk in on Wednesday?

What is the feeling that evokes from you?

It's just the excitement overall of a big weekend.

If it's a cooler, nice night that helps out as well like it was last year.

It's just the excitement really and just to be on the grounds and all the stages are lit up.

They're testing lights.

All the side tents have all their lights and people are on stage.

It's just a really, I mean no one's going to stop you if you just want to walk up there and jump on stage if you wanted to.

You want to try that this year?

Maybe.

Give it a go pal.

Let's see how well that works.

I'm telling you there's barely anybody around.

And Nicky T what day do you get there usually?

I try to get there after everyone's already set up.

Oh thank you.

Yeah I appreciate the help.

I have noticed that Nick usually gets there after everything is where it needs to be.

That's a pro move right there.

But his move is always like,

Pro tip.

Yeah but guys look at all the things that I've brought man.

Bring all the Bloody Mary procurement.

Now by the way he's our Bloody Mary guy.

Last year I had to take the Bloody Mary crown because you didn't show up.

You bailed on us.

How do you guys take my Bloody Marys versus Nicky T's Bloody Marys?

It's all Nicky T.

Oh you jerk.

Yeah you don't really know what you're doing.

Yours is alright but it's transformative.

You don't really know flavor.

That's the problem.

Oh gotcha.

I mean look at me.

I know flavor.

I am flavor.

You know you remember was it last year that we had to wake him up.

He kept sleeping.

He was in a dead sleep like Nick.

We were all like we want a Bloody Mary.

Get up.

He finally got up and he said,

I think y'all are just using me.

I spent six hours in a hammock that day.

Yes you did.

It was comfortable.

You know what he said when he got up from that nap?

That six hour nap he had just had a baby.

He woke up from that nap and he said,

Don't you dare tell my wife I just slept for six hours.

It was the best.

He did say that.

Now you were the one that actually got me onto Thursdays.

Because you just said why don't we just go on Thursday.

And I didn't realize until the first Thursday that we went how magical Thursday was.

It's so green.

It's so green and it feels like people are fresh.

They're happy.

They're alive.

Everybody is on their best behavior and as happy as they could possibly be.

By Saturday all that attitude sometimes changes, I won't say all.

A lot of that attitude changes because it's a tough weekend.

No matter how much fun you're having it's still a very tough weekend.

There is not a better description of how human beings can wither away

than the time lapse photo of Bryan Stone from Thursday to Sunday.

Well there was one year where it was really bad.

That is every year.

You're talking about every single year.

Yeah it beats me up pretty good.

So this is the thing that happened last year at camp that we have a lot of people that just pop in.

We have a lot of popper inners.

They follow the light in the sky.

We have a lot of lights.

So basically one guy at our campsite said this is sort of like the Merv Griffin show.

You don't know who's going to sit down on the couch and become a guest.

The literal couch.

Actual couch.

Yeah we bring an actual leather couch.

Now last year Brian brought a spectacular guest.

A spectacular guest.

Nick you missed this.

I woke up in a dead sleep.

You didn't miss anything.

Dead sleep.

Brian had brought back a girl.

A girl.

Yes.

Yeah the first time I think that he has seen a girl.

The first time I've seen a girl.

So she shows up at our camp and he's trying to be Mr. Big Shot, look at our campsite etc.

And Brian, they're milling around talking about little oozy vert.

I don't know what the hell they're talking about.

But I would get woken up from a dead sleep in the middle of the day and a nice beautiful nap

to this girl sounding...

That was legitimately...

It's kind of funny now.

At the time I didn't think it was very funny.

The sounds that were coming out of her mouth were unlike anything I have ever heard somebody be able to produce.

If you're going to smash.

What does that mean?

What in the world does that mean?

Some kind of millennial code.

By God if that's what she sounds like.

Oh man.

And so would you like to give a nickname that you hear?

I'm not going to do that because it will give away her name.

I don't want to do that.

But can you up your guest game this year?

I'm flying solo. I don't want to mess with this.

You don't say.

I'm flying solo.

Don't say.

That's the way to do it man.

Don't you come stag every year?

At some point you get the motivation to seek out...

Human companionship?

Something. Anything.

Any sort of interaction, I don't know with an artist, with a band, with a show, with a beer.

Something. Can you interact with something?

This is what the weekend is. All weekend.

This right here. This pocket.

Just listen to it over and over again and you know how this goes.

So there is not a person on this planet that is more aligned with me and my musical taste than Nicky T.

So I'll start with him. Nicky T, do you have suggestions for this year?

What are you going to see as a Bonnarooo?

By the way, how many Bonnarooo's is this for you?

Is this five or six?

I think this is six.

