How has Bonnaroo changed over the years? We asked someone with a rare vantage point - Elizabeth Thorpe, festival photographer and our West Coast correspondent, who's been going to Bonnaroo since 2004 and now shoots it from inside the photo pit.
Beth walks us through what the festival experience is really like from behind the lens: the "first three songs only" rule, why the pit is her happy place, and how Bonnaroo has evolved from a freewheeling field party into something bigger, busier, and more produced.
We also get into her recent run of festivals beyond Bonnaroo: Wilco's Solid Sound in Massachusetts (with a Mermaid Avenue set featuring Billy Bragg and a surprise Natalie Merchant appearance) and Pickathon out in the Oregon woods. Beth covered both for The What Podcast, and shares her photography throughout.
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!
Listen Via:
How Has Bonnaroo Changed? A Festival Photographer's View
Barry (00:00.152)
For those of us who aren't fortunate enough to get into the pit, what's that like?
Walking into the pit, taking the lens cap off, you know, getting my settings right, getting ready to shoot, you just completely clear your mind and are in that moment.
How has Bonnarooo changed for you over the years?
Barry (00:26.722)
Welcome back to the What Podcast. Guys, we're all back together. Feels like we got the gang, gang, gang, gang, all back together. Hi, Beth. How are you? I'm I'm Barry. That's Russ. That's Brian. That's Beth, our West Coast correspondent. I love being able to say that. today's episode, we're going to kind of catch up with Beth, Beth, basically.
Hi. Pretty good.
Beth (00:43.038)
Yeah.
Ha ha
Barry (00:54.934)
You've been very, very busy going to multiple festivals. We haven't even talked to you since Bonnarooo, so we're gonna start there, but just to let everybody know, you've been to how many? Probably five, four?
Yeah.
Beth (01:11.084)
Three, I think. yeah, two or three. I've just been all over the place, so been only a couple of festivals.
Okay.
Yeah. So we're gonna Yeah. We're gonna talk about kind of the difference between maybe but also catch up what what you've seen because you go you go hard when you go to these things and that's what's so much fun. How ma how many acts did you see at Bonnaroo? Sixteen in one day?
Yeah.
Beth (01:40.046)
Think yeah, it was thirty seven total. So
my god. All right. I'm gonna stop talking. Let's catch up. How was your Bonroo? Let's start there.
Wow.
Thirty seven I shot. Yeah. Yeah.
Beth (01:51.55)
I had an amazing Bonnaroo this time. I was actually really impressed with all of the bands. So we talked ahead of time about how we didn't know a lot of them, but every show I saw was great. I don't know about you guys, but I I saw so many good sets at Bonnaroo this year.
Did you go into it meaning to be that busy? Or did that just happen?
I actually had a completely different list. So a lot of the people that were on my original list I didn't end up seeing or shooting, partly because of travel time between the stages and mud and rain and whatever other things. So I I guess I hoped to be that busy, but I didn't expect to be able to cover that many.
Yeah. So for people who don't know Beth, you've been to how many? Almost all of right?
Yeah, I started in two thousand four and I missed twenty nineteen. So most of them.
Barry (02:48.598)
And you go currently it media as a photographer. So you have pit access. that's what we're talking about. and so I'm yeah, I I just know you were in our camp and then you were gone. And you were gone all day long.
Right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Bryan (03:01.014)
And RKM. Well, th this is what I f I find this to be quite interesting. I get miss I go missing a Bonrooot. Nobody sees me for a while and and then all the all the the chitter chatter is, Where's Brian? What's Brian doing? What where what I wonder where Brian's at? And Beth's gone, it's like, well she's working so hard and doing and working and working and Brian must be just
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Bryan (03:29.248)
Screwing off out in the field somewhere. So I find that
Ha ha
Ha ha.
th I think you just summed it up. I mean, Russ, did I did did he
Yeah, is that not accurate? Right.
Russ (03:35.95)
Y yeah, but I didn't hear a question there. I just heard a statement.
No, I'm just being defensive is all. I'm being defensive.
Yeah.
Hm.
Yeah, I don't see Brian doing anything. I mean, is there something
Russ (03:48.18)
Yeah.
Doesn't mean I'm not up to something at all times, Barry.
Well that that's true. That is true.
That's true. That's true.
Sitting sitting in his car listening to the shins for six hours.
Bryan (03:58.05)
Could be, or young blood, right?
Yeah.
All right, so let now that we've established that, Beth, how did this one compare? and again, like y you really did. You you worked so hard and it was rainy and it was everything else. So how did this one compare to the many that you've been to before?
Mm.
Beth (04:16.675)
Yeah.
Beth (04:21.293)
I mean, I thought this was in the top tier, top twenty five percent maybe. I don't know, you probably all have this phenomenon too, but it's like the most recent one is the best one ever. for any any show. Best show ever. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. But I I really enjoy this one. I I just had I I mean, I know so many people there now. I think the longer you go to Bonnarooo, the more friends you have to catch up with and
Twenty five percent maybe. don't know, you probably this phenomenon too, but it's like the most recent one is the best one. Yeah. Best best show ever. Best show ever guy. Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Yeah, re recency bias. Recency bias. I get it.
Beth (04:49.996)
really fun being in the pit with the other photographers and kind of bouncing ideas off each other. And yeah, I I just thought all the bands were really great. It was kind of going back to the early years where you didn't necessarily recognize all the bands and you could just discover so much more. so I enjoyed that aspect of it too.
For those of us who aren't fortunate enough to get into the pit, what's that like? and we'll get into that, I mean, th for the because of the fact that you get to go to so many of What are how are they different? How are they the same? But what's it like? I mean I've done it. I I yeah, I loved it. It's amazing. You're right there, you're literally three feet from and then they kick you out and then you're not.
Yeah.
Beth (05:31.182)
Mm-hmm.
Beth (05:40.45)
Yep. And then you're the farthest away you could possibly be 'cause you can't get back in there. Yeah.
Yeah.
You're the farthest away ever, yeah. You're yeah, you go from hero to zero type of thing. But what is it you're looking for and what is it like to be in that pit?
It is well, it's one of my favorite places in the world. It's to be in any photo pit. but especially especially Bonnarooo. I felt like that was really my sort of happy place at the festival. I used to do little moments of zen videos with my phone every day of just like, you know, the incense burning or the flags flapping or whatever. And I didn't have time to do that at all this year, but I felt like walking into the pit, taking the lens cap off.
You know, getting my settings right, getting ready to shoot. You just completely clear your mind and are in that moment of seeing what you see and trying to capture it. So I love the whole thing. Photo pits are different in every festival and every situation. So part of what I want to do today is just compare all these different festivals. but Bonnaroo is world class. It's it's amazing to be in that situation.
Bryan (06:51.376)
Let me bounce off let me bounce off that real quick, Beth. Is there I understand all that and a lot of that's just kind of like a deep rooted passion for something that that some people won't will never understand if it's if it's if it's not it's something that they're overly interested in or interested in interested in at all. Is there ever a time where it feels like I can't really see this show?
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (07:19.246)
Right, like I I'm not I'm not seeing this show because I'm working and having to do things within a a certain kind of framework. Does it ever feel that way or is this just this is it? This is the top of the mountain, it d nothing else matters.
That's a good question. I think I've I've seen so many shows as a fan in so many different situations from all over the field, close up, waiting for hours to try to be near the front. I I don't really want to do a show if I'm not shooting anymore. I mean, I would, and it's I still love music and it's still fun to be there, but now.
being able to interact with it creatively is what I really love the most.
That's such an interesting so I've done it all kinds of way. I'm I used to, you know, for thirty-seven years for for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, I would go and r review shows. And so after I quit doing that, I couldn't go to a show and not be working in my head. So kind of the same I I hear what you're saying, but I also we only as a photographer, you only get the first three songs.
Yeah.
Beth (08:23.938)
Yeah, mm-hmm.
Barry (08:34.421)
And there have been shows where I'm like, okay, I got it in the first ten seconds. What what am I gonna do now for the next ten minutes? Just keep taking you know, what what is this guy gonna do? And I'm sitting here thinking of all the different Bonnarooo sets that I got to shoot. Janelle Monet was one. I have I have one of my favorite pictures. Jack White, if
Right, right. Yeah.
You know, yeah. What is this guy gonna different models that Janelle Monet. I have I have one of my favorite pictures, Jack White. I think you shot that one too, right? Do you remember one of the first three songs he added back to us dark? Yeah. Bla black and blue, yeah, black and blue.
I think you shot that one too, if you remember. For the first three songs, he had his back to us and it was dark. There was no light. And it was blue. It was awful. It was awful. And I felt like he's doing that on purpose, just to stick it to us. L C D sound system, I just I just turned my camera on and just kept and I thought, there's no way I got anything. And the next day I opened up my camera and
It was really blue. Yeah. Yeah. It was blue the whole time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Russ (09:16.13)
Mm-hmm.
Beth (09:20.29)
Yeah.
Barry (09:31.126)
Because of the lighting and just dumb luck. I got one of my favorite pictures ever. How much of that are you trying to work and how much of that is just dumb luck? And how much of it is I you know, why is this show different than yesterday's show? That kind of thing.
Well, I I think I'm definitely getting better at dealing with things like low light because a lot of it is not panicking when you are trying to shoot something. because you start to see, this is really challenging, this is really challenging, I'm not getting anything. And then that can really mess you up as a photographer because you you can't you can't give up because you only have so much time to be able to do it. So I think I've been in so many situations like that where
Right. Yep.
the light is bad or their back is to you or and you just start to learn tricks to deal with that. And that's that's true for everybody. I mean, I think there's always a balance between trying to document an experience and trying to be in it and living it. So a lot of people who are watching, listening to this, a lot of people kind of have that balance where they're they're documenting the shows too, just from different places. So
I don't think it takes away from the experience to document it for me, because I interact with it more strongly when I'm documenting. That's kind of part of the whole experience and being in the moment for me. But for some people it's just trying to, you know, video everything that's happening in front of them and not necessarily looking back at the videos. That's always the joke.
Bryan (10:57.95)
part of the whole experience in the moment for me. Was there some both trying to, you know, video everything that's happening with my alone and not necessarily Yeah, I that's an interesting way to put it 'cause I I was thinking as you were talking about that, Beth, is that I really get annoyed with the the the the the the narrative online about, put your phone away as a re I'm talking about as a regular
Mm.
A patron of a show. Or when are you ever gonna when are you ever gonna look at that again? Well, in the day and age we live in now, I look at every single one of them again and probably multiple times again. And many people do this in their own as a hobby, as a way to document their own life, as a scrapbook, in a in a cell phone. And and I I find all that to be a
Yeah.
Beth (11:36.152)
Yeah.
Beth (11:40.333)
Mm-hmm.
Beth (11:45.144)
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (11:53.132)
A very good experience, I believe, for most people. Now, let I'm not talking about, you know, the phones in someone's face and you're being annoying. Forget that. I'm not talking about that. But but back to my question of do you ever feel like you're missing a show? Oftentimes I'll be trying to grab the just the right kind of footage for this show. Like that's the only thing I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get 30 seconds of the best landscape shot I can. I don't care what they're doing or what they're singing. I just want to get the best I can. And
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Beth (12:11.469)
Mm.
Bryan (12:23.212)
And that doesn't take very long. And that's not a highly skilled professional talent. But I find it getting in the way of me enjoying the music. Like, no, I don't have that exact shot yet, or I don't have that one for my story yet. And it's not a question. I guess it's just a further discussion about about what you're about what you're talking about. And and and and then when you mention that that other, you know, that others do this similar thing.
Mm-hmm.
Beth (12:38.446)
Mm-hmm.
Barry (12:41.784)
Yeah.
Mm.
Bryan (12:51.51)
in a hobby kind of way. I I've always f I find that to be a a pleasurable experience for the for the patron of a of a festival or a or of a live show. but it but it can be distracting.
Yeah.
It is a real struggle because how many times do you come home from the best vacation and realize that you didn't take any photos and you did you had the best vacation because you didn't document it. You know, you were you were just in the moment of being there and then you were there, you were in it. And then you think after the fact, that was one of my best trips ever. I wish I had I don't have anything to document that. I wish I could look back on that, right? So it's it's such a fine line.
vacation and realized that you didn't take any photos and you did you had the best vacation because you didn't document it. Yeah. You just
Yeah, you were there. You were in it.
Russ (13:18.412)
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (13:25.986)
Documentation, yeah.
Yeah. I say it all the time. Every time I get back from Bonnoroo or any kind of trip, I always feel like, I should have taken more pictures. I'm like I go back and I look and I might have a few, but I feel like I don't ever get enough to really show or save, you know, what what what actually happened.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Barry (13:46.69)
put it this way, I you know, because of my job as a reporter for a newspaper, I got to interact and talk to a lot of really, really famous people. I have none pictures of me with anybody. None.
Yeah. Yeah.
I've I've got I've got so many they're like laying around my desk. Yeah. I've j I'm
Yeah. Yeah.
We can't all be Brian. Brian's a professional at getting his picture taken with people. Yeah. Yeah.
Barry (14:06.86)
I have none. Yeah, it's so weird. And I
I wish I I wish I wish I actually did have one sitting here on my desk, but I have them everywhere because that's the I'm annoying. That's what I do.
Mm.
Yeah. when you go, let's go back Bonaru again. That one f was it Friday? Friday when you did sixteen that one day. I keep going back to that.
Yeah, I think so. I have to look at my notes, but yeah.
Barry (14:33.974)
When you go into the pit, what's on your mind? What are you what's your goal? What are you trying to get?
Well, when you have three songs, you've gotta I I usually take two camera bodies in with at Bonnarooo. Sometimes you just have one and you switch it out 'cause you have a little bit more time to work with. Everything is different depending on the type of music. So if it is a folk singer who is sitting down, yeah, you're gonna get it within the first few minutes. And the goal is just to work with the other photographers and move around them and not be in people's way and all of that stuff. If it's
a punk show like Lambrini Girls, where they're about to do a pit in the, you know, they're about to run toward each other, Braveheart style, then you have a different way of documenting that. And then it's just shooting really fast and trying to get what you get and kind of reacting to that fast movement. So it's it's it's really different depending. And it's also different if you have shot somebody before.
Yeah.
Beth (15:35.36)
And you have already edited photos of them. So you kind of know what their angles are and how they're gonna look good. You know that this artist always closes their eyes the whole time while they're singing. So you've got to just wait for that one little thing where they're gonna open their eyes. if you shot an artist before and if you've shot a location before, because you get the angles in a venue down the more you shoot there. And it's easier once you do that.
And of course, that's you. That's
That's me in the p yeah, that's my Guar I've got the Guar shirt behind Barry. Yeah.
That's that your goal there was to get blood, gore blood.
Yeah. A little bit. Not a whole lot though. so this festival I did last weekend was was really dusty and we were walking around without camera bags, so we just had our cameras over our shoulders. So there you're dealing with not getting dust into the camera. Guar, it was fake blood. ICP, it was soda, like it was Fago that was gonna get stuck on everything. So
Barry (16:19.725)
Yeah.
Russ (16:39.694)
They go, yeah.
That's what I like. I like just reacting to whatever situation.
Yeah, I remember for the Gua show you had like a little hoodie for your camera. Like you almost dressed it up like in a little like winter coat, to try to keep it from getting messed up. And then I was there, I was like I was just a few feet away from you. I also was wearing a white what podcast shirt. I didn't get nothing. All the blood just went like straight this way, like not not anything near close to me. So I tried.
Yep.
Yeah.
Beth (17:03.768)
Yeah.
Beth (17:07.67)
It's because you stainsticked it ahead of time. It was just repelling everything away from you. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, that's it.
Before we sort of compare and contrast Bonnarooo and others, how has Bonnarooo changed for you over the years?
Well, it's I mean, part of it is I work there now. So I I wouldn't be able to still go if I didn't work and get a ticket. That's true of most of these festivals. I almost wish we could have an interaction right now with the people who are listening and just see how many people go to multiple festivals, whether they're loyal to a certain festival. I kind of talk about that stuff. but I'm really loyal
Well there you go. Leave a leave a comment and tell us if you j are loyal to Monaro or you yeah. It's a good idea.