Six.

Okay.

So who are you looking at this year?

What is your discovery? What are the ones you are really excited about?

You guys put me on to Davey, which just sounds like it's going to be a fun show.

Are you into Davey? We just talked about that.

Yeah, I mean I feel like it's just one of those shows that you're going to have a good time at.

Probably nobody is going to be there.

That's right.

And so those are always the best ones.

Those are my favorite shows.

When it's really hot in the middle of the afternoon, you're practically one of 300 people in that tent.

Yeah, I'm all in on that.

I think another one is probably Japanese Breakfast for me.

I love Japanese Breakfast.

I just thought that album this year is just a great album.

Everything I've seen of her live looks awesome.

She's amazing. She's absolutely amazing.

She's covering the cranberries.

This is exactly the two artists that I told Jim Burris about.

It's like me and Nick are living parallel lives.

Now I can't wait to hear Bryan Stone's suggestion.

Let me guess Eddie Fetter.

Wait, wait, wait. Let me explain.

I pulled out the list. I don't remember who's there.

Let me explain how this is going to go.

Brad is going to say, Brian, do not miss this show.

And Brian is going to say, I'm not going to that show.

Right. I refuse to see that band.

Brad is going to say, go to that show.

Brian is either not going to go to that show and on Sunday say, I wish I had gone to that show.

Or I'm going to show up and be like, this guy's great.

It always occurs somewhere around the end of June.

Bryan Stone comes to me and says, boy, I really blew it on Courtney Barnett.

Well, that's the best example ever.

That is the best one.

Every single year.

Spoon would be another one.

I have a question since we're all here and we've all done it many, many times.

What are the things we've all learned?

Because we all do it differently.

Brian likes to get there even earlier than we do.

I used to try to get there first thing Friday.

Now I like to get there Thursday so I don't have to do it.

I can get there and relax.

We've even started going on Wednesday night so that we can wake up there on Thursday.

There's really no reason not to, especially we're so close.

But you're not kidding about everybody's there fresh on Thursday and by Saturday they're worn out.

Everybody always says pace yourself.

They're not kidding.

What are the sort of things that we've all learned over the years?

You pretty much just laid it all out there, pacing yourself.

I've messed up in the early years and had a handful of too many drinks in the middle of the afternoon.

And you're done for potentially a full 24 hours at that point.

Showers we have good access to.

We've got things pretty good right now.

They fixed that I think for most everybody from what I understand.

I was thinking about that because one year you get there and nobody showers because it's so hot and everybody.

And I didn't, I couldn't sleep.

I drove my own self out of the tent.

I was so rank.

So shower when you can, sleep when you can.

Go ahead Nick.

Yeah the shower secret is 1am or later is the prime time to hit the showers.

Or afternoon and in the evening during the day if you're going to go during the day.

See what's the point? Then you just walk out and get all disgusting again.

And then you still got to get into your tent with your own feet.

Yeah I do often times get into my tent with my own feet.

So I'll tell you the reason why I like his theory better than yours Brian is because at 3 o'clock in the morning it's freezing cold getting out of that shower.

That's what I want. I need that absolutely chill to my bone.

At 3 o'clock in the morning I'm passed out on gin and tonic.

So what I, my 3 o'clock in the morning, 4 o'clock in the afternoon, 2 p.m.

It doesn't matter.

So the thing that I will tell everybody is there's a couple of things.

One, I refuse to get drunk at Bonnarooo.

I refuse.

That's the word.

I cannot be hungover.

It is the absolute worst feeling.

It's about 8.30 in the morning when the heat hits.

There is not a worse feeling on the planet than being hungover at Bonnarooo.

And the second thing, and I don't know how anybody out there does it, but sex at Bonnarooo.

Yeah.

I can't wrap my head around that sex at any festivals to me.

Any sort of outdoor camping festival sounds a little strange.

If you're going to smash.

If you're going to smash.

I'm still not interested in smashing.

Nor are the women that you bring around.

So the, so it's not.

One other thing though.

I've never left with a pair of shoes I came with.

By the end of the weekend, my shoes are so murdered.

I just throw them away.

That is funny.

We do go on a Walmart run just for shitty shoes.

We just go buy shitty shoes because we know we're never going to use these again.

I just throw them away.

That may be a chicken and egg thing, but okay.

I understand.

Ryan, your picks this year.

You got something that you like?

I don't like this year's lineup.

I've said it from the beginning.

You know why?

Because there's no hail fire.

Hail, hail fire.

I didn't say that.

Every year.

Every year you don't like the lineup.

But I said that about last year's lineup for sure.

And I was very, very, very wrong.

You said that your Pearl Jam was there.

No, I did not.

I said that was the best lineup year.

And so I mean early on the only band I'm overly excited for that I've thought about recently.

I like the Dreamers on Thursday is going to be my Thursday act.

After that, you know, Moon Taxi, I'm sure I'll be nearby.

Paramora I'd like to give a listen to.

Alt J. Bon Iver I guess.

You're not going to like that.

I don't quite get it.

Don't worry about Bon Iver.

Now, do you know anything about Muse?

Have you ever spent a second with Muse?

A little, yeah.

And?

I mean I can go either way.

I mean if I'm nearby I'll go check it out.

It's a little not quite my speed, but it's not far off of where I would normally be.

You know, Sheryl Crow, what the hell, why not, I guess.

We'll see.

Eminem I got no interest in.

The Killers is Sunday night.

If all goes to my plan I'll be gone by the time they take the stage.

I usually stay till Monday.

This year I don't intend to do that.

So Nick, I think that if I'm going to give Bryan Stone the band that he needs to go to.

That I likely won't, but I'll still listen.

That you won't go to, but then a month later you're going to say to yourself,

why did I miss this show?

I think you and I are going to say the same thing, but what are you going to say?

What are you going to suggest to Bryan Stone, Nicky T.?

And this is like my preference as a band or just somebody I think Brian would like?

That Brian's going to like.

That Brian absolutely will lose his mind over that he has no idea even exists right now.

I forgot Old Crow Medicine shows here.

Oh Jesus.

I only said that because I figured your reaction would be somewhere in the neighborhood of.

Well I think the revival list is probably like something Bryan Stone would just.

Really?

That shocks me you'd say that.

You know what I'm telling him?

Sir Sly.

Do you know anything about Sir Sly?

I do know Sir Sly.

I know the revivalist and Sir Sly.

He's just saying that because he's never heard of them and he knows that he's going to.

I'm going to say go see Davey.

Yeah Davey's great.

I still don't know.

I haven't picked up on this Davey thing yet.

Sir Sly I'm aware of very much.

I don't think I like the revivalist.

I'm not sure.

That's a wish I knew you.

Then you need to go back and listen to the podcast.

And the other thing I'll say that you should go see that I know you won't is Anderson Pack

and the Free National.

It is an absolutely amazing show.

Yeah I've never quite understood your Anderson Pack thing.

This is what he does.

You are down on every single artist.

You've been telling me about Anderson Pack for a long time.

Three years at least.

And every time I wonder when I sample it I don't understand why that he thinks I'm going

to like this.

You're out of your mind.

You legitimately have the worst taste.

I think we just saved a lot of.

This is why you sit at the camp all day.

We just saved a lot of listeners having to come by camp nut butter because you just got.

That was pretty much it.

You got the whole weekend.

That was pretty much it.

I just wanted to say too we probably not explained where the name came from.

That's just dirty or something.

Yeah everybody thinks we're just talking about like ball grease.

It's a pretty stupid name to be honest.

I know.

It sticks.

That's why it's stuck.

It's because Brad's wife makes nut butter.

Right.

And it's just a funny word.

And the first year you heard her say that.

I just laughed and laughed and laughed.

Because you didn't you thought it was a synonym for something that the kids were saying at

the time.

The kids.

What do these young folks speak about nut butter?

What does that mean?

That's all this nut butter and smashing going on.

And the next thing I know we have a marquee with this gross looking dripping nut butter.

That's peanut butter.

It's awesome.

Well that's our food of choice.

So you bring the pimento cheese.

We bring the nut butter.

Exactly.

Yeah because you know peanut butter and jelly sandwich is sort of our go to thing.

It's not like you know we're cooking workhorse meals back there.

No there's no cooking.

Guys I'm so excited.

I'm so glad you guys came by.

Welcome to the What Podcast.

You can listen online anytime to whatpodcast.com.

I guess we got to come back and draw for a ticket.

Yeah.

I guess that's the last thing to do.

Somebody gets the win.

Oh do I get that?

I think you're fine.

Yeah that would be bad wouldn't it.

And the winner is Nectar.

My choice for Bryan Stone our camp nut butter camp mate Sir Sly and Run.

Now we want to reward you for being such a great listener of the podcast and a friend

of ours.

Let's be honest these are not listeners they are friends.

That's right.

Yeah so we want to give you a little treat and that's Bonnarooo tickets.

That's a big treat.

That's a sort of a pretty big treat.

That's the kind of friends we are though.

By the way and we're throwing in the camping too.

No small thing that.

All right so.

It'd be weird if you just had a ticket no place to sleep.

Would you do you want to do the honors?

Do you want to make the pick?