Beth (18:01.238)
Yeah. Yeah. A bunch of a bunch of thoughts like that. I that I was just thinking about as I'm going to these different festivals. Some are brand new to me, some I've I've been to before. but Bonaru, I went from being, you know, wide eyed fan flying in from Maine to now it's a place where I I know so many people and I feel like I'm part of the community. I mean, it was cool people recognized me from the podcast. So
I I don't I guess I haven't been on since, but shout out to Blake because a listener, Blake, called over to me when I was in the Casha super jam pit and I thought, okay, there's I know no none of my friends are here. There's no way this person knows me. And I I walk over and he's like, Where's Brian? And I was like, you know me from the podcast, okay. It's like, we don't know. Yeah.
Yeah.
Russ (18:52.2)
Yeah.
Who know who knows?
Yeah. Yeah, we're having t shirts printed up with that. Where's Brian? If you see Brian, call this number.
Yeah. But yeah, shout out to Blake. So I'm I'm a very minor, very minor Bonnaroo celebrity now and the people actually recognize me from the few podcast experiences that I've had. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. So
Yeah.
Russ (19:13.88)
Well, you you're welcome. Yeah.
Yeah.
Barry (19:19.054)
But either as a fan or as a you know, you're now working as a photographer, professional working photographer, how's it changed? do you feel like it's changed a bunch? 'Cause that's you know, that's something that always comes up. People say, it's changed, it's not the same festival. I we've talked about it. To me it's changed, yes, but not that much, maybe.
Or maybe it has. I I mean it has because it's a lot more accessible to a lot of different types of people. But maybe f I just want to hear your opinion. How has it changed?
I I mean it has it's a lot more accessible to a lot of different types of but maybe not just one.
It's definitely grown, so it's massively bigger than it used to be. and this kind of goes into the the festival I did last weekend too, because I just did a fully independent festival that's been around a long time but not as well, actually maybe longer than Bonnaroo. it feels like there are a lot more rules at Bonnarooo now where you used to just go and it was a much freer experience.
And rules exist to keep people safe, but it also kind of changes the feeling of the festival. And and I I don't even mean rules of the festival itself, but just more of society creeps into festivals so that it's it starts with a good thing. You're gonna dress up and you're gonna wear a costume and that's gonna be fun and creative. And then
Beth (20:56.16)
It becomes, okay, we see all these other people wearing costumes and being creative. Now we have to do that. We have to one-up them and have an even better costume and be even more creative with our camps and our clothes and our makeup and outfits and all that stuff. And it's it's a good thing because people are able to express themselves creatively also as a part of the festival. But it also takes away from that just.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (21:19.056)
also as a part of the festival. But it also takes away from that freedom of feeling like anything goes, I can wear wear the same clothes all what's changed a lot, I don't know. Well that specifically I think has just slowly moved its way west east. You know, that was Coachella really kinda started that and you know, we're
Freedom of feeling like anything goes. I can wear whatever. I can wear the same clothes all weekend. I don't have to look a certain way. So it's changed a lot. I don't know.
Beth (21:42.638)
Yeah.
Bryan (21:47.682)
Where we live in a, you know, performative society and and you you gotta you gotta one up you know see up with the Joneses of the f of the keep up with the Joneses in the in the in the festival circuit. I don't think it's bad or anything. I know you're not speaking as if you think that that it is. I I I'm saying I I I I myself saying I don't think it is, but I do find it a little bit annoying. And and it and it does seem to kind of dominate the landscape a lot of the time.
Mm. Yeah.
Beth (22:04.45)
No, no.
Beth (22:09.87)
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (22:16.738)
But ano I'm annoyed by everything, right? So like don't stop doing you, whoever you are out there, don't stop being you, don't stop doing the thing. But we as we were talking about it last week with at the tail end of the show with with all the the photo dumps on Reddit recently. It just you wanna talk about what change what change is? Take a look at some pictures. There's your there's your change. Yeah, there's there's your visual change of
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (22:44.012)
It's just an ethos thing. It's the zeitgeist of of American youth culture and it's that's where we're at now. And then not bad, not good, not right, not wrong, just what it is.
Yeah, t it's just really different. It's different from the hippie festival that it was in the beginning. And I like both. You know, I really like seeing how people express themselves now also. But it feels like there's a lot more to do. We have to we're having a a lot more activities and a lot more programming and less lying around in a field.
That's an interest that is such an interesting take. I haven't I haven't thought about it that way. It used to, yeah, 20 years ago it was like, my gosh, we can do anything we want in our camp. We can be super creative, we can do this. And now it's like, my gosh, now you have to do something super creative with your camp.
Yeah.
Bryan (23:28.334)
Or or you're d or you're deemed you know, whatever whatever I would consider back in the day, lame or the guy the outcast, the guy that people don't you know, don't care about.
Yeah. Right.
Mm.
Yeah.
Barry (23:37.324)
Yeah. Like Stone shows up with his you know, his little bitty tent and it he that's cool. But we did you know, the whole craziness. And now it's like now you have to do the craziness. That's an interesting take. I hadn't considered it that way.
Right.
Beth (23:46.881)
Mm-hmm.
Ha ha ha.
Beth (23:50.616)
Yeah.
Bryan (23:54.306)
And that what and and to piggy off of that, as far as I hadn't really quite thought about this until you just said it, Beth, too, that goes along with that, adjacent to that is i is the programming and the amount of stuff. It does feel like there's there's so much to do, it seems ridiculous. Like why why is there so much to do? There's no chance any of us can do any of these things. And
Mm-hmm.
I made that point three years ago. I I Yeah yeah. I I made that point and people poo-pooed me for being, you know, hey, get off my lawn. But I thought it was getting too much. It was way too much. And and Bonnarooo backed off this year because they had to. and now there's questions, what do they come back with? I I'm I'm I'm content.
Yeah, can't do it all.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (24:27.894)
Yeah, yeah.
Bryan (24:40.974)
But even in Senaru, Barry, even in Senaru, not just not just as we've talked at length about the the early start, the earlier, earlier, earlier, earlier, and then the more and more and more. Well, Centeroo too, it's it's really is I just I hadn't quite thought about that way. Sorry that I'm not again not asking a question or making a greater point. I it's just it really does feel like that as far as of a of a big change of Bonnaru, it's like we talked about last week, it was like w we went from survival mode.
Tant with Yep.
Barry (24:57.25)
No, I like it.
Beth (25:08.012)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
It's surviving till you get to the Neil Young show tonight at ten o'clock. as opposed to now, which is which I would take this, right, over that.
Right.
Yeah.
Barry (25:18.604)
Yeah, now it's I gotta I gotta what am I wearing when I wake up in the morning on Friday? What am I wearing when I wake up on Saturday? Yeah, it's that's an interesting take. I hadn't thought about it that way. Man, yeah. Just have fun. Do you? yeah, not good or bad. just
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (25:28.662)
It's lot. It's a lot.
Bryan (25:35.34)
Yeah, do you, right? Do you, have fun. But
Yeah.
Beth (25:40.258)
Yeah. Just
Beth, did you go into it this year trying to to hit any certain marks as far as quantity? qua you're always trying to hit quality marks. I understand, you know, we don't even need to go, but like quantity marks or try or like there's a place I'm trying to get. you know, you know me. I love to I find a number, whatever that number is, and I wanna get there. And if I don't get there, then I feel like I failed. Anything like that with you or did it just come together?
Mm.
Beth (26:00.28)
Mm-hmm.
Beth (26:07.342)
I think my my record used to be like six or eight shows a day. So that was kind of the the mark that I was trying to hit. so I definitely did a lot more shooting this year, but a little bit less hanging out at camp and socializing. I I think that's why I like Cave Fest too. So most of us go to Cave Fest. It's also an shout out to the Caverns, that's one of the ones that's coming up. And it's it's newer and
that I was trying to hit. so I definitely did a lot more shooting this year, but a little bit hanging out at camp and socializing. I I think that's why I like Cave Fest too. So most of us go to Cave Fest. It's also like the caverns. Static Caverns, that's one of the ones that's coming up. And it's it's newer and simpler where you have you have a band but it's not really opposed.
Yeah, shout out to the caverns.
Beth (26:37.824)
simpler where you have you have a band but it's not really opposed. There's not a lot of running around there. They're just two stages. so yeah shooting wise I I wanted to get a mix of stages. I want to get a mix of genres. I had bands I really wanted to see going into it and I tried to hit a few of those marks. And beyond that it's kind of nice to
Right.
Beth (27:04.994)
Talk to the other photographers and see what they're going to shoot because all of us are thinking visually as well as music wise.
That's one of those things, you know, a lot of people don't get to see it, but when you're back there in media, it is kind of interesting to see when which acts the photographers are excited about. It's like, are you going? Are you going to this one? Are you gonna go, you know, you gotta go shoot this one? So y'all know, we all know which ones are gonna be interesting. Like you mentioned earlier, the folk singer sitting on a chair. That's the same photo a hundred thousand times, right?
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Beth (27:42.092)
Mm-hmm. Right. Right. And they would say that too. They're not trying to be flashy and interesting and jump around or whatever.
Ha ha ha.
Yeah.
Yeah, they they don't care whether your pictures are good. Like
Right, exactly. And they they don't need to care about that. So that's that's good too.
Barry (27:51.724)
Yeah, just go get it.
Yeah.
Russ (28:01.686)
If you're enjoying the show, take a moment and subscribe to our YouTube channel and rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
All right, so what are tell us some of the other festivals you've been to, events you've been to?
So right after Bonnaroo, I stayed for a week in Tennessee, hung out with Brian in Chattanooga, and then I flew to Maine, which is where my family is, and drove to Vermont. So I stayed overnight. I stayed with friends in a hotel or in Vermont and we went into Solid Sound Festival, which is in North Adams, Massachusetts. So Solid Sound was the first one I did. It's Wilco's festival.
And we'll go. that one started in 2010 and it runs every other year, which I think is a good and interesting model because it it generates a lot of excitement about that festival when it does come around. so yeah, overview. I did that. I shot 21. I figured you were gonna ask how it compares. so I shot 21.
Mm-hmm.
Beth (29:14.122)
artists at solid sound. And then I did Pick a Thon, which is in Oregon last weekend. And that's kind of more like Cave Fest, but on a bigger scale, with eight basically eight stages, eight plus, and everything's in the woods and the a lot of interesting special things about each of those festivals.
I if I can make an executive decision, let's let's let's come back to Picathon. Let's start with solid solid sound. These two couldn't be any more different of a festival. It the these two festivals are on diff in diff different planets. They're so very different and very intriguing and cool on both ends. because I like I like I liked Wilco my whole life. I like Wilco more now.
Mm-hmm.
Cat.
Beth (29:55.116)
Right. So true. Yeah.
Beth (30:00.963)
Yeah.
Beth (30:06.189)
Uh-huh.
Barry (30:10.189)
Yeah.
Mm.
Mm-hmm.
And and I'm a big Jeff Tweety guy these days. And then and and and then we'll get to Piccadon. So let's start with what let's go with solid sound. That is in that is Jeff Tweety and Friends and and his organization, or that's a collaborative effort with a museum of sorts or something in Maine or excuse me, Massachusetts. We explain that relationship and how that festival i is organized from the top.
Mm.
Beth (30:40.17)
Yeah. So Solid Sound is organized by Wilco as a band. So it's a full band. Each of the members has side projects. So all of the side projects play that festival. And then all the bands are chosen by Wilco to be there. So some of them are Chicago bands, some are from other places, but they're all kind of curated by the band by Wilco. Yeah. Yep. Yep.
Wilco's from Chicago. Wilco's from Chicago. Yep. So they are sheriff.
So they are curio they basically throwing a party, their own party. And much like the fish festivals, we s we we've kind of been diving into some of these different types of festivals when I've been on here, but fish used to do their own festival and that was part of what led to Bonnoroo, because the Bonnaroo organizers had been to those festivals.
Is it camping or city fest? I mean, what are we talking about?
Russ (31:34.658)
Mm-hmm.
Beth (31:38.143)
There is there is camping available, but it's mostly a city fest.
So it's what, start at four, gotta be over by eleven at midnight, that type of thing, or
Start at eleven, might go to twelve thirty or one, something like that. So it's city, but it's not it's not in a city. It's kind of out in it's a s basically a smaller secondary city. And then yeah, everybody goes out, but there's there's a shuttle bus that takes you to parking lots or to a campground. So people I did see that people were camping, tent camping basically in a field.
And then everybody's gotta be out.
City, but it's not not in City. And it's in it's a basically a smaller secondary city. And then yeah, everybody goes out, but there's there's a shuttle bus, a big C two parking lot, or two a campground. So peop I did see that people were camping. tent camping basically in a field. But the majority of people don't seem to camp for that one. It's at obviously.
Beth (32:20.45)
But the majority of people don't seem to camp for that one. And it's at a museum, Contemporary Art Museum, which is a repurposed textile mill, I think, some kind of mill, but I think it's a textile mill. So the Mas Mocha Museum is in that part. And then there's an outdoor field, two, three outdoor stages.
Art Museum which is a purposed textile mill, I think. Some kind of mill. I think it's a textile mill. So the Mas Mocha museum is in that part, and then there's an outdoor field, two three outdoor stages, plus they do things inside the museum as well. So it's a multi curated curated event.
Plus they do things inside the museum as well.
Beth (32:56.854)
Right. Yeah. Yeah.
A little bit, yeah. Yeah. And and and as as we've discussed, a a very call it kind of a fluent crowd. Is that is that fair? a aging, Gen X are a f kind of a fluent a crowd of and and and why Massachusetts, do you know or think?
Yeah.
Beth (33:18.882)
I I know that one of the band memo members, John Stirrat, has he bought a motel there in that town. So there's also a Wilco owned sort of place to stay called tourists in that in that town. But I don't know how they originally were connected to that that place.
Okay.
Bryan (33:42.476)
And the and the Billy Bragg connection this year well, maybe reset the Wilco Billy Bragg thing all the way around. And that that 'cause it they they're not together doing music often anymore, correct? If you would res if you would reset
No, they never did. They they never toured that album. So Nora Guthrie found lyrics that were written by Woody Guthrie that had never been put to music and asked Billy Bragg to write music to accompany those lyrics. And then I can't I don't remember if Billy Bragg asked Wilco to be involved or if Nora also reached out to Wilco. But they created
Billy Bragg asked be involved, or if Nora also reached out to Wilco. But they created never toured them because Wilco didn't my understanding is Wilco didn't really want to be Billy Bragg's backing band. They went Well, that that would track for back then. We're talk we're talking we're talking late nineties, right? Yeah, yeah. That that would t
Two albums of those songs never record never toured them because Wilco didn't my understanding is Wilco didn't really want to be Billy Bragg's backing band. They wanted to do their own stuff. Yeah. Right. Mid mid mid nineties. Mid to late, yeah. Mm-hmm. Ninety eight. Right, right. Yeah. So
Yeah.
Russ (34:42.828)
Yeah.
Bryan (34:48.544)
Mid nineties. I would totally track for them back then, but
Yeah, like ninety eight. You're t we're talking about Mermaid Avenue, right? Which is an unbelievable great record. I love that record. Ninety eight.
Yeah. Which Barry, you're yeah, you Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. So one of the selling points of this festival is that Billy Bragg is involved with Glastonbury. Glastonbury's having a fallow year. So I think he curates one of the stages at Glastonbury. And because they're having a fallow year where they take a year off and let the grass grow and let the farm kind of regenerate, he was able to come to Solid Sound this year and they did a full set of Mermaid Avenue for the first time.
That they'd ever performed it live. It was huge and it sold that's why it sold the festival out immediately. So the festival, I think they have I think it's a they say 8,000 a day, but it's a lot of people just buying one day tickets and coming in and out. so it's a relatively small festival, but I I don't know if it is it's sold out at a time like this before. So a lot of interest in the Billy Bragg, the Mermaid Avenue situation.
Bryan (35:31.19)
Yeah, that's a big deal.
Nice.
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (35:52.707)
Huh.
Bryan (35:56.45)
Yeah, yeah. I mean I I I didn't know the lineage of all these things. I just knew that there was this Billy Bragg guy from the UK or, you know, English guy and Wilco and they had this album that I'm not, you know, Barry, I was actually quite surprised you knew and loved so much.