You want to draw a name out of the hat?

All right you go do that and then just hand it to me and I'll make the phone call all

right.

We'll just call the person live on the air.

We're about to make somebody's week.

Yeah.

In summer I hope.

Hello.

Hey I'm looking for Drew.

Yes this is Drew.

Hey Drew Brad Steiner and Barry Courter from the what podcast.

How are you?

Oh good hey guys what's up.

It's an odd call I know.

I saw the Chattanooga thing I actually stepped away I'm like I'm kind of hoping this is

summer Bonnarooo.

Well we.

So that's awesome.

Well we you know me and Barry just hang around each other all the time just calling random

people who listen to the podcast.

It's just sort of what we've done with our lives.

Heck yeah man.

Heck yeah sweet.

So what's up?

You know it's called say hi.

Chat.

How you doing on Friday?

Yeah see what you're doing today.

Yeah.

I'm ready for the weekend man.

We're less than 40 days.

Actually you know what's funny is I got my buddy who I met Bonnarooo a couple years ago

from Texas in town.

So like I got that to look forward to this weekend.

So a little connection of Roo continuing.

Right.

What do you guys do?

Where are you from by the way?

I'm from Pittsburgh.

I live up here.

I'm from Fort Worth Texas.

You bastard penguin fans.

I know I know all last year I just like you know I'm just not going to say anything.

Yeah.

I knew everyone was on the it was opposite the year before because the Sharks beat the

National Predators.

Everyone's like all right you know fuck them up whatever.

And now it's like you're the enemy.

Yeah and now and now you're beating my Washington Capitals which I'm very upset about.

I know I know and you know I thought the team had it but yeah.

They can score and they score fast.

So here's the reason why we called.

We didn't call just to shoot the shit.

We actually called you with some pretty good news.

Barry would you like to tell him the good news?

Yeah you're the winner man.

Oh you guys kidding me really?

You're the winner.

The winner of what?

The winner of the ticket.

Oh.

And the ticket.

Oh my god you guys are the best.

Are you serious?

You can tell Barry's not a radio guy because a radio guy would have built this up.

I'm just meaning he's a winner.

I don't know anything about tickets.

Drew.

Drew from Pittsburgh.

This is what has happened.

We have just drawn your name and you sir have won tickets to Bonnarooo 2018 from the

What Podcast starring Barry Courter and Brad Snyder.

Congratulations buddy.

This is the best ever oh my god.

Did you already have tickets by the way?

Okay I did.

I have a group but I have a friend who I was entering all these contests.

I have a friend who cannot afford it.

So I already know someone.

I'm like if I win tickets somewhere are you going?

He's like yes.

That's awesome.

So yes.

That's awesome.

Well we're hooking you up.

We drew your name out of the hat.

Congratulations and thank you so much for listening to the podcast.

All right.

No I love it man.

Like I said I'm being honest in those emails.

You guys take me back.

It's like being at a campsite just hearing people talk about the stories and there's

so many sets I wish I would have seen that in hindsight I know about and like Portugal

Man in 2011 and all that stuff.

Right.

I mean I got the tattoo on my arm man.

I love it.

Wait you got the What Podcast tattooed on your arm?

No no no.

The arch from 2011.

That's awesome.

Nice.

Hey take a picture of it and snap and send it to us.

We'd love to put it on the website or something.

I got both of you on Twitter.

You'll see my name is like Drew a crowd.

I forget what I had.

It's a truth.

I'll do that.

All right.

Please do.

Thank you again for listening to the podcast and we'll see you on the farm.

All right buddy.

All right man.

Thank you.

All right.

There you go.

The What Podcast.

Next week.

What do we got?

We're going to talk to Mike Greenhouse from Relics Magazine.

Relics Magazine.

One of the early adopters of the What Podcast.

They got in really early and Mike reached out and said nice things.

And if you say nice things to Barry you'll be his best friend forever.

No question about it.

I'm a soft touch.

Now Mike is and I'm excited about it.

They do the Bonnarooo Beacon for folks.

Ah okay.

And Mike has been there I think I remember every year except the first one.

Really?

So I'm really looking forward to hearing.

Did they have a beacon the first year?

That's one of the things we'll ask.

I don't know.

Okay.

All right.

Put it on the list.

What else?

Anything else?

We're still working on First Aid Kit?

Is that still happening?

Still working on First Aid Kit absolutely and working on a couple of comics too.

Oh that'd be awesome.

I'd love to do that.

I got an email yesterday or today confirming that we're trying.

Okay.

You don't like the comedic stylings of me.

Am I not good enough for you Barry?

It'll be tough.

Okay.

We'll talk to you next week.