Yeah.
Barry (36:13.016)
It's one of my top five probably albums. Top ten anyway for sure.
Yeah. And so when I what when I you told me about it and you're going and I you know I know the Willco stuff with you and I you know I've I've I've come around to it a lot more myself. I thought, Billy Brack's showing up again, huh? Like, no, he never does this never happens. So that was that's pretty special.
Wow.
Barry (36:31.438)
Ha ha ha.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, this is new. Yeah. Yeah. Yes, very special. So he did his own set and then they did the Mermaid Avenue set. And I had looked because Natalie Merchant was on Mermaid Avenue also. So I but she wasn't billed. She was a surprise guest. I checked her Tory schedule and I like, I Natalie Merchant's gonna be there. I think they're gonna bring her out. 'cause I think she lives in upstate New York. So so they did. So Natalie Merchant played
That's right. Natalie Merchant.
Mm-hmm.
Beth (37:01.684)
on with i during that set and then she did a little pop up set in one of the galleries later on. Which is cool 'cause I I loved Natalie Merchant. I was a big fan in high school. Yeah.
I love Natalie Merchant too.
Yeah, that's really cool. Mm-hmm.
So you said eight eight thousand? Is that that tops? Is that how big it is?
Yeah, I I looked that's what I saw is eight thousand a day. it's a three day festival. So I I I think that's about it was pr it was pretty crowded this time. It seemed more crowded than two years ago. Because I went as a fan two years ago and yeah, it's still pretty big and not a not a huge area for people to be roaming around.
Bryan (37:22.776)
day. it's a three day So I it was about it was it was pretty crowded this time. It's more crowded than two years ago. Because I went as a fan two years ago and yeah. It's still pretty big. And not a not a huge area for people to run around. Before we move on to Picathon, which is its its own just incredibly interesting kind of backdrop and visuals and and and logistics and just overall lineup.
Wow.
Russ (37:31.916)
Yeah. It's still it's still pretty big.
Barry (37:39.822)
Yeah.
Beth (37:52.931)
Yeah.
i any other notables I mean the you know, that top line is is pretty strong. any other nota any other notables from Solid Sound you wanna get to?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, and I I wish I'd been on I was still traveling right after, so I I I could talk a lot about just Solid Sound by itself. one thing is they do give you a physical program, which you guys will like. And their physical program, they designed it so you know those little fortune telling origami things where you fold it and then it'll tell you it's fortune. They designed it so that you could fold this like that.
yeah.
Bryan (38:23.576)
things where you fold it and it'll tell you one of these deals. So that you could fold this like that. you can't see it if you're listening, but that was that was that nice. They like the physical thing. So yeah, Gang of Four was there. They were incredible. and the Breeders, which is that's right, the Breeders.
Mm-hmm. Nice. All right.
Mm-hmm.
Russ (38:27.918)
okay.
You can't see it if you're listening, but that was pr that was nice. They like a physical thing. So yeah, Gang of Four was there. They were incredible. and the Breeders, which is one of my big ones that I was really excited about. And they also did the Yo Yo World Record. So they handed out Ben and Jerry's handed out five thousand yoyos as well as a bunch of free ice cream. And they set
That's really cool.
Barry (38:41.118)
Russ (38:46.19)
Mm, mm-hmm.
Beth (39:00.366)
The world record by everybody yo yoing and all the bands were on stage yo yoing at the same time also. So that was what that was a highlight too. Yeah.
What?
bands were on stage yo yoing at the same time also so that was that was my love. Yeah. It's those kind of things, man. It's that extra thing, right? Yeah. Yeah. And they were sponsored by Grillo's pickles. It's like their their sponsors are really cool and they were giving away free pickles. No, it's just it got this a little special.
Love it.
Love it.
Russ (39:12.686)
Yeah.
those kinds of things, man. It's that extra thing, right? That's pretty cool.
Yeah. Yep. Yep. And they were sponsored by Grillo's Pickles. It's like their their sponsors are really cool and they were giving away free pickles and you know, it's just it's got its own little special touches. Right? Yeah.
What a c what a cool sponsor package. Pickle pickl pickles and ice cream, yeah.
It it really is. And and guys, I mean, this is what we talk about over the last half decade or so when I mean, let's just be honest, Bon Rus pulled back on these kind of things. They pulled back on the on the physical stuff. We all uns understand why. We don't need to, you know, re investigate it. you know most people I think, no matter of their age, like those kinds of things, but certainly people of certain a little bit of pre
Beth (39:44.909)
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (40:01.984)
You know, di digital everything. I mean, put something in my hand, man, and I'm gonna be excited. I don't care what it is.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Barry (40:08.482)
Yeah. Hundred percent. Yeah. Just that memory you take home, I didn't expect that. Didn't expect to see a guy in a banana suit waving goodbye as I walked out or handing me a pickle or whatever, yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Russ (40:17.59)
Mm.
Well, and it it's also part of the you know, you don't have to document with your phone everything if things are being documented physically for you also. So like I know coming from a I mean me and Beth are both from from from childhood or or at least teenage and beyond scrapbookers. And so just getting your hands on a an all an alt weekly that's got the little, you know, f three by three thing in the corner that says solid sound. I'll
Yeah.
Russ (40:46.862)
Mm.
Cut that out. I'll take that with me. That kind of stuff. So that's really cool. They're still sticking to that.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. I y I used to I used to have a board in my room of like every concert that I had gone to 'cause, you know, you got a ticket stub. So it was like a physical memory of like, yeah, you just stick it up and it was you know, you couldn't do something like that now.
Beth (40:55.47)
Yeah.
Beth (41:00.962)
Yeah.
And put it on that board.
wish.
Yeah.
Yeah, I wish I had saved. But I didn't. So
Russ (41:10.552)
Yeah, well you didn't didn't know. You'd think you know, you ticket stubs will be around forever. You'll just get another one. Yeah, it's right. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
I know. Yeah, just trash. It's in the pocket. Bottom of my pocket. Throw it away. Did you choose that one? you did. Okay. Why that and not another?
Right.
Beth (41:19.342)
Mm-hmm.
Beth (41:23.576)
Yeah. And
Well, I mean that's that's that's another interesting thing to get into is there o there's only so much time and there are so many festivals. So what do you choose to do with your your time, your off season for Bonnaroo? I've been a Wilco fan since two thousand three or so, but I got really into Jeff Tweety and the Tweety family during the pandemic, like I think a lot of people, because he was doing nightly shows, like hour long.
in their basement, the whole family just doing cover songs and talking and hanging out. And I got really into the the fan base and Jeff during that time. That that was my pandemic thing. And I also got my friend Sharice into Wilco and Jeff. So she and her husband John were taking this trip. They were going to their first solid sound. They had a hotel
Mm-hmm.
Beth (42:27.16)
They rented a car. They made it very easy for me. So they're patrons of the arts who who helped me to make this trip happen. yeah. So I got to go with a couple of friends and it was really fun.
Yeah.
Barry (42:39.832)
All right, let's do this. Let's take a break and we'll come back and we'll talk about your other pickathon.
Pickathathon.
Mm-hmm.
Python.
Barry (42:52.743)
And we're back. All right, let's talk Piccathon. This is a different festival. So why did you choose that and how is it different? Yeah, where is it?
Yeah.
And where is it is in Oregon.
Yeah. S so it is in Oregon, in Happy Valley, Oregon, which is a nice place to be. so that's about a four hour drive from where I am. I actually got to get in a car, drive my camping gear to a festival and not fly at all. so that was that was amazing for me. Yeah. Yeah. And also, you know, just to the audience, thanks for letting me talk about these festivals because this is
Wow, yeah. Usually you're flying in.
Beth (43:31.04)
it's part of the whole experience of getting a photo pass is you're talking about it or you're writing about it or sharing your photos. So so I really appreciate having this outlet, this opportunity to talk about things. And hopefully, you know, some Bonnaroovians are looking for other festivals to attend throughout the year. So can give a little bit of advice about those.
Mm-hmm.
Barry (43:54.018)
We'll come back to the the actual festival, but to that point, you fly to Bonnaroo. You have to you have to make plans. Now you've done it enough that you have good friends, the dudes, as we call that they keep some of your stuff in Nashville, right? Some of your camping gear, because you've done it enough times. Maine, the the last festival you had friends, right? So you kinda got a ride there.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Right.
Beth (44:07.064)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Beth (44:15.736)
Mm-hmm.
Beth (44:23.661)
Yeah.
this one to your point, you actually got to get in your car and bring your stuff. so it
Which is pretty great. Yeah. But still helped out by a friend because Liesel, friend of the show, had been talking about Picathon.
still helped out by a friend because Liesel's friend the show. I've been talking about things. Liesel to every festival. Yeah.
Lizel who's been to every festival in the history of man we discussed last week.
Russ (44:42.734)
Yeah.
Yeah. Professional festival goer, Liesel. Yeah.
Mm. She's at a festival right now, I'm sure. Yeah.
Yeah, if you need somebody, call her.
Mm-hmm.
Beth (44:53.29)
Yeah. Yeah. She is really great and just such a generous, really generous person. So she had told me about this festival and she'd said it was really visually interesting and she thought it would be something I would like to shoot. And I I thought about it, considered it, and then I it it didn't really slip my mind, but I was just so busy with other things. Then I looked up the weather and saw that it was going to be beautiful, perfect.
She is, yeah.
Russ (45:15.8)
Mm-hmm.
Beth (45:23.288)
High 70s, very little chance of rain. And I had a weekend free, which is kind of amazing. I didn't have any individual shows. And I thought, man, I would really love to go to that festival. So I reached out to them last minute, kind of Hail Mary request, and they were able to accommodate. And I knew absolutely nothing about the festival at all. So I made plans to go, and I don't recommend this.
should do everything ahead of time and plan it all and do what I usually do. but in this case I had no idea what to expect. I packed my car on Wednesday, took off on Thursday after doing some work and just drove straight to the festival and I was immersed in it. and Liesel I was able to camp with Liesel. So I did know somebody there, which is cool.
nice, yeah.
Did she give you any Ed you know, bring this, don't bring that. You you're gonna need, you know, rain boots, you're gonna need rain gear. I mean, we we all know we've done these things enough. We know what the priorities are and you know.
Yeah, she did me one better. So she connected me with a photographer who was also at Solid Sound. So I had seen him around at Solid Sound, but I didn't get to meet him there. And he shoots Picathon every year. His name's Ken. Circles of Sound is his Instagram. And he we had a phone call. He lives in LA. So we did a phone call the night before where I could say, okay.
Beth (46:56.002)
photo wise, what do I need? Do I need these lenses? Like what's the lighting like? you know, just kind of those basic. So no pits. You can shoot the whole thing. but we do have backstage access. So incredible access through the whole festival to shoot. And I was able to shoot so many more shows because it wasn't the first three. I could just shoot a little bit here, run to another stage, shoot a little bit there, do a little bit more here. that was that was great.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
wow.
Barry (47:26.176)
Is it because it's a different genre and they're just glad to get pub? I mean it's what's yeah.
It's a big festival. It's really big. So they they cap it intentionally at f about five thousand a day and then they have seventeen hundred volunteers. So a lot of the festival is run by volunteers who do six hour shifts with whatever. they have a photo team where they do they do six hours at a time, but I was because I was media, I was able to do it. I don't know if I got in because
The what podcast is in a different region and they wanted to get that coverage, but we got in because of you guys. So thank you. And I was yeah, I really, I really appreciate it. I really appreciated the access and being able to do it. Yeah. Thank you. Thanks.
Heck yeah, you got in because of us. There's no doubt about it.
I'll take credit. Yeah, we'll we'll take credit for that. It's 'cause of us, yeah.
Barry (48:14.094)
Thank you. Yeah.
Yeah, talk about the the layout. I mean the the the stages themselves seem to be works of art.
Yeah.
To that end, and let me jump on that. So five thousand, eight thousand, forty five thousand at Bonnarooo. To the to the to the new person, the the you know, the the person who's thinking, I like music festivals or I'm not really sure. How are they different?
Yeah. Yep. Yep.
Beth (48:43.756)
Yeah. Picathon, so when you go into a festival for the first time and you have no context for understanding it, you immediately start comparing it to other festivals you've been to. I think that's true of any experience in life where you're like, this person's kind of like my other friend, whoever, you know. so Picathon is kind of like Cave Fest on a bigger scale, because they have at least eight major stages and then a lot of smaller things too.
Sure. Yeah.
Beth (49:11.98)
They have the whole grounds divided up into neighborhoods. So they'll have kind of central art pieces and stages in these different sections. And it's all wooded. It's all in the woods. There's some, I mean, there's one big field with a the biggest stage. the stages are designed, I think, by architecture students with donated lumber. So every year the stages are different.
They build those out and then they dismantle them and donate the lumber to different projects throughout the region after. so it has a lot of the it also reminded me of early Bonnarooo and then it had a lot of the cool installation art elements of of that early part of the festival. And I was talking earlier about kind of rules and how when you have 45,000 people.
The most important thing is keeping people safe. So if you have that many people, you have to have a lot of rules to keep things under control. When you're dealing with 5,000 people, only rules exist are the ones that you need to keep 5,000 people safe. And it's kind of like KFS, where it just feels a lot freer. Moving through the bag checks and the gates and the all that stuff is just.
Right.
Bryan (50:23.598)
exist are the ones that use two five thousand dollars today. And kind of like Kass where it just feels a lot easier. Let's call it what it is. It's big corporate versus small independent.
Mm-hmm.
Beth (50:38.582)
A lot easier and more user friendly because you're not in a crowd of forty five thousand people. I think that's the biggest difference.
Bryan (50:50.828)
I mean it the Cave Fest, the reason it feels like Bonnaroo in two thousand five is cause it's it's a lot like Bonnaru in two thousand five, independently run with with less bureaucratic red tape and less lawyers, less suits. I would Yeah yeah, just just be cool, man works until it doesn't, until it doesn't. No, I
Yep. Yep. Just be cool. Just just hanging out and be cool. Yeah.
Just be cool, man, just be cool.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Barry (51:12.93)
Yeah, I mean sounds like I'm being snarky, I'm not. It that was the attitude. Just be cool, man.
Yeah. Right.
Yeah. And you get and at Cave Fest and Cave Jam, which they didn't do this year, but Cave Jam, same thing. And any multi day thing at Cave Fest, it's it's independently run and it's there's a trust factor from the from the patrons to the to the to the to the showrunners to the promoters. And so I mean I I you're not gonna be able to get away from that when you when you scale up to something like Bonnaroo. but
Mm-hmm.
Bryan (51:47.795)
Y this was four days, right? This is every bit of Thursday through Sunday.
Yeah. And I got there kind of late on Thursday because I had to I had to do a little bit of freelance work in the morning before I even went. So I just did Thursday night and then three solid days of of that festival. And also just just side note, I we've talked about there are pros and cons with corporate corporate festivals versus independent in, you know, being that that kind of
money can create a lot of interesting, great things. but I think with a festival like this, you're seeing bands that will be at Bonnarooo in a few years. And you'll say, I saw them at this independent festival. You just don't know which ones which ones are gonna make it, but or if they even want to.
And you'll say, I saw that this way. You just don't know. Can you describe the the overall lineup? I mean Steve Earl was at near the top as a name that pop built a spill, maybe I think I'm only going on memory. and then some smaller stuff that that's some of us recognize more than but more than others.
Mm-hmm.
Barry (52:32.493)
Yeah.
Beth (52:46.914)
Yeah. Yeah.
Bryan (52:53.804)
But pick a thon, right? You hear or or pick yeah, right? And I I I was calling it pick picker fest for a minute, but it's pick a thon. You know, the first first thing that comes to mind is did like it's yeah, it's it's a it's a bun it's a bunch of folk and and and and picking on the front porch kind of stuff, but that's that's not what it is really at all. It's pretty multi j genre if you would speak to that.
Pickathon, yeah.
Barry (53:05.268)
Yeah, bluegrass.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Beth (53:20.59)
Yep. Yep. I have never seen a more multi genre festival. And I think that's true even of early Bonnaru, that you have everything, rappers, punk bands, a few DJs, but a lot of them were spinning vinyl in some of these smaller stages in between. So they had it real organized really well, so there's always music going on somewhere.
Country bands. We talked about your your buddy Channing being there. there there is some bluegrass. So the McCurries, the traveling McCurries were there. and they actually played with Steve Earl. And that was another one where they talked about Yeah, it's very the top of the line bluegrass. They did some dead songs and they, you know. Yep, absolutely. That's you get scratch that itch, definitely. they also one thing that's cool
Mm-hmm.
Barry (54:00.194)
Didn't get any more bluegrass than that.
I know.
Doesn't get any more bluegrass than the McCurry's, so
Barry (54:13.208)
Right.
Beth (54:16.812)
There's so many little cool things, but one thing was that they had busking stage along one of the pathways to get to the woods stage. So there is a little stage built so that people can busk there, just bring their own instruments and do that. so yeah, music everywhere, every type of music, which is really my thing.
That's cool.
Barry (54:37.998)
That raises a good that raises a good question. How how are these different? 'Cause you've and we probably should get Lisa on because by God she can speak to this question, but how are festivals what are they doing to make themselves different that you've seen?
We could, yeah. It's been it's been years since we've talked to her.
Yeah. Yeah.
Beth (54:56.014)
Yeah.
I mean the other thing that they're big on is the sustainability and really trying to make that work.
I was gonna say, yeah, talk about that 'cause that that's that's a big part of the mission there, and which is no no surprise in the Pacific Northwest.
Yeah.
Beth (55:10.71)
Yeah, sure. In Oregon. It's it's really close to Portland too. So you can actually fly into the Portland airport and then take public transit and then be picked up by a shuttle and get into the festival. So if you were flying in for this one, it's pretty seems like it's pretty user friendly to do that. pretty sustainable. But so when you go in, there's there's no packaging for any of the food. So there lots of food vendors.
Yeah, that's pretty sustainable.
Beth (55:39.16)
trucks, all that type of thing. And you buy a cup. So if you are on YouTube, I have my visual aid of the cup. Buy a pickathon cup and all your beverages are going to be in that cup. And then you rent basically a plate. So you put in a deposit on a plate, they fill that plate. When you turn it back in, you get a token and then you can trade that back in to
Beth (56:07.008)
get another plate the next time you get food. So really very little trash and they really manage to cut down on the waste by doing that. I think they have a solar powered stage too. And like I talked about, they they recycle all of the lumber from the stages also.
Hmm.
Bryan (56:28.352)
Sure they con compost all the scraps and all that kind of stuff too. Can you guys imagine if something like this was pitched in like Tennessee? They're like, are you crazy?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah. This would not work. Yeah. Yeah. I gotta throw my garbage all over the place, yeah.
Ha ha
Bryan (56:37.942)
Are you crazy? We gotta have styrofoam and plastic and paper all over this place. Yeah. we're gonna recycle it all. Yeah, we're gonna re we recycle. Yeah. Yeah. Sure you recycle all that, guys. Sure you do. back to the quickly, before I forget, Beth, the as far as the Picathon and what the the festival is underneath that underneath that name and and
Yeah.
Right. Yeah.
A red solo cup, dude. Where's my red solo cup?
Yeah.
Beth (56:53.654)
Yeah. Mm.
Bryan (57:05.856)
also as we often talk about, you know, twenty years of of festivals evolving. Was it more of a traditional pickers fest once upon a time and it's moved this way, do you know? Or or or has it always been pretty multi multifaceted?
You know, I don't I don't know for sure. They've been around for twenty seven or so years. Twenty s
I bet in the early days it was a bunch of just picking and it moved along, but that's just one guy taking a guess, yeah.
Probably. Yeah, that would be my guess is that's where it started and then it evolved from there. It kind of reminded me of Philadelphia Folk Festival too, which is another long running festival that originally was folk and then kind of has shifted a little bit in their programming, although the majority of it is still kind of folk music.
I'm all right. I keep going back to this because something you said and I'm not sure where I want to go with it, but you keep saying r you you said not keep saying a couple of times you said rules. Bonnaru has more rules. how does it what do you mean by that? And how does it feel like how how do you feel Bonnarooo is coming out of this year?
Barry (58:18.014)
in in that regard. And I I I kinda know what you mean. Cause I it felt like, especially after C three and Live Nation bought it from AC and Superfly, it did feel like there were more rules than we were used to. And I'm guessing that's kind of where you're going with it. But I how how do you feel coming out of this year? I mean, we we y you've been there like
Mm-hmm.
Beth (58:38.787)
Yeah.
Barry (58:47.32)
Brian and I especially from what you say, twenty seven, seven was your first or four. four, yeah. so you've been there. we've been through the weather, we've been through COVID, we've been through all that. What's your what's your feeling on how how they are coming out of this year?
four. Yeah, four.
Mm-hmm.
Beth (59:09.646)
I think that's that's part of it when we talk about rules. You know, that's not necessarily a bad thing because the number one thing is keeping people safe and I they they need to do that. So I I think when you have a few events and then something does go wrong, like the weather is terrible and you know, you have to then have policies to be able to deal with that possibility.
When you invite forty five thousand people to a party, it's different than having a show in your backyard with twenty, you know, where I I just think there are a lot more places you can't go and there's a lot more security and people who are in charge of making you not go places at Bonnarooo.
That's that's very true. I mean, we'd speaking of of Tuba on with us and then also at his panels, it's like 96 parking credentials. Just parking credentials. Like I don't know how they keep up with all of it. And and and it is it it does seem like it's designed. There's a specific design of making sure people don't go places rather than when 20 years ago this was.
Yeah, yeah, that's a great point. I forgot about that. I forgot I forgot about the
Mm-hmm.
Beth (01:00:10.77)
Mm, yeah, yeah, yeah, mm hmm.
Bryan (01:00:28.29)
Kind of a free for when now we're talking, you we're back to Bonaru talk here specifically. It's it was not about where you couldn't go. It was where we were all headed together, kind of was the feel. Maybe that wasn't actual true reality, but that's what it it felt like. So I I I you know, again, it's it it the I th you've said it, Beth, a couple of times and and and you're right. It comes back to safety. It I mean, that's what most of these rules are in place for.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Barry (01:00:50.808)
Yeah.
Yeah.
is for safety and for crowd control.
Lot of different ways to say that, but it's more organized, is what they would they would probably say. Yeah, it wasn't it wasn't that you could go anywhere you wanted to in the past because they wanted you to. It's just they hadn't considered that Stone might walk in behind back there where he shouldn't have.
Exactly.
Beth (01:01:03.64)
Yes.
Far more organized. Far more organized.
Yeah.
Bryan (01:01:10.912)
No. No.
Russ (01:01:17.262)
Yeah.
Yeah. I might try I might try to work my w do a workaround here, right?
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like now they're there's like, my God, why is that guy back there? He could get hurt. Yeah. Okay. Exactly.
Mm-hmm. Or or hop the fence, yeah.
Beth (01:01:22.765)
Yeah.
Beth (01:01:28.814)
Yeah, it's it's kinda like why would you want to do that? You know? So instead of somebody st posted there saying you can't do that, it's like, there's nothing going on over there. I don't want to do that. Yeah, you know?
Yeah and
Barry (01:01:36.524)
Yeah, you don't need to be back there. Yeah. That's a good point.
Well, and there's something too with with the early days of Bonnaroo. I mean, it lets you know, I'd say it takes ten years before that becomes a regular for much of anybody. It's still a new thing for so many times. And there and there is a certain w with with polite human beings, which there are some left, like, I don't know if I can go over there. That looks like a place I can't go. So I won't. Like, I'm gonna go where it looks like I'm supposed to go. Well
Yeah.
Beth (01:01:57.55)
Mm-hmm.
Barry (01:02:02.274)
Yeah.
Barry (01:02:05.95)
versus versus the just act like you belong. We're a you know, we're a big yeah, or yeah, just act like you're supposed to be there and everybody that's a great story tomorrow type of thing.
Mm-hmm.
Russ (01:02:10.638)
That's how I do it, yeah.
That's a taco method. Just walk in there. Yeah.
Yeah.
Bryan (01:02:18.936)
Well then after after ten, fifteen years roll along and you bring in a more buttoned up ownership, it gets to where we can't just hope that these people don't go to this place that they're not supposed to be. So you know, th th we're just talking about it in in generalized terms.
Mm-hmm.
Barry (01:02:27.875)
Yeah.
Right.
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah. Look out for that guy looks like Bryan Stone with eight lanyards around his neck. He doesn't belong here. Exactly. It worked twenty years ago.
Russ (01:02:34.775)
Yeah.
No.
What yeah, one of 'em's from Brewfest in Chattanooga from ten years ago.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Right.
Russ (01:02:44.514)
Yeah.
Hell our buddy Brad Steiner wore all of his credentials every year.
Yeah, Mike Dewar got into everywhere. Yeah, we all have friends who yeah. Yeah. It's so funny. All right, Beth.
Mm-hmm.
No.
Bryan (01:02:56.566)
Now he was showing off more than anything. But but yeah. But so how many but did you w sorry, Barry, were you able to did did you go hard and shoot all day and night like you like we know that you likely did for Picathon?
Yeah, Picathon wa Picathon was the record. And just also side note, just to finish off that that part, I do feel like Bonnarooo was really well run this year. I thought they did an amazing job. And it was just seemed very organized and and fun and awesome. So the team is doing great at Bonnaroo. Picathon, I shot 60 different artists during the weekend. So I that was my new record for doing that. But it didn't feel stressful. It was just
There was a lot of pictures, yeah.
Russ (01:03:37.652)
Yeah.
Beth (01:03:42.57)
That kid in a candy shop feeling, which is the best thing about festivals, where you can just say, Ooh, I could catch this. What's going on over here? I'm gonna check this out and just go explore. It was great.
Yeah.
Two things for people listening who think, my gosh, she gets to go to all these things. It's work, right? That's what I've tried to always tell people. It's yeah, we get to do cool things, we get access that a lot of people don't, but it is work. You know, wow, wow, wow. First world problems. Where can people see your pictures?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Beth (01:04:18.036)
eThorp photo is my Instagram. So that's where I share most of them. So I did some collaborative posts with the What podcast of these two festivals. So you'll see the photos from those weekends. there I think the Bonnaroo ones I shot for Nashville dot com, but those are also my recaps of Bonnaroo are on there too.
And what's next? What's your next one?
gosh, I well, there's a even more local small festival at my home venue in two weeks. So not next weekend but the weekend after, and that's gonna be like five hundred people in a barn and it's gonna be amazing. So I'm looking forward to that next.
Love it. Kest.
And then K and then K fest likely next here for for more regional.
Russ (01:05:04.183)
Yeah, sounds awesome.
Okay, fast. but hopefully, and I did want to mention, hopefully next would be Bombershoot. I have a request in to shoot Bombershoot in Seattle, which is kind of a historic since nineteen seventy one festival in Seattle at the Space Needle in that area. And we have a request in to cover that. So we'll find out pretty soon whether I'll get the chance to shoot that.
Yeah.
Russ (01:05:30.689)
Nice.
De deathcab and turnstyle, correct? Is the headliners?
D turnstile, bikini kill, blood orange is gonna be there. And I didn't get to see Blood Orange at at Bonaru, so I would like to do that. And yeah, that that that hopefully is what's up next.
Mm.
Nice.
Barry (01:05:47.138)
Beth Bethorpe What Podcast West Coast Correspondent?
Yeah. And and Northeast.
for duty.
And Northeast and Northeast.
And northeast, that's right. She coast to coast.
Beth (01:05:59.208)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, right.
And and southeast. I mean bot between Bonaru and Cape Fest, you've you spent a lot of time in in our neck of the woods too, yeah. Yeah. Speaking of and Mexico City, yeah. International.
We're nationwide.
And Mexico City, let's go back to Mexico City. Maybe they'll send us back there. That would be great. Yeah.
And Mexico City, Mike. We cover the world. I love it. It's so great.
Bryan (01:06:12.225)
Internet.
Yeah, we do. Yeah. Yeah, speaking of, Cave Fest is coming up October what, tenth, eleventh, somewhere around there. That's basically two months away.
Yep. Yep. Second week second yeah, second weekend of October.
Yeah.
All right, trying to wrap up, Beth, what else? Anything that we didn't talk about?
Beth (01:06:31.64)
think that's that pretty much covers it. And you know, maybe in the future I'll come on and talk about some of the bands from these festivals that I think are gonna be on the lineup. I'm scouting. I'm scouting. I'll let you know who I predict is going to be on the Bonnaroo lineup this next year. Mm-hmm.
Ooh. Yeah, yeah.
I think we're gonna I I think I'm trying to put together a panel that that would work for. So we'll do that, definitely. So
We need predictions, yeah.
Beth (01:06:51.288)
Mm-hmm.
You know, the only thing we talked I don't think we talked about it since we hit record, is you know, it's just a light newsweek and all of you know, festiverse land right now. but the dates have not been announced for Bonnoroo twenty seven. And and Reddit is having fun with that, you know, and d catastrophizing and everything else. I don't think there's much to read into that, but we are in August and we do not have dates for next year. But I'm sure those are coming. So in
No
Barry (01:07:23.042)
I did ask officially. I asked through the channels, and went all the way to the top and they just because they're dealing with other stuff is what I was told. They just don't have yet. So read into that what you want to, but yes, we don't have dates yet.
Yeah, I d I don't think I don't think there's anything to read into it. And I'm normally the guy that would go to that. Right. Like that that's where I my mind would go first. hey, never know. Ma maybe it's never happening again. I actually don't believe. I
Yeah.
Yeah, put down those fears cause there's a lot of chatter on Reddit talking about well they haven't announced the dates, so it must be canceled. They must never be doing Bonnaroo again.
Or they're moving it to s they're moving it to the fall. They're not moving it.
Bryan (01:07:55.746)
Yeah.
Yeah, I don't know why I don't know why people I don't know why that's come back up again, but yeah, that's just that's just that is a fact. They have not announced the dates, which is, you know, I i it's worth bringing up or but I I wouldn't read into it as some kind of issue to be concerned with for the future of Bonaru, at least for twenty twenty seven.
No.
Russ (01:08:16.3)
Yeah, I'm not worried. Yeah.
worried about it. And I I just I'll go ahead and say I think it's still gonna be on a smaller, smaller we're never gonna see eighty thousand again. I I've said that and I will I don't think we should. They they the footprint, the the farm has changed, the VIP and all that, we're not gonna see eighty. Seventy would be huge. I think sixty somewhere in there, but that's just me. I don't have any proof of that.
I don't think we should.
Yeah, I think I think that's true, yeah.
Yeah.
Bryan (01:08:44.344)
Yeah. No, I I I think I think forty five to f to sixty five is is the number that they should be considering because of of a lot of things we've talked about in the past. But I I I I'm in agreement with you on that.
Yeah.
Barry (01:08:57.39)
I think next week, I I always hate to do this because things can change, but I think well, next couple of weeks, guys, we're gonna talk a little EDM and then we're gonna get back talking about infrastructure, the the sausage making type of stuff, which our poll that taco put together. People, that's what you guys like, and that's what we like. So we're gonna we're gonna
That's that's what the people want. Yeah.
We're gonna lift up the carpet and look underneath and see what's going on. So Beth, thank you so much.
Yeah. And we've got we've got, you know, upcoming festivals. We've got what Cave Fest, we Shaky Knees coming up and maybe Huluen. Maybe, I don't know. Maybe Bumber Shoes.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Barry (01:09:34.508)
All right.
Beth (01:09:40.643)
Yeah.
MAT's right. Yeah, I hope so.
Maybe Bombershoe. I have an EDM festival coming up too. I forgot about I forgot to mention that until you just said it. There's a I'm doing a full EDM festival, so we will talk about that too.
We'll see.
I'm doing a whole evening up as well, so we'll talk about that.
Russ (01:09:54.41)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Awesome.
Also on The What Podcast
Previous episode
What Bonnaroo Fans Actually Want From a Podcast
Next episode
Is Hulaween Everything Bonnaroo Used to Be?
